Writer to train at top publishers

Charlene Allcott, a part-time carer and writer, from Brighton will be joining the WriteNow programme this year along with 12 other writers from across the country.

Ms Allcott discovered WriteNow on Twitter when she was undergoing hardship due to separating from her ex-husband.

The mother-of-one said: “The wonderful thing about losing everything is that you have nothing left to lose.

“I would have never applied to something like this in the past because I thought that things like this do not happen to people like me, which is why this scheme is so important.”

She said her 3-year-old autistic son inspires her to look at the world in completely new ways.

The scheme is aimed at writers from a socio-economically marginalised background, LGBTQ or ethnic minority communities, as well as writers with disabilities.

Each of the 12 writers is paired with a mentoring editor from Penguin Random House with experience and expertise in their genre and together they work on the writer’s manuscript.

Ms Allcott said: “I want to learn to trust myself more and to gain a really deep understanding of who my reader is.

“Programmes like this are good because I didn’t know it was important to me until I found it.

“I had no idea of the size and the strength of the barriers that I had allowed society to create for me.”

Charlene’s book, The List, centres on a character called Martha who loses both her husband and home in one weekend.

Tom Weldon, CEO, Penguin Random House UK, said: “Books play a unique role in society.

“They spark conversations and bring people together through new ideas and perspectives.

“Our role is to seek out voices that speak to all of society and make sure those books and stories are for everyone.

“That’s why programmes like WriteNow are so important.”

Mainga Bhima, editor and WriteNow mentor, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to work with this group of exceptional writers, each with a distinct voice and a brilliant story to tell.”