Industry Insight:  Literature

Starting out in illustration

After studying graphic design, John Cei Douglas quit his day job and set himself up as an illustrator. He spoke about his experiences in art college and the struggle to make a living.

Being a literary agent

Antony Harwood runs his own literary agency from Oxford. Among his clients are Booker Prize-winning novelist Alan Hollinghurst, Ethan Coen and George Monbiot.

Balancing a writing career

Louise Doughty has written six novels, a non-fiction book, five radio plays, works as a critic and coach, and has been a judge for the Man Booker prize. She spoke about her career in literature.

A career in book cover design

James Nunn is a graphic artist and has designed countless book jackets for publishers. He spoke about how he built his career, with 3 tips for getting into book cover design.

A career in illustration

Nick Sharratt is an illustrator and author of books for children, including the books of Jacqueline Wilson. He spoke about how he built his successful career in illustration.

A career in poetry

Wendy Cope is a rarity in the literary world: a poet whose name is known to the public. She has won the Cholmondeley Award for her poetry collection, and was awarded an OBE for services to Literature.

A career in storytelling

Donald Smith is Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre. He describes the key skills of storytellers, a new qualification for storytelling, and the career of a storyteller.

Being a freelance illustrator

Mark Boardman is a successful artist and illustrator, whose painterly style is distinctive and captivating. He creates book covers, posters and other illustration for editorial.