Welcome to Sarah Hewitt
We are delighted to welcome Sarah Hewitt, award-winning author and illustrator to the Writing Coach as one of our consultants.
Our illustrations of classic writers
David Lewis, artist and visualiser describes his commission to illustrate eight writers for The Writing Coach website. David writes: My brief was to capture a handful of inspirational literary figures across different practices, cultures and periods. I deliberately avoided drawing anyone too recent, to be sure there was no ambiguity about who The Writing Coach …
An interview with Thomas R. Weaver
Author of Artificial Wisdom Thomas R. Weaver worked with several of our team at the Writing Coach. His primary mentor during the writing of Artificial Wisdom was Mark Leggatt. We are delighted that Thomas’s novel has recently been published by Chainmaker Press and recently featured on the front page of ‘The Bookseller’. In short, what …
Transforming my Writing with The Writing Coach Membership
A guest post by Elizabeth Cox, member of The Literary Community. We asked Elizabeth Cox, one of Jacqui Lofthouse’s personal clients and a member of our Membership Group The Literary Community to share her experience of her time in our community. Recognising I Needed Help I joined Inside Story – now known as The …
Our Charity Literary Event for War Child
Join us for a discussion exploring the space that literature can offer amidst the current crisis. All proceeds to the charity War Child. Join authors Miranda Gold, Alice Jolly, Fran Lock, and Ana Seferović (see more details below) for Fragile Borders, Fragile Bodies at The Tabernacle Church, London on Friday 8th April from 6.30pm, …
Michelle Graham Taylor and The Ghost Of A Lie
Jacqueline Smith interviews Michelle Graham Taylor, a previous client of The Writing Coach, about her book The Ghost of a Lie. ‘Like a Runner Needs to Run’ Michelle Graham Taylor is an inspiration to anyone who thinks they don’t have the time to write a book. She’s up before the sun rises so that she …
The Writing Life of PD Viner, Crime Writer and Crime Writing Mentor
Recently Jacqueline Smith interviewed the Crime Writer PD Viner. Phil Viner is one of our consultants and a Crime Writing Mentor at The Writing Coach. His first novel The Last Winter of Dani Lancing was shortlisted for International Crime Novel of the Year and his most recent work is due for publication in May 2022. …
An interview with author Bryony Pearce
Mary Fletcher, one of our clients, interviews Bryony Pearce, writer and consultant at The Writing Coach. It’s difficult not to be charmed by Bryony Pearce. Dressed in a faintly sparkling jumper and a simple necklace, she answers the video call with a bright smile and a warmth that is infectious. It doesn’t take long for …
Celebrating our MA Creative Writing success stories at UEA
We are delighted to announce that three of our current and former clients will soon be finishing the first term of their Creative Writing MAs at the University of East Anglia (UEA). We are particularly proud this year to witness the success of these clients, two of whom gained places on the MA Creative Writing: …
An interview with Antony Johnston, author of ‘The Organised Writer’
Our Founder Jacqui Lofthouse is delighted to interview Antony Johnston, author of The Organised Writer, published by Bloomsbury, 1st October. As one who’s fairly obsessed about productivity for writers herself, she was intrigued to find out more about Antony’s viewpoint. 1. What led you to write ‘The Organised Writer’? My own life and career, first …
The Silence of the Archives – A guest post by Pete Langman
Our former client Pete Langman, author of Killing Beauties, met his publisher John Mitchinson of Unbound at our Writing Coach ‘Google Academy’ event Here he writes about how we transform archival material when writing historical fiction. If it takes an historian to rediscover an exciting but little-known character’s life, the historical novelist can imagine them …
Creativity and Leadership – A Guest Post by Trevor Waldock
We are delighted to share this guest post by Trevor Waldock. Trevor is one of the best-known, and best-respected, executive coaches in Europe and has worked at the most senior level in organisations across all sectors. The author of Doing the Right Thing – Getting Fit for Moral Leadership, he is also the founder of Emerging …
Routes to Publication – our Google Academy event
