Sallyanne Sweeney
Co-Director & Agent
Sallyanne Sweeney joined the agency in 2013 and has since built a list that spans fiction, non-fiction and illustration, across children’s and adult publishing.
Originally from Dublin, she studied English at Trinity College before completing an MPhil in American Literature at Queens’ College, Cambridge. Her clients include Sunday Times and Irish Times bestsellers, and their work has been recognised with major honours including the British Book Awards, Irish Book Awards, Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards, and the YA Book Prize. Known for her close editorial work, Sallyanne has a particular gift for guiding debut writers into long-term careers, while also supporting established voices to reach new audiences.
Sallyanne is always drawn to projects that combine creative ambition with broad readership appeal and her taste ranges from the literary to the commercial, with a focus on distinctive voices, strong storytelling, and fresh perspectives.
Beyond her client list, Sallyanne is an active presence in the publishing community. She served as Chair of the Children’s Agents’ Circle from 2014 to 2018 and is a regular speaker at literary festivals and industry events, where she shares her expertise on author development and the evolving publishing landscape.
Clients
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Imogen Usherwood is a novelist and playwright.
She was born in rural Shropshire but raised in suburban North Carolina, then Mid Devon, then North Hampshire – these different landscapes inform her fiction about place, regional identity and everything that comes with it.
She read English Literature at Durham, then earned her MSt in Creative Writing from Oxford. Her prose has been published in Joyland and Mslexia, and in 2022 she was shortlisted for The Telegraph’s Cassandra Jardine Memorial Prize for non-fiction. In 2023, her short story ‘Small Hours’ placed runner-up in the Oxford Review of Books short fiction prize, judged by Octavia Bright. Her plays have been performed at venues including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, New Wimbledon Theatre Studio, Tristan Bates Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. She is the Playwright-in-Residence at Trinity College, Cambridge for the 2025-26 academic year, supported by the Peter Shaffer Foundation.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Emma Simpson is an award-winning author and wild swimmer specialising in narrative non-fiction.
Her debut book, Breaking Waves: Discovery, Healing and Inspiration in the Open Water, was published in March 2025 by Icon Books. Breaking Waves is an exploration into the primal powers of femininity and water and has received consistent 5-star reviews. Emma intertwines stories of women around the world with her own experiences, taking the reader on an uplifting journey of hope and renewal; celebrating community, connection, and the power of rewriting your own life story.
A trained tea sommelier, Emma is currently working on her second book, rooted in her passion for tea. Blending memoir and cultural history, this is a modern love story with a twist. The shared love of tea frames the narrative, providing both a literal setting for pivotal moments as well as a symbolic thread throughout representing moments of pause, comfort and ways of coming together.
Emma lives in Surrey with her fire-fighter husband, two teenage daughters and a sixty-year-old tortoise. She can generally be found swimming in rivers in a bikini in the snow, drinking tea with friends or embarrassing her children with her compulsion to talk with anyone she meets.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Sue Rainsford is an Irish novelist and arts writer based in Dublin.
She is a graduate of Trinity College, IADT, and Bennington College, Vermont. Her debut novel, Follow Me To Ground, was originally published by New Island Books in Ireland (2018), in the UK by Doubleday (2019), and by Scribner in the US (2021). Her second novel, Redder Days, was published by Doubleday in Ireland and the UK (2021).
Her stories and novels have been nominated for the Republic of Consciousness Award, the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Prix Jean Monnet des Jeunes Européens, the New York Radio Festival Awards, the Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction, and have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.
Sue is also the grateful recipient of the VAI/DCC Art Writing Award, the Arts Council Literature Bursary Award, a MacDowell Fellowship, the Kate O’Brien Award and le Prix Imaginales Award, and she has been awarded residencies by such institutions as the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Maynooth University and University College Dublin. Notable commissions include BBC Radio 4 and RTÉ Radio 1; her short story, "Shorn", was read by Saoirse Ronan.
Most recently, Follow Me To Ground and Redder Days have been published by Aux Forges de Vulcain in France.
Photo Credit: Ali Rainsford
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
A Journalist and Ghostwriter, Sue is the co-author of two recent number one bestsellers: Whispering Hope, the True Story of the Magdalene Women, (Orion 2015,) and An Act of Love with Marie Fleming, recounting Marie’s extraordinary life, and fight for the right to die with dignity (Hachette Ireland, 2014).
