February 4, 2025

If you are considering writing non-fiction, or maybe you are part way through your non-fiction book and wondering what happens once you’ve finished, this is the session for you. Join us online in conversation with agent Anna Pallai and non-fiction author John Grindrod as we discuss the world of non fiction publishing.

From how to get started to whether to write to the market or to your heart; the unique challenges (and joys) of writing non-fiction; to submitting to agents, working with publishers and promoting your book.

Anna and John also have extensive experience working in publishing prior to their current roles so this is a great opportunity to learn about all aspects of non-fiction publishing to inform your own non-fiction journey.

The session will be hosted by Kelly Weekes and there will be plenty of time for your questions.

Some more about our speakers:

Anna has been working in British publishing for over 25 years. She is a literary agent and freelance PR and runs her own agency, AMP Literary, where she specialises in women’s non-fiction..

Starting out at Faber and Faber, she worked in the publicity department for 18 years before setting up on her own. She has worked with celebrities including Harry Hill, David Mitchell and Jarvis Cocker as well as prize-winning authors, from Peter Carey and Seamus Heaney to Jan Morris and David Peace.

John is the author of four non-fiction books, including Concretopia (2013), Outskirts (shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize in 2017), and Iconicon (2022). He has also worked in publishing for 25 years, at HarperCollins and then Faber, where he worked in marketing on a huge range of non-fiction books, from humour to memoir, history, current affairs and travel. Before that he was a bookseller at Waterstones for many years. He’s given creative writing lectures, workshops and tutorials for Arvon, both in person and online, and many talks on his books around the UK.