New Foundation offers financial and ‘in kind’ support to new authors
Libraries operator GLL is launching a new foundation to support ‘up and coming’ children’s authors.
The GLL Literary Foundation will offer 20 authors bursary placements in areas where GLL operates public libraries under its ‘Better’ brand: Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth, Dudley and Lincolnshire.
Each author selected for a bursary placement will receive a bursary of £750 as well as further ‘in kind’ support valued at up to £4,000. Authors will be partnered with a specialist local librarian mentor, who will help deliver a series of author events and provide networking opportunities with local booksellers, publishers, literary festivals and schools. Authors will also be offered three online training courses on Brand Identity, Marketing and Business Planning through GLL’s Start Up Business Libraries.
A secondary tier of online support will be given to a further unlimited number of authors, along with a webinar with a librarian mentor on delivering successful author events, an invitation to a sector networking event and free access to work from business library spaces.
Submissions are being sought from publishers who represent authors across all genres of children’s literature, including picture books, early readers, chapter books, poetry, non-fiction, novels, graphic and verse novels.
Applications will be open on 15th November 2024 and close on 10th January 2025.
Entries will be assessed by a board of trustees drawn from GLL libraries and children’s librarians. The total combined value of cash bursaries and ‘in-kind support’ is estimated to be up to £100,000 per annum.
Former Children’s Laureate, poet and author Joseph Coelho OBE, is patron to the scheme. Joseph has a long-standing relationship with GLL libraries having grown up in Wandsworth, regularly using Roehampton library as a student and then working across the borough as a Saturday Library Assistant.
Coelho says, ‘Becoming established as a children’s author is extremely challenging, it takes so much more than just writing a fantastic book. This new Foundation will help authors promote their work and provide essential training and ongoing support.
‘Libraries are very close to my heart and have played an important role in my journey as an author. I’m therefore delighted to support the GLL Literary Foundation.’
Commenting on the launch, GLL Head of Libraries, Rebecca Gediking added, ‘Our goal in creating the GLL Literary Foundation is to champion authors at both a grassroots and national level; to support authors, young readers, publishers and booksellers create a wonderful reading eco-system that will inspire local communities and promote libraries.’