She has worked on eight other books as a ghost writer, two, for Penguin Ireland, were best sellers. She is the author of Keys to the Cage (New Island, 2010).
As a journalist, Sue has written for The Irish Times, the Irish Independent, the Irish Examiner, The Evening Herald, Image Magazine, and numerous other publications. A former columnist with the Evening Herald she currently writes the ‘Beginner’s Pluck’ book column for the Irish Examiner, and the Debut Roundup Column for Books Ireland. She has interviewed countless authors, including eleven winners of the Man Booker Prize.
She teaches Freelance Journalism, and Ghostwriting at The Irish Writer’s Centre , IEL Abroad, and on line, and gives one to one tuition on both subjects. She also hosts public interviews, including at The West Cork Literary Festival where she has interviewed Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, Fay Weldon, Anne Enright, Paula Meehan, John Boyne, Patrick Gale, Kit De Waal, Kate Mosse and Linda Grant among others.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald is an Irish novelist, short story writer, teacher and researcher.
Her fiction for children and young adults has won/been shortlisted for several literary prizes including the Jack Harte Bursary, The Calderdale Prize, Scotland's Red Book Award, The Waterstones' Prize for Children's Literature and The Irish Book Awards. Her creative work has been adapted for the stage and translated into over twenty different languages.
Sarah is a recent winner of the London Magazine's annual award for short fiction with her story entitled 'Matamoros, July 1846' set during the Mexican-American War. She's a member of the University of Limerick's creative writing team, founder of UL's renowned Creative Writing Winter School, and in 2016 was awarded a professorship for her work in teaching enhancement and educational development.
A lifelong literacy advocate, Sarah has completed a three-year project in collaboration with Children's Books Ireland, entitled 'Every Child a Reader' and she works actively with communities to promote and support creative writing. Her academic research includes a focus on the writing process and how creative and academic writers go about the complex, often challenging task of putting their work on paper.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Lucy van Smit is a novelist, non-fiction writer, speaker, television documentary maker and fine artist.
She worked worldwide for NBC News and Canadian Broadcasting, making author documentaries on Ian McEwan, John Le Carré, Martin Amis, and Nadine Gordimer.
Finally, Lucy listened to the small voice she’d heard since childhood, saying she was a writer. Her debut The Hurting won the inaugural Bath Children’s Novel Award and was published by Barry Cunningham, Chicken House Books, when she turned sixty.
Her non-fiction builds on her passion for creativity and the inner life of writers. A Writer’s Journal Workbook (Bloomsbury, 2022) became an instant word-of-mouth bestseller, helping thousands of authors overcome anxiety and writer’s block. Her forthcoming book The Creative Heart (Bloomsbury, 2026) is her most ambitious work: part-guided journal, part creative-nonfiction that takes its theme — Know Yourself — from the psychological to the soul level.
Drawing on thirty-five years of studying spirituality, Lucy shows why in an era of AI, there's never been a more vital time to be a writer—-to write with depth, courage, and conscience.
Lucy speaks regularly at festivals, including the London Screenwriter’s Festival, and runs popular workshops for writers seeking resilience, inspiration, and joy in their work.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Liadán Hynes is a journalist who lives in Dublin with her five-year-old daughter
She writes for a number of publications including the Sunday Independent, the Irish Independent, Irish Tatler and Image.
Liadán hosts the podcast How to Fall Apart: a podcast about picking up pieces, which examines how people coped, or didn’t cope, during the difficult times in life, and writes a weekly column called Things Fall Apart for Image.ie about putting life back together, all of which came together to form the book, How To Fall Apart, published earlier this year by Hachette.
She is also a founding member of online publication rogue.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Leona Forde is a children’s author and teacher from Bandon, County Cork. She is the author of the Milly McCarthy series published by Gill Books Ireland.
The series has received widespread praise including been dubbed Ireland's answer to The Wimpy Kid. Milly McCarthy is a Complete Catastrophe was a top five Irish children’s fiction bestseller and Milly McCarthy and the Irish Dancing Disaster was shortlisted for an Irish Children’s Book Award. Milly McCarthy and the Sports Day Shambles was a top three children’s bestseller overall and was shortlisted for the Irish Children’s Book Awards. This highly illustrated middle grade series follows the antics of a young Irish girl Milly, who is a magnet for mayhem, the books are feel-good, funny and well-paced for young readers.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Lauren Foley (she/her) is Irish/Australian, and bisexual.
