AUGUST 2022 NEWSLETTER

Keeping you up to date with all things OWN IT!


OWN IT! NEWS


OWN IT! launches the New Voices Award 2022

In partnership with Amazon Publishing

This competition is aimed at unagented writers from traditionally under-represented backgrounds, to address issues around inclusion and representation in commercial fiction.

ENTER NOW
For the chance to win:

  • £3,500 cash prize
  • Mentoring from an OWN IT! agent
  • Detailed editorial feedback from an Amazon UK editor

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For any queries surrounding the competition, please email n[email protected]


OWN IT! AGENCY NEWS


Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden

Has both won and been shortlisted for several brilliant awards, including the Indie Book Awards, the Peoples Book PrizeBritish Book Awards: Book of the Year Fiction DebutGordon Burn Prize and Bad Form: Book of the Year.

Get your copy of Mrs Death Misses Death here
Mrs Death has had enough. She is exhausted by her job and now seeks someone to unburden her conscience to.

She meets Wolf, a troubled young writer, who – enthralled by her stories – begins to write Mrs Death’s memoirs. As the two reflect on the losses they have experienced (or facilitated), their friendship flourishes. All the while, despite her world-weariness, Death must continue to hold humans’ fates in her hands, appearing in our lives when we least expect her . . .


OWN IT! PUBLISHING NEWS


Footage is now available from the Sasha Knight publication day launch, check out our YouTube channel to see more OWN IT! content.

SASHA KNIGHT by
SEAN GODFREY

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ANIMATED BOOK TRAILER

This coming-of-age novel alternates between past and present and shifts back and forth from Jamaica and the United States, picking apart the puzzle left behind when 11-year-old Sasha disappears.

Portraying the perils of toxic masculinity and the damaging effects of emotional trauma. Touching on religion and the deep-seated class and colour divide in Jamaican society, this is a genre-bending mashup that shakes the senses and tears at the heart.

GET YOUR COPY HERE


WHAT’S GOING ON THIS MONTH?



The Royal College of Art has partnered with Samuel Ross for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme in 2022.

The scheme offers ten grants of £2,500 in support of Black British artists with applications welcomed across a range of art and design disciplines.

The programme’s central focus remains increasing access, visibility and integration across the creative industries for those from marginalised communities, with specific focus placed on industrial design, graphic design, fine art, furniture, sculpture and fashion – areas where opportunity has been historically scarce for the Black British community.

Click here for more info and to apply.

JULY 2022 NEWSLETTER

Keeping you up to date with all things OWN IT!


OWN IT! AGENCY NEWS

ANNOUNCEMENT

A RIVER CALLED TIME by Courttia Newland

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD

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ANNOUNCEMENT

KEEPING THE HOUSE by Tice Cin

SHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE


Sian Anderson DJ’s the Main Stage at Wireless Festival 2022

We are so proud of the talented Sian Anderson, who DJ’d the Main Stage Wireless this month.

Click here to check out a sneak peek at some footage from the festival

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Poet, Lemn Sissay, with the help of London’s Foundling Museum, has gathered 59 athletes/artists/CEOs & others who, like him, spent part of their childhoods in care.

Including author of That Reminds Me, Derek Owusu.


Ewan McGregor speaks to GQ magazine about his iconic character from Trainspotting

Ewan McGregor speaks on one of the most iconic characters from one of the most iconic films in British Cinema, Trainspotting, and how his character was partially inspired by Ray Shell’s character, Cornelius Washington, from his cult classic book, Iced.

Click here to watch the full video


OWN IT! ANNOUNCEMENTS
We are excited to announce two new team members joining the OWN IT! Family

Ella Falk
Ella is OWN IT!’s new Literary Assistant, she is a recent first-class History graduate of Queen Mary University of London and is passionate about bringing underrepresented stories to the forefront.

Fahad Al Amoudi
Fahad is a writer and editor based in London. He is the winner of the White Review Poets Prize 2022 and has been shortlisted for the Brunel International African Poets Prize.


