Heatwave headlines from Cornerstones
A mid-June roundup of all things noteworthy from our HQ. Read on to hear more!
Dear all,
As we get into summer in the UK, we’ve got some exciting things to share with you! Grab a glass of something cold and join us to hear about one author’s thrilling new book, a trailblazing writing competition, and our educational partners’ beautiful new website.
🇮🇹 If you’re looking for some summer reading inspiration, we’re delighted to announce that the third book by Cornerstones alum Tom Benjamin has just been published. Set in Bologna, where Tom lives, Requiem in La Rossa is the third book in his Daniel Leicester crime thriller series. What looks like an open-and-shut case begins to fall apart when English detective Daniel Leicester is tasked with getting an accused man off, and a trail that begins among Bologna's close-knit classical music community leads him to suspect there may be a serial killer at large in the oldest university in the world.
Tom wrote a blog post for us about his journey to publication and how Cornerstones played a part in it, which you can read here.
With Cornerstones’ guidance, I wrote an entirely new novel, albeit retaining the same theme and descriptions. I re-submitted and met indifference or rejection from another dozen or so agents, until one agreed to read it, only to tell me it wasn’t her ‘idea’ of Italy – altogether ‘too much grottiness and graffiti’ (basically, I think she was expecting Under The Tuscan Sun with murders). Fortunately, the very next email was from Bill Goodall, who read it, loved it, took me on, and went on to win me a contract with Constable, part of Little, Brown. I have now published three novels with them with another three in the pipeline. The moral of this story? Inspiration really can strike in the most unexpected places, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t give up.
🏆 Calling all unpublished writers of colour! The Morley Prize is relaunching this May after the success of its inaugural year in 2021. This trailblazing award is aimed at raising awareness and celebration of works authored by previously unpublished aspiring authors of colour. Entries are open until 29 July 2022, and the criteria can be found on the Morley Prize web page!
Sponsored by Rachel Mills Literary, the prize seeks to encourage anyone who has not been published, and is not agented, regardless of age or experience. It is intended to nurture and provide opportunities for aspiring novelists and essayists of colour in an accessible way. And to promote diverse, undiscovered authors across the broader literary landscape of Britain, continuing Morley College London’s long history of educational excellence, community engagement, and support for social justice and under-representation.
✍️ Lastly, we’re thrilled to announce that our Edit Your Novel course partner, the Professional Writing Academy, is celebrating their tenth anniversary with a sparkling new website!
Our next Edit Your Novel the Professional Way course starts on September 19th, and the early bird price is valid until 8th August. The 18-week online course will equip you with the structural editing techniques used by professional editors, and the confidence to submit your work to agents. You can find out more about the course on their site.
I consider enrolling in Edit Your Novel in September 2018 to be one of the best writing decisions I have ever made. At the time I first read about the course, in a Cornerstones newsletter in August that year, I was working on an early draft of a historical novel, then dubiously entitled ‘Comrade’. At that time, I believed – given how avid a reader I’d been all my life – I must have some innate knowledge, an instinct, that would guide me in writing a novel. I also believed my first draft was my final draft. (Oh, bless.) I enrolled on a whim, not yet knowing how much I didn’t know. As it turned out, the course was absolutely invaluable and eye-opening. – Kristen Loesch, author of The Porcelain Doll (Allison & Busby in the UK, PRH in the US)
That’s all from us! Thank you to everyone who reads our newsletters and sends manuscripts our way. We love hearing about what you’ve been writing. Do feel free to get in touch if we can help with anything along your editing journey.
Very best,
The Cornerstones Team