She also has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and is disabled and chronically ill; owing to this the majority of her writing is dictated.
Lauren is a Next Generation Artist in Literature with the Arts Council of Ireland. Her stories are published internationally. Credits include: Overland, Award Winning Australian Writing, Lighthouse, gorse, No Alibis, The Cormorant and 3:AM.
She worked for many years as a university teacher in Ireland, the UK and Australia. Similarly, she is an experienced writing mentor and editor, creative and academic, with a passion for facilitating learning and disseminating knowledge.
Her story—’I Don’t’—is published in The Art of The Glimpse, 100 Irish Short Stories selected by Sinéad Gleeson. She won The Los Angeles Review 2021 Literary Award in Creative Non-Fiction with ‘Mammy Mary Says‘.
Lauren’s debut short story collection Polluted Sex is out now with Influx Press.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Katie Haworth began her publishing career at a tiny independent publisher in Wellington New Zealand called Mallinson Rendel, the originating publisher of Hairy Maclary From Donaldson’s Dairy.
From 2010 to 2014 she was Commissioning Editor of Fiction and Children’s at Penguin New Zealand, and her commissions included bestselling picture books, award winning midgrade fiction – notably the New Zealand Post winning My Brother’s War by David Hill – and adult fiction, both literary and commercial including titles by top New Zealand authors Rosetta Allen, Laurence Fearnley, Hamish Clayton, and Maxine Alterio.
A move to London in 2014 gave her the audacity to start writing her own stories, and while Senior Commissioning Editor and Editorial Director at Templar she had picture books including Petrunia Paris’s Parrot, Fearless Mirabelle and Emma Jane’s Aeroplane published as well an children’s non-fiction. A retelling of Aesop’s Fables will be released by Templar in 2023.
Katie is also a poet and has performed her writing at nights all over London and her poetry has been published in journals including The Birmingham Literary Journal and Dreamcatcher.
She is currently Publisher of Picture Books and Children’s Fiction.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Jeananne Craig is a journalist and author from Derry.
Her debut novel, Some News, has been shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2025 in the Unpublished Novel category. Her writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the Irish Times and Grazia magazine.
Jeananne's interviewees have ranged from four UK Prime Ministers, to Kim Kardashian. She has also hosted events including the series two and three premieres of 'Derry Girls' in her hometown, and appeared as a contributor on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.
A former winner of the Royal Court Young Writers' Award for her play 'The Four Star Hotel', Jeananne read English at Trinity College Dublin, followed by a postgraduate in Newspaper Journalism at City University London, studying with a Scott Trust Bursary from the Guardian Media Group.
Author photo credit: Mustafa Oymak
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Jane McLoughlin was born and raised in the USA, but has spent most of her adult life in England.
A former teacher, her novels for young people were nominated for various awards, including the Carnegie Award and the Branford Boase Prize.
The Perfect Couple, published by Lume/Joffe books in March, 2024, is her adult fiction debut.
She has appeared at various literary festivals including the Edinburgh Book Festival, Bristol Crime Fest, Bloody Scotland and Iceland Noir.
She has two grown up children, and lives in Brighton.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Ivor Baddiel has been eking out a living as a writer since the mid-nineties, a fact that, since that time, has rarely ceased to amaze him.
In a previous life he was a Residential Social Worker, a TEFL teacher and a Primary School teacher, experiences that he cherishes and his one time pupils and ex-colleagues have tried to obliterate from their memories.
Ivor writes extensively for television and includes amongst the glittering array of celebrities who have employed him the likes of Stephen Fry, Graham Norton, Joan Rivers, Dermot O’ Leary, James Nesbitt, Claudia Winkleman, Bruce Forsyth, Ant and Dec, Julian Clary, Ricky Tomlinson, Johnny Vaughn, Dara O’Briain and Danny Wallace. (He could go on, but feels the point is made, whatever that point might be).
Ivor is the author of 23 books ranging from those for the youngest reader (Cock-A-Doodle-Quack-Quack, published by David Fickling Books) to those for the slightly older reader (Ultimate Football published by Dorling Kindersley, Mystical Magic published by Scholastic) to those for the more mature reader (Not The Highway Code published by Wiedenfeld and Nicolson, Bottle published by Mainstream).
Ivor’s natural metiers, if he can be so bold, are comedy/humour, football and children’s books.
Ivor is slightly overweight and loves the Canadian rock band Rush.
