Writing festival celebrates Arts Council cash
bbc.co.uk – Tuesday February 17, 2026
An annual literary festival attracting entries from authors around the world is celebrating a grant worth almost £59,000.
The 10th Hammond House International Literary Festival, also known as LitFest, is hosting a series of events in Grimsby until 25 February.
The money from Arts Council England will be used to fund the festival over the next two years.
Jessica Johnson, the Litfest project manager, said the grant would allow them to "have the resources to work with a lot more creatives locally, pay them what they deserve and allow us to broaden our projects".
Events include workshops with the writer Paul Basset Davies, who has worked with some of the biggest names in British comedy, and award-winning illustrator Debasmita Dasgupta.
The finale, on 25 February, will include an awards ceremony at University Centre, in Grimsby, where entries shortlisted as part of a competition will be published in an anthology.
New Independent Publisher Pellerin Books Launches with Digital‑First Vision
firstwriter.com – Monday February 16, 2026
A new player has entered the UK publishing landscape as Pellerin Books, an independent publisher focused on commercial fiction, officially launches. The company is the creation of Laura Palmer, co‑founder of Head of Zeus, and Jessie Sullivan, formerly head of marketing, who bring extensive experience from both traditional and digital‑first publishing models.
According to the founders, Pellerin Books is built around a simple but ambitious premise: designing a publishing house that reflects how readers discover, buy, and engage with books today. The company will publish a curated list of immersive fiction across genres including crime, romance, historical, fantasy, and science fiction.
New Literary Agent Listing: Madelyn Chimento
firstwriter.com – Monday February 16, 2026
Handles literary and upmarket fiction with a particular interest in coming‑of‑age narratives, complex female relationships, and psychologically driven stories. Seeks projects with sharp prose and distinctive voices, informed by an editorial approach shaped through extensive writing and editing training.
The Romance Writing Festival to return to Dorset
dorsetecho.co.uk – Sunday February 15, 2026
The second Romance Writing Festival will return to Bournemouth on Saturday, October 3, promising a full day of expert talks, workshops, and networking opportunities for writers at every stage of their journey.
Taking place at the Marsham Court Hotel, the festival will feature Sunday Times bestselling authors, industry professionals, and aspiring writers under one roof.
The event is part of the growing literary programme from the Bournemouth Writing Festival, and it caters to romance writers ranging from beginners to those seeking publication.
Katie Fforde, a stalwart of the romance genre, will appear in conversation with BBC South’s Edward Sault.
Sue Moorcroft, president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, will also feature in the line-up.
After 40 Years, Romance Publisher Harlequin to End Historical Romance Line
people.com – Saturday February 14, 2026
One of the most successful romance novel publishers in the world is shutting down its historical romance line.
Harlequin Enterprises is planning to shut down its historical line in September 2027, a representative from parent company Harper Collins confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement. Retail efforts and digital publishing in the U.S. and U.K. will cease as a part of the shutdown.
"As Harlequin continues to evolve its series romance publishing program, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue publishing the Historical Romance series after September 2027 due to changing global market conditions," the statement said. "We are deeply grateful to the talented authors who have helped shape the series and shared unforgettable stories with generations of readers."
Harlequin — known for novels and series including Lynne Graham's Bond of Hatred, Maya Banks' The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress series and other romances — will not acquire any new works for the line moving forward, the outlet reported, citing an email sent to Harlequin authors.
Publishing houses have hundreds of imprints. What are they exactly?
marketplace.org – Saturday February 14, 2026
The book publishing market share is heavily concentrated in five or so publishing houses: Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Hachette. But these publishers all have a vast collection of imprints, and often it seems a book is more closely associated with its imprint than its parent publisher. My question is: What exactly are imprints and what are they for? The easy answer would be branding but it seems each imprint operates more or less individually on its books, implying it’s not just for appearances sake and might have a deeper purpose.
The big five publishers collectively have hundreds of imprints, spanning categories like classic literature, romance, science fiction, fantasy and business.