Announcement

Reggie Nelson’s Opening Doors work experience programme leads to full-time job for its first candidate, Isabella Boyne, at our first partners of this brilliant initiative, Bonnier Books UK.

Reggie Nelson commented: “Opening Doors for me is more than just a book, it’s something I continuously want to do going forward, provide more opportunities and open more doors for other people. The aim was to create a work experience scheme, to know that Isabella impressed so much that she was offered a full-time role goes to show that there’s talent everywhere, we’ve just got to be intentional and find it.”

The first candidate on the pioneering Opening Doors initiative – is now joining Bonnier Books UK full-time as an editorial assistant supporting their crime and thriller list!!

We are so proud of Reggie Nelson and his brilliant Opening Doors Initiative, of which Bonnier Books UK were the first partners of.

This fully paid 4-week work experience programme is aimed at helping candidates from an underrepresented background take their first steps on the path to a career in publishing (and soon other industries).

Follow @openingdoors_uk on Instagram to stay in the loop for all future updates on the initiative.


OWN IT! PUBLISHING NEWS


MC and writer Shauna O’Briain aka MC Angel discusses the realness of her narratives on The Sassy Show Podcast.

As a performer and rapper, Shauna has made a name for herself on the UK music scene and with her debut memoir Moments of Significance.

Click here to check out the Podcast episode.

Click here to get your copy of Moments of Significance.


LISTEN UP…

This OWN IT! curated playlist is inspired by Sean Godfrey’s debut novel #SashaKnight.

Taking you on a journey through Matthew’s life, as he searches for his best friend and for a way to cope with the fact that she is still missing after 24 years.

Listen…look…and look again closer… #WhereIsSashaKnight?


Click here to download the audiobook


Endless Fortune by Ify Adenuga

Click here to download the audiobook

JUNE 2022 NEWSLETTER

Keeping you up to date with all things OWN IT!


OWN IT! PUBLISHING NEWS


SASHA KNIGHT by Sean Godfrey – OUT NOW

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY

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This debut novel picks apart the puzzle left behind when 11-year-old Sasha disappears. It alternates between past and present, shifting back and forth from Jamaica and the United States.Portraying the perils of toxic masculinity and the damaging effects of emotional trauma, it touches on religion and the deep-seated class and colour divide in Jamaican society. This is a genre-bending mashup that shakes the senses and tears at the heart.

WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER HERE

We had so much fun hosting the Publication Launch Event for #SashaKnight at The Museum of Youth Culture Shop

Check out these photos from the night:

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LISTEN UP…

This OWN IT! curated playlist is inspired by Sean Godfrey’s debut novel #SashaKnight.Taking you on a journey through Matthews life, as he searches for his best friend and for a way to cope with the fact that she is still missing after 24 years.

Listen…look…and look again closer… #WhereIsSashaKnight?

correcttSASHA KNIGHT PLAYLIST ASSET

OWN IT! AGENCY NEWS


FICTION WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2022MRS DEATH MISSES DEATH BY SALENA GODDEN

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HUGE congratulations to Salena Godden!Mrs Death tells her intoxicating story in this life-affirming fire-starter of a novel

Mrs Death has had enough. She is exhausted by her job and now seeks someone to unburden her conscience to.

She meets Wolf, a troubled young writer, who – enthralled by her stories – begins to write Mrs Death’s memoirs. As the two reflect on the losses they have experienced (or facilitated), their friendship flourishes. All the while, despite her world-weariness, Death must continue to hold humans’ fates in her hands, appearing in our lives when we least expect her . . .

GET YOUR COPY OF MRS DEATH MISSES DEATH HERE

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CLCK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE


ANNOUNCEMENT: Toni Tone signs 2-book deal

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From the best-selling author of I Wish I Knew This Earlier, Take Note is the follow-up book of Toni’s best-selling debut. This time Toni will be sharing life lessons to help you fulfil your fullest potential. Topics covered in this book include: ways to improve self-belief and self-esteem, manage friendships, and making the most out of a career.