Okay, he’s really overweight.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Emma Gray is a young shepherdess who has lived on the National Trust farm Fallowlees in Northumberland for ten years, joined by her husband Ewan and their baby Len.
She is a record-breaking trainer of sheepdogs, and competes in trials with her own dogs.
Emma has starred in ITV’s celebrity shepherding contest FLOCKSTARS, BBC One’s COUNTRYFILE and BBC Two’s THIS FARMING LIFE.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Elizabeth Reapy is a writer and mentor from the West of Ireland.
She has an M.A. in Creative Writing from Queen’s University Belfast and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from University College Cork. Her debut novel Red Dirt won Newcomer of the Year at the 2016 Irish Book Awards. In 2017, she was awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
In recent years, she was Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Writer-in-Residence and Mayo County Council Writer-in-Residence. Her second novel Skin was released in 2019. She has a broad range of interests and is also a certified fitness instructor and hypnotherapist.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Clare Vacha is an Australian illustrator living in Surrey, UK with her husband and son.
Clare works digitally and loves creating bright, happy illustrations she hopes will make people smile. Her favourite part is creating characters (especially small fuzzy creatures) that are getting up to some sort of mischief!
She’s very excited to be currently working on her first picture books.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Claire Hennessy is a writer, book reviewer, and creative writing facilitator based in Dublin, Ireland.
She is the author of 12 YA novels, and her most recent book, In The Movie Of Her Life, is a short story collection for adults.
She is the recipient of several Arts Council bursaries and has worked in arts administration and publishing. Find her online at www.clairehennessy.com
Author photo credit: Ger Holland
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Beth Steiner is an author of books for children and young people, with a background as a primary school teacher.
As a passionate slam poet, she skillfully weaves poetry into her narratives, bringing a lyrical quality to her storytelling.
Living in Sydney, Australia, Beth balances her writing with family life alongside three lively children. Inspired by the remarkable resilience of young people she’s encountered in schools, she seeks to highlight their stories.
Her debut novel is set to be released in Spring 2026.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Felicity Everett is a proud Mancunian who has been exiled to many cities including London and Melbourne and is now co-existing uneasily with nature in The Cotswolds.
When invited on Twitter recently to state some of the recurring elements in her writing she cited: family dysfunction; thwarted ambition; doomed romance.
She has published four novels.
The Story of Us (Cornerstone Digital) chronicles an intense and treacherous student flat-share in the 1980s.
The People at Number Nine (HQ) explores what happens when an impressionable couple get a bit too close to their glamorous new neighbours.
The Move (HQ) deals with the fallout when a troubled couple seek balm for their marriage in a sinister countryside.
Old Friends (published by HQ in March 2022) sees two couples move into a glamorous warehouse apartment together for the best of reasons with the worst of consequences.
Felicity is currently working on The One Where, a novel exploring the intergenerational relationship between a has-been script-writing tutor and his talented amanuensis.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Liana Kim Skrzypczak is a Korean-Australian Adoptee to a post WWII Polish migrant family. Her writing is inspired by extraordinary people, historical hardship, and provocative settings and can be found in Australian literary magazines: Meanjin Quarterly, Island Magazine, Westerly Magazine and The Big Issue.
Liana was the inaugural winner of the Hachette Mentoring Program and was mentored by New York Times best-selling novelist, Sean Williams. Most recently, she was a writer’s room consultant on the Australian Broadcasting Network Television dramedy ‘White Fever’ about a Korean-adoptee attempting to ‘decolonise her libido’ now streaming on ABC iView.
Her debut novel, WHEN THE BLUE MOON WAKES (book 1 of the Celestial Lore trilogy), was supported in its early stages of development by the prestigious Wheelers Centre for Writing’s Kat Muscat Fellowship for its themes of DEFIANCE, EMPATHY and FEMINISM. With this fellowship, Liana was able to conduct in-country research into the story’s history, mythology, and setting. UK&C rights were snapped up by Bonnier UK and the trilogy will also be published in Australia and New Zealand by Bonnier imprint Echo.
She lives in Melbourne with her partner-in-crime, who also happens to be a creative artist (actor), and their delightful fur-baby who keeps them sane.
(Photo credit: Leah Jing McIntosh)
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Archana Madhavan is a translator of Korean literature into English.
