One of MANY

News, events, resources and opportunities

• Searchlight Awards 2026 Novel Prize for YA and Children’s Fiction, and Picture Book Author Prize. Enter by 30th September 2026, 23.59pm UK time.

• Spark Mentoring: whether you want to work with one of our experienced mentors on a monthly or one-off basis, we provide an affordable and flexible set of options to help you get the help you need to elevate your manuscript.

Sign up for Early Bird Tickets/more information here.

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Hub Calendar (all times GMT/BST)

July

• Agent Q&A Monday 20th 7pm with Safae El-Ouahabi from RCW Literary Agency

• Meet The Author Tuesday 21st 7pm with Annaliese Avery

• PitchHero Friday 24th (pitch on Thursday) with Safae El-Ouahabi from RCW Literary Agency

August

• Monthly Catch-up Monday 3rd 8pm with Melissa

• YA Chat Tuesday 4th 7pm with Melinda Salisbury

• MG Chat Thursday 13th 7.30pm with Vashti Hardy

• PB Chat Thursday 20th 7pm with Clare Helen Welsh

All guest agent/author sessions are recorded and available to watch back, so don’t fret about being there ‘live’. This is just a few of the many sessions/opportunities that happen every month in the Hub and are all available on catch-up if you join now.

What is the Hub?

The WriteMentor Hub is a group chat you actually want to be in. Writing club meets social hangout, here we cheer each other on, share knowledge and advice, level up our skills, and have fun doing it.

Everyone’s invited and our doors are open all year round. From absolute beginners to multi-published authors, we all have something to share and something to learn. No gatekeeping, no cliques, no secret handshakes. Just a welcoming crew of writers who understand that success is not about perfection, pressure, or pretension. It’s about connection, collaboration, and community.

More than just a space to chat, the Hub is a creative playground of inspiration: live talks and workshops, structured courses, and an ever-growing library of resources to help you hone your craft. Join critique groups for honest, constructive feedback, take part in interactive writing sprints to boost motivation, or pitch your work to agents in our monthly contests.

Whether you’re looking for advice, accountability, or a creative spark, join the Hub today.

Want your first month free? Use code WMHUB2026 at checkout.

*This is a recurring membership, so you must remember to turn off renewal if you do not wish to remain a member after your free month.

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The Final Word

One of MANY by Becky Wilson

My new picture book, THE LAST NIGEL, stars a hawksbill turtle who loves being the only ‘Nigel’ in the world. He feels very special! But when another Nigel shows up on the island (a polar bear), Nigel is fuming. Even worse, there’s a Nigel Club, where there are even more Nigels! Gah! Will Nigel feel special ever again?

Being a writer in a writing community is a bit like being a Nigel in a Nigel Club. We’re not one of a kind… We’re one of MANY!

When I first decided to write picture books, back in the mid-90s, I felt a bit one-of-a-kindish. None of my friends wrote picture books. No one I knew wrote picture books. I hadn’t even heard of Julia Donaldson (it was pre-Gruffalo times!). Picture book writing was a bit… niche. Unique, even. And, yes, I’ll admit, I felt a tad special.

I discovered picture books while training to be a primary school teacher. I’d always loved writing and drawing, so the connection with PBs was immediate. At the same time, writing became my therapy. It helped me process the loss of my brother (something I had been struggling with), and I knew I had to make writing a part of my life forever.

My first feeble attempt at creating a picture book was rejected by a publisher. But it gave me the idea to get into children’s publishing. Maybe I’d learn how to write one that way?

Fast forward a few years and I landed a job as editorial assistant on Thomas the Tank Engine magazine, before becoming the editor of Barbie magazine. A short spell later, I moved to a mass-market book publisher, editing and writing all kinds of books for all kinds of children. But it wasn’t until my eldest started school and I went freelance (as well as working as a part-time TA), that I revisited my dream and had a proper go at writing picture books again. (Well, as much as humanely possible while juggling two under five, various freelance projects and a part-time job... so not very much then!) And despite my publishing background, I was still clueless about writing PBs. So, I looked at ways to improve my craft...

Roll on a few more years and I found WriteMentor! The hub has played a huge part in my picture-book-writing journey, from Clare Helen Welsh’s brilliant course(s), to being a summer mentee with the wonderful Jon Cox, to finding my awesome critique group: PB3… and more! (The Last Nigel even received two agent likes in 2023’s Pitch Hero.) I’m so grateful to WM for all the opportunities that have come my way since joining the hub.

These days, there are LOTS of picture book writers. WAY more than in the 90s. When I was one-of-a-kindish.

But I love that. I feel so lucky to be amongst like-minded people, who get what it’s like to be a writer. People who are kind and compassionate, friendly and inclusive, encouraging and supportive, who make you feel valued and seen… Just like the Nigels do in THE LAST NIGEL.

And, as Nigel the turtle eventually discovers, we can 100% feel special when we’re part of a group… even though we’re one of MANY.

Becky’s first picture book, EVERY BOTTY BURPS, illustrated by Alex Patrick, published with Little Tiger in 2025 and was longlisted for the James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Award. THE LAST NIGEL, illustrated by Scott Wilson, is publishing with Farshore on 2 July and has been highlighted by The Bookseller as one of ‘10 titles not to miss in July’.

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Writing can be lonely, but it doesn’t need to be

May the Force be with you!

Stuart, Florianne and Melissa