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CLCK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE


DOUBLE ANNOUNCEMENT

We are so excited to welcome two new members to the OWN IT! family.

ROBIN BARTON

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Robin Barton is a London-based art dealer. In 2007 he opened the historic and controversial art dealership ‘Bankrobber’ that specialised in the removal, restoration and sale of the street works of the global phenomenon artist and activist BANKSY.

Read more about Robin here

TICE CIN

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Tice Cin is an interdisciplinary artist from north London. A DJ and music producer, she is preparing to release an accompanying album for Keeping the House. Keeping the House has been named one of Guardian’s Best Books of 2021.

Read more about Tice here

MAY 2022 NEWSLETTER

Keeping you up to date with all things OWN IT!

OWN IT! NEWS

HUGE NEWS:

We’re launching OWN IT! Productions, a Film/TV company. Alongside this, OWN IT! Agency is joining forces with The Partnership Group. We’re still fiercely independent and uncompromisingly ourselves but now with the backing The Artist PartnershipSayle ScreenSara Putt Associates and Be Heard Voices.

> READ MORE HERE <

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Start your OWN IT! Career today.

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Applications are now open for the following positions:
❗️TALENT AGENT (SALARY: 35-50k dependent on experience)
❗️EDITORIAL AND LITERARY ASSISTANT (SALARY: 22k)

Applications close June 3rd.


AGENCY NEWS

LOSING THE PLOT BY DEREK OWUSU – POETRY COLLECTION / NOVEL-IN-VERSE

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Told through the eyes of both mother and son, Losing the Plot is at once emotionally raw and playful as Owusu experiments with form to piece together the immigrant experience and explore how the stories we share and tell ourselves are just as vital as the ones we don’t.


OPENING DOORS BY REGGIE NELSON

OUT NOW

Inspiring, moving and empowering,#OpeningDoors is a story of how the power of guidance, visibility and mentoring can give anyone the platform to learn and succeed. Because when one door closes, another door will always open…

GET YOUR COPY HERE

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DOUBLE ANNOUNCEMENT

We are so excited to welcome two new members to the OWN IT! family.

RAY SHELL

TOMMY ROWLANDS

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AYRIES “RAY” SHELL is a film, TV and stage actor, as well as an author, director and producer. He has been a fixture in London’s West End since he arrived in the UK in 1978.

Read more about Ray here

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TOMMY ROWLANDS is a London based writer of Lebanese and Welsh heritage. In 2021 he was the recipient of a London Writers Award for literary fiction.

Read more about Tommy here


MRS DEATH MISSES DEATH BY SALENA GODDEN

PEOPLES BOOK PRIZE

FICTION WINNER OF THE PEOPLES BOOK PRIZE

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS


PUBLISHING NEWS


A coming-of-age novel, alternating between past and present and shifting back and forth from Jamaica and the United States, SASHA KNIGHT picks apart the puzzle left behind when 11-year-old Sasha disappears.

‘Godfrey has crafted a whole host of characters and a world that feels new, but somehow familiar. I flew through the pages.’Candice Carty-Williams, Author of Sunday Times Bestseller People Person

GET YOUR COPY OF SASHA KNIGHT HERE

APRIL 2022 NEWSLETTER

Keeping you up to date with all things OWN IT!


AGENCY NEWS

OWN IT! collaborates with Reggie Nelson to launch the #OpeningDoorsInitiative.

We are so excited to announce that we will be collaborating with Reggie Nelson to launch the #OpeningDoorsInitiative, in celebration of the publication of his book.

PRE-ORDER OPENING DOORS HERE

Bonnier Books will be our first partners on the initiative, with support from Creative Access and BTBS Charity.

If you are interested in learning about or working in publishing, this initiative is for you!

The work experience placement will offer the successful candidate an insight into two sides of the industry, comprising two weeks based in the adult editorial team at Bonnier Books UK’s HQ at Victoria House and two weeks at OWN IT!’s offices in Piccadilly Circus. 