Her book-length works include Amil’s Roadkill (Harvill Secker,2025) and a co-translation of Kim Hyun’s Glory Hole (Seagull Books, June 2022).
Her other poetry and prose translations have appeared in The Kenyon Review, Modern Poetry in Translation, Columbia Journal, The Washington Square Review, and more.
In 2022, she was chosen for the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Emerging Translator Mentorship Program to translate Lee Jenny’s first poetry collection Maybe Africa [아마도 아프리카].
In 2023, her as yet unpublished translation of Maybe Africa was shortlisted for the Granum Translation Prize.
Archana’s full writing and translation portfolio can be found at archanawrites.com.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Celine Kiernan is an award-winning author of fantasy novels for young adults.
Her critically acclaimed work combines fantasy elements with the exploration of political, humanitarian and philosophical themes. She is best known for The Moorehawke Trilogy, a dark, complex trilogy of fantasy YA books set in an alternative renaissance Europe. First published in Celine’s native Ireland in 2008, the trilogy has since been published in 15 different territories, and translated into 10 different languages. In 2009 the first book of the Moorehawke Trilogy, The Poison Throne, won The Readers’ Association of Ireland Award for best book; it was included in the White Raven Collection and short listed for the 2009 Irish Book Awards in two categories (Best Newcomer and Best Children’s Book senior category). In 2010 it was long-listed for an Australian Silver Inky Award.
Celine’s fourth novel, Into the Grey (aka Taken Away) – a YA ghost story set in 1970′s Ireland – won the 2012 CBI Book of the Year (formerly The Bisto award) and the CBI Children’s Choice Award. It is the first book to have won both categories. It won the RAI Book of the Year 2013, and has been shortlisted for the Sakura Medal (English High) 2014. In 2013 the Irish Times named it as one of the best children’s books of the past 25 years.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, 1967, Celine has spent the majority of her working life in the film business, and her career as a classical feature character animator spanned over seventeen years, before she became a full-time writer.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Barbara Fox was born and raised in Newcastle and lives in Sussex. She grew up hearing stories about her mother Gwenda's adventures as a young nurse travelling in 1950s America, and years later, Gwenda's letters from that time provided the material for her first book, Bedpans & Bobby Socks.
Never happier than when she is immersed in other people's stories, she has also written, co-written or edited the following books:
When the War Is Over - Gwenda's experiences as a young evacuee in the Lake District
Is the Vicar In, Pet? - Barbara's own account of growing up in a vicarage in a Northumberland mining town
One Girl and Her Dogs and My Farming Life - the two memoirs of shepherdess Emma Gray
Eve's War - the Second World War diaries of Army wife Evelyn Shillington
Midwife of Borneo - the tale of Wendy Grey Rogerson, who spent three years in one of the world's most remote places
Bob the Robin - gardener Tony Putman's story of his friendship with birds and other wildlife encountered in his work
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Elizabeth Neep studied Law and Australian Law (University of Nottingham, University of New South Wales) before getting into publishing, where she now works as an editorial director at DK (PRH).
She is the Kindle bestselling author of The Spare Bedroom and Never Say No (Bookouture) and has written features for numerous publications including Cosmopolitan, Dazed Digital and PETRIe.
Elizabeth is also a trustee for a mental health charity and draws and paints in her spare time.
She can usually be found with a flat white or glass of wine in hand around her home in London Bridge.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Darach Ó Séaghdha (that surname is pronounced O’Shay) is a bestselling author from Dublin who writes about Irish culture, especially the complicated place of the Irish language in contemporary Ireland.
His debut Motherfoclóir: Dispatches from a Not-So Dead Language won in the popular non-fiction category at the Irish Book Awards in 2017. The sequel, Craic Baby: Dispatches From A Rising Language was published in 2018. He has written for The Journal, the Irish Times, the Sunday Business Post, the Big Issue and The i as well as turning up in The Washington Post, The Guardian and National Geographic.
Darach presented the Motherfoclóir Podcast on the Headstuff Podcast Network from 2017 to 2021, which was listed as one of Ireland’s top podcasts in The Sunday Times and RTÉ. He ran the Irish Word of the Week Series for the Irish Arts Center in New York, which ran during Covid-19 lockdown.
Darach created the popular @theirishfor account on Twitter, described by President Michael D Higgins as “such an innovative, humorous but substantial project to promote our love and interest in our native language”.
He is married with two children.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Jess spent her childhood between the UK and India, and grew up hearing stories about the Himalayas from her grandmother.
