New Publisher Listing: Avery Hill Publishing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday April 29, 2026
Publishes graphic novels and comics across literary, experimental, and contemporary fiction, including surreal, slice of life, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, humour, and memoir‑style work, with a focus on distinctive visual storytelling and independent voices. No unsolicited submissions. Accepts pitches only from creators they have expressed an interest in previously, or who they follow on social media.
Quills at the ready: Five steps to writing a poem
news.fiu.edu – Tuesday April 28, 2026
"Hope" is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
– Emily Dickinson
Poems are powerful, magical and mysterious. They show us life in novel ways.
“A poem is an offering,” says poet and professor Julie Marie Wade. It can sneak up on readers to show them something familiar in an unfamiliar manner. “It might be different for everybody in the room,” Wade explains, “but there’s something to take from [a poem] as a reader and appreciator of our shared world.”
Psychology professor Shannon Pruden also praises poetry’s ability to present various points of view, thereby engendering empathy: “I think reading and writing poetry allows you to understand the perspective of other people, which ultimately leads to a much more complex understanding of emotions and emotional development. Poetry allows you to make that leap.”
Explore creativity and take your children’s book idea to the next level
news.suffolkvillage.info – Tuesday April 28, 2026
Budding children’s writers are invited to develop their craft as an author or illustrator.
The Writing Children’s Literature Day event has been organised by the University of Suffolk’s English team in partnership with The Hold, in Ipswich, home of Suffolk Archives.
Specialist workshops, talks and Q&As with authors, illustrators and literary agents from Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency, the largest specialist agency for children’s books in the UK, will help those attending hone skills, gain insider tips and learn more about the children’s book industry.
Lindsey Scott, the course leader for MA Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Suffolk, said: “Children’s literature has a unique power; the right book at the right moment can ignite a curiosity in a young reader that can help shape who they become. That’s what makes writing for children so important, and so thrilling.
“Many talented writers have a story inside them but don’t know how to take it to the next level. Having the guidance of an experienced literary agent can be transformative; helping them refine their pitch, find their audience and turn that idea into a published book.
New Magazine Listing: Grande Dame Literary & Art Journal
firstwriter.com – Tuesday April 28, 2026
Online journal dedicated to supporting women writers and artists. Writers from every corner of the world, range from emerging voices to self-published novelists to award-winning, traditionally published authors. Our contributors span generations, from teens to writers in their nineties. We believe every woman is a self-defined Grande Dame, and that spirit is what guides our publication.
New Literary Agency Listing: Salky Literary Management
firstwriter.com – Monday April 27, 2026
Represents authors of fiction and nonfiction whose work reflects diverse voices and previously untold stories. Works in partnership with a wider agency network to support prizewinning and bestselling writers, illustrators, and journalists. Focuses on developing impactful narratives and managing careers for clients whose stories aim to influence culture and inspire readers.
Colm Tóibín explores the art of short story writing
spectator.com – Sunday April 26, 2026
When I was 20 and tentatively trying to write, every single person I knew read Ian McEwan’s First Love, Last Rites (1975). It not only gave the short story a good name, but it also gave writing a good name. It was like a punk moment converted into fiction. People used the word “macabre,” but there was a sort of excitement about the characters, the strangeness of the stories, the shortness of some of the stories and just how much contemporary urban life was in them.
Often people suggest I investigate a writer. I was in Toronto about 20 years ago when someone told me about the extraordinary Canadian writer Alistair MacLeod. He had written two books of short stories which were republished in 2000 in one volume called Island: The Collected Stories. The 16 short stories are exceptional in the way they are constructed. They deal with the very fierce, rugged landscape of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. A lot of people living in very isolated ways, where the possibility of love or community is narrowed. It’s almost like having a book of poetry that you can keep to hand and reread.
The Rise and Fall and Rise of American Publishing
scheerpost.com – Saturday April 25, 2026
In January, I wrote for the Winter 2026 issue of LIBERTIES quarterly journal a lengthy consideration of the state of American publishing. LIBERTIES was founded five years ago by Leon Wieseltier, the former longtime literary editor of The New Republic, and my essay is reprinted by ScheerPost with permission. You can access LIBERTIES website at: https://libertiesjournal.com
I’ve been invited by Robert Scheer to write a monthly column. This inaugural essay will give you a sense of my commitment to the world of books and publishing and, more broadly, to the notion that ideas matter. I’m a former editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review and have headed up several publishing companies, both in New York at Hill & Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux and at Times Books, a onetime imprint of Random House, and in California where I am currently and for the past ten years the publisher of Heyday, a nonprofit independent press founded more than fifty years ago in Berkeley. I’m the author of Tell Me Something, Tell Me Anything, Even If It’s a Lie: A Memoir in Essays.
As for this essay, I can sum up its essence in a sentence: I think we’ve entered a golden age of independent book publishing, more diverse and robust against all expectation that the Goliaths of mainstream publishing would snuff out the small fry.
Philip Pullman: The thing every writer needs to overcome
bigthink.com – Wednesday April 22, 2026
Sometimes, great writing makes me angry.
It’s nothing to do with the ideas inside, of course. Poets and bestselling authors are good at their game. What bothers me is when those ideas are expressed with such perfect beauty that I cannot hope to match them.
There might be a degree of professional pride to this. When I gawp at an old poet like T.S. Eliot or a modern writer like Samantha Harvey, I’m just jealous. Yes, they might be better trained than I am. Yes, they likely took more time on their writing than I did on this article. But, in the main, I’m left bitterly squinting at how someone can be so damn good.
There’s more to it, though. It’s often said that the joy of great literature lies in poets and writers expressing feelings and thoughts in ways we couldn’t imagine. They name emotions we didn’t know we felt. They dig up what was deeply buried away. But this joy is a coin with two sides.
I would like to invent a word: Psychoklepsis. Psychoklepsis — literally “soul-theft” — is when someone expresses your inner life better than you ever could, and you resent it. It’s when you hear a song, read a poem, or watch a movie, and you say, “I can’t express myself better than this stranger expresses me.” Psychoklepsis feels like some magic of the page ripped open your soul and helped itself to your feelings. Ridiculous, of course, but humans can be ridiculous.
Psychoklepsis is something that many writers and artists have to deal with. Left unchecked, it curdles into paralysis — the feeling that everything worth saying has already been said, and said better. But in this week’s Mini Philosophy interview, we explore a way out.
New Literary Agent Listing: Lily Kovacs
firstwriter.com – Wednesday April 22, 2026
Handles fiction blending suspense, mystery and psychological drama, including post‑apocalyptic and survival narratives, as well as work with a Gothic atmosphere, multigenerational sagas, morally ambiguous characters and exploration of the queer experience. Seeks nonfiction with strong investigative journalism or emotionally candid narrative. In the wider speculative field, she is interested in character‑driven fantasy with intricate world building, distinctive magic systems, memorable side characters, banter and slow‑burn reveals. Looking for speculative dark academia, adult urban fantasy featuring varied magical creatures, and historical fiction infused with magical realism.
New Publisher Listing: Lucent Dreaming
firstwriter.com – Tuesday April 21, 2026
Publishes novels by UK‑based writers across any genre with a preference for literary, speculative, surreal, contemporary, historical, and magic realism or low fantasy work. Seeks beautifully written fiction that is readable and explores inner lives, relationships, identity and society, featuring characters readers can root for. Avoid stories involving zombies, vampires, werewolves, fanfiction based on non‑public‑domain texts, gratuitous violence, or erotica. Also publishes poetry pamphlets and a magazine.
Get the free newsletter | Submit a news item or article | Get Writers' News for your website