There are imprints like Golden Books, a brand from Random House whose children’s books have a recognizable gold-foil spine. Scribner, an imprint from Simon & Schuster whose published authors include Stephen King and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Egan. And Harlequin Books, an imprint from HarperCollins that publishes the famed Harlequin romance novels.
Not all imprints have strong brand recognition among the public, but imprints have a purpose within the publishing world, helping agents know which brand they should pitch to, according to publishing experts that Marketplace spoke to. The people who work at imprints have also developed expertise on books within their brand and know how to market them.
Andrew Hewson: The Quiet Architect of Other People’s Greatness
firstwriter.com – Wednesday February 11, 2026
When a figure like Andrew Hewson dies, the literary world tends to reach for familiar phrases – veteran agent, industry stalwart, champion of writers. All true, of course, but insufficient. Hewson, who died aged 83, was something rarer: a man who built a life’s work out of elevating other people’s voices while never clamouring for attention himself.
A Career That Began With a Curtain Call
Hewson’s path into publishing was anything but linear. He began not in an office but in a theatre foyer, working front‑of‑house at the Newcastle Playhouse. That early proximity to performance – watching audiences arrive expectant and leave transformed – seems, in retrospect, like the perfect apprenticeship for a future literary agent.
In 1969, he was hired by John Johnson, a man whose family ties to Dame Celia Johnson gave the agency a certain theatrical glamour. Hewson’s early responsibilities were a blend of the practical and the whimsical: nurturing American publishing links, expanding the playwright list, and – charmingly – unfurling the Union Jack on Royal birthdays outside the Albemarle Street office.
New Publisher Listing: Heloise Press Ltd
firstwriter.com – Tuesday February 10, 2026
Publishes stylistically innovative literary fiction with a focus on intimate, visceral and powerful narratives. Champions worldwide female talent and brings together emerging and established women’s voices from the UK and abroad. Seeks manuscripts in English that align with its editorial line, including book reviews and sample pages from authors, as well as pitches and sample translations from translators who have discovered distinctive international work. Accepts stories marked by striking content and literary sophistication, with an emphasis on women’s experiences and global perspectives.
The Final Chapter of Haunt Publishing: How a Small Press Illuminated the Dark
firstwriter.com – Friday February 6, 2026
For a publisher devoted to shadows, Haunt Publishing’s story ends not with a scream but with a quiet, heartfelt farewell. After eight years championing Gothic, horror, and dark fiction, the Scottish indie press will close its doors on 1 June 2026, returning all rights to its authors and offering a final clearance sale as it winds down operations.
This closure marks the end of one of the UK’s most distinctive small presses—one that carved out a space for underrepresented voices in a genre often dominated by the mainstream.
A Mission Built on Unease, Empathy, and Representation
Founded in 2018 by Rebecca Wojturska, Haunt Publishing emerged with a clear purpose: to spotlight global and marginalised voices in Gothic and horror literature. From its earliest days, the press positioned itself as author-led, paying double the industry-standard royalty rate and compensating writers for events – an unusually generous model in small-press publishing.
Opportunity: Volunteer as a Judge for The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition
royalcwsociety.org – Friday February 6, 2026
As we enter an exciting new chapter of the Royal Commonwealth Society’s flagship youth initiative, we are delighted to announce that applications to volunteer as a judge for The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition are now open!
This year is a particularly exciting time to get involved with the competition. The change in name from The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition to The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition, reflects a broader, more inclusive approach to written expression, embracing creativity in all its forms while continuing to champion the power of young voices across the Commonwealth.
As part of this evolution, the competition’s structure has been redesigned to encourage greater participation and ensure stronger regional representation. The competition will be open to all Commonwealth nationals or residents under 18, bringing participants together within a single age category. In addition to one overall winner, the competition will now recognise one winner from each of the five regions of the Commonwealth, ensuring that excellence in writing is celebrated across all regions.
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