As soon as she was old enough, she went on her own adventures in search of story ideas. She's lived in Australia and the States and is now settled in the Gloucestershire countryside with her husband, two little ones, and fluffy cat. She holds a BA(hons) and MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University.
Jess has published ten books for young people, including bestselling Running on the Roof of the World and award-winning Lost on Gibbon Island. Her articles about creative writing, and short stories, have featured in publications such as the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and Scoop magazine. Jess has visited over a hundred schools and talked to thousands of young people about reading for pleasure, alongside running creative writing workshops.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Michaela Dias-Hayes is the illustrator of Kate Greenaway Medal-nominated Sunflower Sisters, (Owlet Press, July 2021), for which she took inspiration from her part-Jamaican heritage and her former long term partner’s Indian family.
Michaela’s first book as both author and illustrator, Colour and Me takes inspiration from conversations with her son. She loves to create accurately portrayed black and brown characters, inspired by her own family and experiences, and places them within stories that explore and celebrate black heritage in an accessible way for young readers.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Nathan Bryon is an actor, a BAFTA nominated writer and a Sunday Time Best Selling Author, who grew up eating as much Uxbridge Road Caribbean food as his bank balance would allow. He is best known to viewers for his role as regular character Jamie is Some Girls and Benidorm’s sunniest holiday maker, Joey Ellis.
Nathan has secured a 3 picture book deal with Penguin Random house. His first book Look Up! (June 2019) was the number 1 picture book from a debut author and illustrator in 2019, On the Sunday Times Bestseller list and Won the overall Waterstones Children’s book prize in 2020. Clean UP! The follow up was published in July 2020. Illuminated optioned the book to develop into a TV series. Nathan’s new book in the series SPEAK UP was published in 2023.
Nathan co-created and wrote BAFTA nominated, RTS nominated and Rose D’or nominated comedy ‘Bloods’ for SKY and HULU, the 1st series 6×30 TX’d in May starring Samson Kayo, Jane Horrocks, Lucy Punch, Julian Barret, Adrian Scarborough to name a few, the independent gave it a 5* review and called it “A magnificent paramedic comedy full of gallows humour”. ‘Series 1 and 2 is now available to watch on Sky and Now TV and HULU
Nathan adapted Jacqueline Wilsons Little Darlings, a 4 x 30 series which Nathan co-wrote with Jonny Wright in which Nathan also acts in which can be seen on Sky Kids
Nathan’s debut feature film RYE LANE which he co-wrote with Tom Melia was released in 2023. The movie was made in partnership with BFI BBC Films and Fox Searchlight and has received 16 BIFA nominations, more than any other film.
Nathan has various TV projects in development with Roughcut, BBC Studios, Genial Productions, Heyday films and TV.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Simon was born in Chichester in 1988 and has lived there ever since, although he occasionally leaves to buy milk.
After gaining a 1st class degree in History at Exeter University, he immediately put his skills to good use working as a barman at a local pub. He soon grew tired of the owner calling him Andy, and so, naturally, decided to become a primary school teacher. Teaching rekindled his love of children’s literature, particularly picture books, so much so that he had a go at writing his own. Deciding he was better at writing stories for children than he would ever be at teaching them, he made a swift exit from education to live the cliché of the writer who works in a bar. He hopes that one day he’ll be able to give up writing stories and become a barman full-time.
Simon’s first picture book, YOU MUST BRING A HAT (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books), won ‘book of the year’ at the 2016 Sainsbury Children’s Book Awards and was read by Tom Hardy on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO CALL MY CAT (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) and I REALLY WANT THE CAKE (Templar) were published in 2017.
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Alex Dunne is a writer from the west of Ireland.
Her first children's novel, The Book of Secrets, was published by The O'Brien Press in September 2022 and went on to win the Eilís Dillon Award for a First Book at the 2023 KPMG Children's Book Ireland Awards. It was also nominated for the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing and won "Best Debut" at the 2024 Renaissance Quiz Writers' Choice Awards.
A follow-up novel, The Harp of Power, was published in October 2023 and was shortlisted for the Literacy Ireland Biennial Awards.
Her third children's novel, Small Magics is due to be published by The O'Brien Press in March 2026. Alex is a co-founder of Silver Apples Magazine, an online literary journal dedicated to showcasing the best of Irish and international writing.
Alex is on Instagram as @alexdunnewrites.