The candidate will also receive a coaching session from Bonnier Books UK CEO Perminder Mann and separately from OWN IT! CO-CEO Crystal Mahey-Morgan.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE + APPLY


ANNOUNCEMNT

We are so excited to welcome Marienna Pope-Weidemann to the OWN IT! family.

Marienna Pope-Weidemann is a writer, activist and journalist with a decade of experience in storytelling for social justice. She is now working on her first book, Justice For All Of Us, a creative nonfiction collection of stories from families like Marienna’s, who have lost someone they loved at the hands of the state and are fighting for change.

Click here to read more about Marienna.

Justice For All Of Us collects the stories of ten lives lost. Some, like Sean RiggMatthew Leahy and Olaseni Lewis, are well known. Others are names you’ve never heard before. In custody, in hospital or in the streets, all died in hands of services we are taught to trust. As inspiring as they are devastating, these are stories of love, loss and what keeps us going against all the odds.

The book was inspired by Marienna’s experience working with other bereaved families and leading the Justice for Gaia campaign on behalf of her own. Her cousin Gaia Pope, a survivor of sexual violence, was let down by the mental health system and the police after they took no further action following her rape allegation against a known child sex offender.


SPOTTED!

COSMOGRAMMA

BY COURTTIA NEWLAND

Spotted in Liverpool Street Station’s Waterstones.

Courttia Newland’s collection of speculative short stories COSMOGRAMMA is one of Waterstones Staff pick’s!

Head down to your local Waterstones to pick up your copy today or click here to visit their online shop.


Check out Jude Yawson’s interview with John Boyega for COMPLEX UK


PUBLISHING NEWS

PUBLICATION ANNIVERSARY

This month we celebrated the 3-year Publication Anniversary of Ashley Hickson-Lovence’s, THE 392. 

GET YOUR COPY HERE

We love this pic of Ashley, sitting next to piles of Hardback copies of his debut novel ❤️

The 392 is now available in paperback and audiobook – with 9 different narrators!


SASHA KNIGHT by SEAN GODFREY – PUBLISHING JUNE 23rd 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER – CLICK HERE

PRE-ORDER BEFORE JUNE FOR AUTOMATIC FREE ENTRY TO OUR PUBLICATION DAY EVENT!

A coming-of-age novel, alternating between past and present and shifting back and forth from Jamaica and the United States, SASHA KNIGHT picks apart the puzzle left behind when 11-year-old Sasha disappears. Everyone seems convinced she has simply run away…

…On the days when he can’t hear her,

Matthew believes it too.

PRE-ORDER HERE


This April we celebrated the 2-year anniversary of Stuart Goodman‘s passing.

An East London native, former fleet street photographer and talented Jazz trumpeter, who played in an early incarnation of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Stuart was a dear friend and member of the OWN IT! family and his memory continues to live on through his work.

It is our absolute honour that we were able to publish Stuart’s brilliant photography book ONE SATURDAY IN 82 ON BROADWAY MARKET.

To see more of Stuart’s work, click here. 
To purchase Stuart’s book and prints in various sizes, visit WWW.OWNIT.LONDON/SHOP


As a result of the pandemic and losing Stuart Goodman in 2020, this meant that we were unable to hold a publication day event for Stuart to celebrate his photography book ONE SATURDAY IN 82 ON BROADWAY MARKT.

This year, we were finally able to come together with Stuart’s family and friends and celebrate his life, his work and the book. 

Check out some photos from the event below.

GET YOUR COPY OF AN ABOLITIONIST’S HANDBOOK HERE

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At its heart, this is a book which allows us to re-imagine the world, making it a better and more equal place for all. 

NOW AVAILABLE

If you loved Stuart Goodman’s photography book ONE SATURDAY IN 82 ON BROADWAY MARKET as much as us, then you’ll love this…

Prints now available in various sizes.

Hahnemüle Fine Art Print on Hahnemüle FineArt Baryta.

CLICK HERE to order now.

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