Hachette UK’s Pride Network announces Grow Your Story to support LGBTQ+ fiction stars of the future

Hachette UK’s Pride Network today announced the launch of the Grow Your Story initiative as part of Future Bookshelf. Submissions are now open to the third cohort of aspiring authors for the free creative writing development scheme.

Originated by Thrive, Hachette UK’s Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage employee network, in 2020, this year the programme will be run by Pride, the company’s LGBTQ+ network, and aims to support the queer fiction stars of the future.

In partnership with David Higham Associates (DHA) and The Future Bookshelf, Grow Your Story provides ten unagented fiction writers, who identify as LGBTQ+ and have not been traditionally published, with the opportunity to develop their novels, demystify the publishing process and provide them with the practical skills essential for all published authors. The selected writers will have access to mentorship from a Hachette UK editor and a DHA agent, and a series of online workshops run by industry professionals culminating in an open day at Hachette UK’s London office in 2025.

The final ten writers will be selected by a judging panel from across the industry, comprised of authors Laura Kay (Headline) and C. L. Clark (Little, Brown), DHA Agent Sara Langham and Cal Kenny, Little, Brown Commissioning Editor for fiction.

Grow Your Story forms part of Changing the Story, Hachette UK’s commitment to ensuring that all voices, perspectives, and ideas are represented in its partnerships, people, and publishing. Within Changing the Story,The Future Bookshelf is home for Hachette UK’s creative writing programmes and focuses on supporting underrepresented writers, guiding them through the process of writing, editing, submitting and publishing their books.

Applicants are requested to send a 3,000 word sample of their work, a short description of their novel and a brief writer profile through The Future Bookshelf | Hachette UK website. They are invited to suggest the genre of the book and give an idea of what readers might also enjoy reading, watching and listening to. Submissions will close on Sunday 14 July.

Cal Kenny, Hachette Pride committee member and divisional representative for The Future Bookshelf said: ‘The opportunity to nurture LGBTQ+ writers and develop their work, right at the beginning of their careers, is one that is very exciting and central to Hachette’s desire to achieve equity and true representation for all readers. I, personally, can’t wait to see the wide and diverse scale of submissions from across all genres of literary and commercial fiction, and to empower the published authors of tomorrow. At a time where LGBTQ+ rights feel on shakier ground than any point in the past decade, fiction and storytelling is more vital than ever before to inspire, inform and foster genuine empathy.’

Sara Langham, Literary Agent, DHA commented: ‘We are thrilled at DHA to be supporting the Grow Your Story initiative again, this year on behalf of the Pride network. We’re hugely looking forward to collaborating with Hachette and Pride on this exciting and important venture and can’t wait to read everyone’s submissions.’

To apply for Grow Your Story, visit The Future Bookshelf website.