Grow Your Story X THRIVE 2025
HACHETTE UK’S THRIVE NETWORK LAUNCHES NEW ROUND OF GROW YOUR STORY INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT WRITERS OF COLOUR
THRIVE, Hachette UK’s network for Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage employees and allies, will be leading on Hachette UK’s Grow Your Story development programme for 2025/6 with a mission of supporting unpublished and unagented writers of colour. This free annual development programme, now in its fourth year, forms part of Changing the Story, Hachette UK’s wider diversity and inclusion initiative, which aims to improve representation in publishing.
In partnership with David Higham Associates (DHA) and The Future Bookshelf, this year, Grow Your Story will provide 10 unpublished and unagented fiction writers of colour with the opportunity to develop their novels, demystify the publishing process, and provide them with practical skills.
The selected writers will have access to a series of online workshops run by industry professionals as well as one-to-one mentorship from a Hachette UK editor and a David Higham Associates agent. Following this, all writers will be invited to an open day at Hachette UK’s London office in Spring 2026.
Applications open on 28th August for 5 weeks. Writers are requested to send a 3,000-word sample of their work, a short synopsis of their novel and an overview of who the target audience for the book would be here. The programme will focus on the romance genre this year and submissions will close 1st October. The shortlisted 10 writers will be selected by a judging panel comprised of authors Mike Gayle (Hodder & Stoughton) and Stephanie Yeboah (Orion), DHA agent Maddalena Cavaciuti and Sanah Ahmed, Commissioning Editor for Orion – with the support of THRIVE co-chairs Nicole Thomas and Hennah Sandhu.
Nicole Thomas and Hennah Sandhu, co-chairs of the Hachette UK THRIVE network said: “Romance is inherently rooted in joy and connection, which is why we’re delighted to lead the fourth year of Grow Your Story with a special focus on this genre. This year, we’re particularly excited to champion writers of colour in this space, celebrating the richness and nuance of their stories, perspectives and voices – which are more vital than ever.”
Maddalena Cavaciuti, Literary Agent at David Higham Associates, said: “We are delighted to once again partner with THRIVE to support the brilliant and important Grow Your Story programme. The scheme has introduced us to many inspiring and exciting new voices over the last few years so we can’t wait to see this year’s submissions.”
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