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2014: A very successful year for Birkbeck writers

Seven alumni of the MA Creative Writing secured publishing deals

Students and alumni from Birkbeck’s MA Creative Writing have had an excellent run of publishing successes, with seven of them securing publishing deals for new novels during 2014.

Describing how the course helped her achieve her ambition of publishing a novel, Louise Lee, whose novel The Last Honeytrap will be published by Headline in June 2015, said: “Birkbeck's MA Creative Writing changed everything for me. The passion and generosity of the tutors, my fellow writers, they all gave me personal belief - I'd not had much before. Three years on, I still hold dear their friendship and guidance.”

David Savill, whose novel They Are Trying To Break Your Heart will be published by Bloomsbury in spring 2016, explains that the course helped him to develop his understanding of the publishing industry as well as his writing skills, saying: “I started to write the novel while on the course and became a better writer under the guidance of tutors at Birkbeck. In particular, contact with writers and the writing industry gave me a realistic perspective of what it takes to produce a work of fiction that people actually want to read. It took a number of years to get this particular book right, but Birkbeck gave me the start I needed. Birkbeck's eclectic mix of tutors makes the college a very vital writing environment and its mature student cohort brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to workshops.”

Julia Bell, course convenor for the MA Creative Writing, said: “Personally, I’m delighted by our bumper year. I think it’s a testament to the breadth and depth of our students and their determination and tenacity. We are very selective – only taking students with a genuine aptitude for the subject and encouraging them every step of the way with their projects. Central to our approach at Birkbeck is helping the students find their subject and their territory – we aim to produce unique writers rather than identikit ones and this is proved by the fact that our students are publishing in every genre from YA to thriller to adult literary fiction. There will be further success in the near future too – watch this space!”

The other Birkbeck authors to look out for are:

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