We were recently lucky enough to host our Routes to Publication event at Google Academy in central London. On the evening, our Founder Jacqui Lofthouse chaired a discussion with special guests Louise Doughty, John Mitchinson, Clare Morgan and Stephanie Zia. It was a fascinating opportunity to meet many of our clients and community at the …
Carolyn Kirby’s compelling debut: The Conviction of Cora Burns
We are excited to share the news that one of Jacqui’s former clients at The Writing Coach, Carolyn Kirby now has a two book deal with No Exit Press. Carolyn worked with Jacqui on her first novel and we’re delighted that a revised version of that novel will also be published by No Exit. Jacqui …
Our Writers’ Community: Group outings
One of the most unique aspects of The Writing Coach is the strong sense of a writers’ community that we foster amongst all of our clients. We really pride ourselves on this and our community events are open to all our clients from those who enrol in our online course Get Black on White to those …
Routes to Publication: our Event at Google Academy
A Panel Event at Google Academy exploring routes to publication and writerly integrity in the process Thursday August 16th at 6.30pm- 9.30pm Jacqui Lofthouse interviews special guests Louise Doughty, John Mitchinson, Clare Morgan and Stephanie Zia Would you love to find out more about routes to publication – from the traditional route to working with …
Blog Tour: ‘Bluethroat Morning’
We’re delighted to announce that the official ‘Blog Tour’ for the first digital edition of our Founder Jacqui Lofthouse’s novel ‘Bluethroat Morning’ (originally published by Bloomsbury in 2000) begins tomorrow on May 15th. There will be daily posts including exclusive extracts, interviews with Jacqui Lofthouse and reviews of the novel, leading up to official publication day …
Lucy Kaufman’s Play – Eleanor Marx: The Jewess of Jews Walk
We are delighted to announce that Lucy Kaufman’s play ‘The Jewess of Jews Walk’ is now playing at The Sydenham Centre, London – there’s still time to grab your tickets… Lucy Kaufman is a former client of The Writing Coach and also attended Jacqui Lofthouse’s workshop with Clare Barry for Paradise Road Project – on …
Literary Thriller ‘Bluethroat Morning’ – Cover Reveal
We’re delighted to announce the first digital release of our founder’s second novel Bluethroat Morning. First published in hardback and paperback in 2000 and 2001, by Bloomsbury, the new digital edition will be published by Blackbird Books. Stephanie Zia, founder of Blackbird Books says “We are counting down the days to the first digital edition …
Sarah Dickinson, author of ‘Plenty Mango’ speaks with Jacqui Lofthouse (Part Two)
Sarah Dickinson was our Founder Jacqui Lofthouse’s first proper ‘boss’ when Jacqui began her career as a graduate in 1988. Here Jacqui interviews Sarah and they reminisce about ‘the old days’, about their relationship and on the nature of business and being a writer. Sarah, when we first met, I was a twenty-two year …
Sarah Dickinson, author of ‘Plenty Mango’ speaks with Jacqui Lofthouse (Part One)
It is with great pleasure that I introduce a new book and Audible recording, Plenty Mango: Postcards from the Caribbean by Sarah Dickinson. This is a very special one for me as Sarah was my first ever proper ‘boss’ after I graduated from University – aged 22, she offered me a role as a radio producer …
‘Isn’t it terrible about Chechnya’: Jane Austen – the wartime writer
A Guest Post on Jane Austen by former writing coach client Caroline Doherty de Novoa At Jane Austen’s house, you certainly get what you came for. A tiny wooden writing desk… a view onto a rose garden… a quill. A dainty tea set… books with gold-lettered spines and peacocks emblazoned on the front… embroidery. A …
Carolyn Kirby triumphs in two first novel awards
We are delighted to announce that former Writing Coach client Carolyn Kirby has won the inaugural Bluepencilagency First Novel Award with her historical thriller Half of You. In addition, she was awarded second place for this novel in the Daniel Goldsmith First Novel Prize.
An interview with novelist Stuart Warner
In this post, our Founder Jacqui Lofthouse interviews her former client, the novelist Stuart Warner, author of The Sound of Everything. They discuss his transition from poet to novelist. When we first met, in your writing life you were primarily a poet. What made you want to transition to novel-writing? I recall telling friends how much …