FANTASTIC SPEAKERS

Inspirational writers, publishers, agents, and influential figures from across industry

TLC PEN FACTOR

Pitch directly to leading agents and editors

MEET GREAT PEOPLE

New collaborations, new opportunities

FROM WRITING TO PUBLISHING

Learn how different writers make self-publishing work for them

MAKING WORDS GO FURTHER

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PRACTICAL VALUE

Masterclasses, workshops, and pitching sessions

TLC’S 20TH BIRTHDAY CONFERENCE 2016

This year, TLC celebrates 20 years of working with writers, and being the UK’s very first and leading editorial consultancy. As part of our birthday celebrations, we have re-formatted our flagship Literary Conference into a two-day programme of events to bring you something extra special.

Saturday June 11th

9.30am-2pm, Free Word Centre, London
To continue in the tradition of providing our clients with the most up to date information from the publishing industry, we hosted TLC Writers’ Day (sponsored by IngramSpark) with three key talks: ‘How to Pitch’, with Scott Pack; ‘How to Publish’, with Ben Galley; ‘How to Market’, withCreateThinkDo. The day also saw the return of our popular TLC Pen Factor Writing Competition where five shortlisted writers pitched to a live panel of judges including literary agent Juliet Mushens (whose clients include international bestselling author Jessie Burton, The Miniaturist), publisher Valerie Brandes (Jacaranda Books), literary agent Piers Blofeld (Sheil Land, clients include Nadine Dorries, author of million-selling The Four Streets) and novelist Gautam Malkani (Londonstani, Fourth Estate). We were delighted to welcome special guest Guinevere Glasfurd, 2014 TLC Pen Factor Winner with The Words In My Hand (Two Roads), selected by The Times as Book of the Month for January 2016. A full write up and gallery can be found on the TLC Writers’ Day page.

Friday November 11th

12pm-6pm, Free Word Centre, London
In association with Writers’ Centre Norwich, Free Word Centre, Apples & Snakes and English PEN, we will be hosting a high-level industry conversation with friends, colleagues and special guests. The day will address the question, ‘What’s Your Story?’ and will look at whether each of us really has a book inside, and what the implications are in a highly digitised, hyper-global world where the book publishing process has been revolutionised by digital technology.

‘What’s Your Story’ will be invitation-only and full programme details will be available shortly.

WHAT IS THE LITERARY CONFERENCE?

TLC Literary Conference The Literary Conference is an essential event for writers and those working with them, to catch up on the very latest in thinking in the book publishing world.

It is brought to you by The Literary Consultancy, The UK’s most established editorial consultancy, supported by Arts Council England. Find out what to expect and how the conference has grown since 2012’s Literary Conference: Writing in a Digital Age, the first conference of its kind in the UK.
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

WHAT THEY SAY

Maggie Fergusson Director of the Royal Society of Literature
"The Royal Society of Literature is delighted to be involved in TLC’s third Digital Conference: an opportunity to help build bridges between established and emerging writers, and to look to the literary future with tough-minded optimism."
Orna Ross Alliance of Independent Authors
"There are conferences about writing as craft and art; the importance of writing and literature; and the opportunities new technologies and platforms are offering today’s writers. This conference offers all of this in one."
Roger Tagholm Book Industry Journalist
"There is a huge desire to write among the public and thanks to digitisation and technology, the tools exist for new writers to become published authors. TLC’s conference addresses this confluence, and provides an invaluable forum for the sharing of best practice."
Rose Fenton Director, Free Word Centre
"Free Word is extremely proud of its association with TLC’s Writing in a Digital Age Conference, which brings new audiences from the UK and overseas. This is a unique, landmark event bringing together the traditional and digital publishing world."
Kate Mosse Best-selling Author
"TLC has always supported the best kind of writing, and access for everybody to the best kind of editing – this conference is long overdue, and all credit to them for setting it up."
Robert McCrum Associate Editor and Literary Blogger, The Observer
"TLC is a sharp observer of contemporary writing in Britain today, and this annual conference represents the cutting-edge: incisive, probing – with a hint of danger. It’s a great thrill to be involved. 2013."