We’re delighted for former TLC client Shelley Day-Sclater, whose book The Confession of Stella Moon is to be published by Saraband. Shelley first came to TLC through the Northern Writers’ Awards, co-0rdinated by New Writing North, one of our 17 official Free Reads partners who operate our bursary scheme for talented, low-income writers. We wish Shelley the very best of luck.
“In 2011 I was an uncertain fledging writer with a debut novel-in-progress that won the Andrea Badenoch award. Part of my prize was a MS appraisal from TLC under the Free Read Scheme. Helen Gordon was my reader and – I couldn’t quite believe it – she loved The Confession of Stella Moon! Helen suggested a few changes, I carried them out to the letter. TLC believed in me at a crucial point in my development as a writer. They helped my find my agent, Jenny Brown. Jenny submitted my book for the Dundee International Book Prize and it was shortlisted in 2013. And that same year, I was named as one of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature’s emerging writers and invited to read at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Then last year my novel was long-listed for the Bath Novel Award. Now it’s going to be published by Saraband! 2015 is the year things are coming together for me. I’m so proud to have won one of the Northern Writers’ Awards for my work-in-progress collection of short stories. It was TLC who helped me navigate the first big corner in my journey as a writer. They believed in me and gave me exactly the right help at the right time. I can’t thank them enough. I feel incredibly lucky.”
