'Jill helped me take my writing more seriously and find the courage to believe in myself as a writer. Her encouragement and belief has bolstered and sustained me.' – Ruby Speechley, whose book Someone Else's Baby, A gripping, twisty psychological thriller, will be out on 25th July 2019.
Gold Dust is thrilled to announce another book deal for a Gold Dust graduate. Alicia Drake, mentored by Tim Pears, has sold her novel I Love You Too Much to Picador in the UK and to Little Brown in New York. We wish her many congratulations. Alicia wrote to thank us for the mentoring and described the experience:
‘Tim said: … read more...
We are thrilled to report another success story for one of Jill Dawson’s mentees, Harriet Tyce, who is about to have her first novel Blood Orange published by Wildfire in January 2019. Harriet wrote to thank her Gold Dust mentor, saying:
‘I just wanted to email to thank you for doing the UEA reference and for your mentoring with my … read more...
Gold Dust and me
When I look back on my journey to novel publication choosing to embark on the Gold Dust mentoring scheme was an important milestone.
Up to that point I’d had several ideas for novels, some of which I had started but abandoned (I have drawers and boxes full of opening chapters, character profiles, passages of dialogue, roughly … read more...
Gold Dust student on Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize shortlist.
For the second year in a row, a Gold Dust writer being mentored by Jill Dawson is on the shortlist for the Lucy Cavendish Prize. Annette Gordon has been invited to an event at the Cambridge college on May 22nd to meet the judges and agents and editors who are seeking … read more...
The beginning of the year saw not one but three book launches for Gold Dust graduates. Guinevere Glasfurd – mentored by Louise Doughty, Shelley Weiner and Sally Cline – launched her first novel The Words in my Hand at Heffers, Cambridge; Joyce Gould, mentored by Sally Cline, launched her book Witchfinder General in the House of Lords and Rosie Nixon … read more...
Some lovely advance praise for the soon to be published novel The Words in my Hand by Guinevere Glasfurd, who was mentored for Gold Dust by Louise Doughty. This will be published by Two Roads (an imprint of John Murray Press) on 14th January 2016.
The Words in My Hand is the reimagined true story of Helena Jans, a Dutch … read more...
Some terrific news this month of book deals and short-listings for our Gold Dust graduates.
Five of Jill Dawson’s mentees have had good news this month. Sarah Duguid, mentored by Jill Dawson in 2010, has become a published novelist. Her novel Look at Me (previously called The Visitor) will be published by Tinder Press in 2016. Sarah says of writing … read more...
Kirstin Zhang, mentored for Gold Dust by Romesh Gunesekera, has won the Harpers Bazaar short story competition 2015. She has also been signed to an agent at AM Heath and says of being mentored by Romesh: ‘Gold Dust Mentoring is really worth its weight in gold’.
Rosie Nixon, taught by Jill Dawson on a week’s course in Morrocco, has signed … read more...
Gold Dust Mentor – and distinguished biographer – Sally Cline has a phenomenal track record in getting her ‘mentees’ published and shortlisted for awards, and this year is no exception. For the fourth year running she has a mentee on the prestigious Tony Lothian Prize, theonly UK prize for an un-commissioned first time biographer or memoirist. This year the lucky … read more...
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