Creative Retreat, May 2023
Join us in Accra for a stimulating, information rich, learning, growing, sharing and enriching five day retreat in Accra, Ghana.
All application details below
SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 15TH, 2023
Calling authors and illustrators
with some full funded places available.
Accord Literary is working with Writers Project Ghana, LOATAD, Ghana Publishers Association, Brand Africa and The Rock Retreat to host an exciting creative retreat to be held in Accra in May 2023 when Accra is World Book Capital.
Are you a creator of books for children? Are you writing or illustrating stories that you want to share with young readers? Could your stories or art benefit from the feedback of a group of peers from around the world? This retreat will be an opportunity for all participants to strengthen their work, tell even more compelling stories, connect with peers and get closer to the goal of getting published. The retreat will immerse participants in the rich and diverse range of children’s literature - from picture books for our youngest story enthusiasts to page-turning fiction for teens and young adults.
The retreat will cover a series of topics and questions including:
different ways stories are told
recurring issues and themes relevant to the lives of young people
the development of character, narrative, setting, voice, dialogue and other narrative fundamentals
incorporating the unique experiences of individual authors and illustrators in telling great stories
developing picture book characters
using art to carry a narrative
how to experiment and explore new art styles
The goal for the retreat is that participants have the chance to immediately apply and practice the skills they learn - from exploring new storytelling perspectives and directions, to finding new ways to focus and develop ideas.
The retreat will be facilitated by storytelling veterans - published authors and illustrators alongside professionals from across the publishing industry.
How will we know if it’s been a success? Participants connect with and learn from each other, skills and understanding are strengthened on all sides, and (like every great story), we all have fun. Unlike a great story, however, this one won’t end. The intention is that the community of participants that comes together remains in contact long after the retreat ends.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in attending the retreat, please use the following submission criteria:
Send your bio, first 1000 words of a work in progress or three illustrations saved as jpegs.
Please save your work using the file name: Accraretreat/YOURNAME
Please use the email heading: ACCRA CREATIVE RETREAT and send your submission to team@accordliterary.com
Artists you can send us your illustrations to WhatsApp +263 712 211 632. Include your name and contact details
The deadline for submission is 15th January, 2023 and the organisers will notify applicants of the outcome of their application by 29th January 2023. On confirmation of attendance a £200 non-returnable deposit will be required with the remaining £1800 to be paid by 1st March 2023.
The cost of attending the creative retreat is £2000 (two thousand pounds sterling) which includes hotel, meals, local transport and excursions. This does not include your flight or visa costs.
We are offering fully sponsored places to creators from sub-Saharan Africa. If you are interested in one of the sponsored places, please follow the submission criteria and include details of why you would like to attend the creative retreat.
email team@accordliterary.com for more information about the retreat. We look forward to hearing from you.
ABOUT ACCORD
Accord Literary is a initiative that aims to mentor, develop and encourage writers based in Africa writing books for young readers. Our mission is to find original and unique voices and get their books into the hands of readers around the world.
Accord Literary as a venture is the first of its kind. Working across various countries and by combining the experience of respected professionals we will focus on developing talent based in Africa. The partners have a wealth of experience in children’s publishing and a wide network of contacts with whom they will work to ensure that a greater range of stories that reflect African experiences are enjoyed by children from Melbourne to Los Angeles, Tokyo to Lagos.
If you are interested in working with us on your writing please read our submission criteria as well as our FAQ and we look forward to hearing from you at team@acccordliterary.com
MEET THE TEAM
Sarah Odedina
Sarah sees her work as a publisher and as a Director of Accord as an opportunity to bring African writers telling their stories of life on the continent to readers worldwide. Sarah Odedina has worked in publishing for more than two decades. As the Publishing Director of the children’s list of Bloomsbury Publishing, she oversaw the publication of the Harry Potter series as well as published many other best-selling prize-winning novels and picture books. In 2011 Sarah founded the successful and award-winning Hot Key Books. Sarah is now Editor-at-Large for Pushkin Press commissioning titles for the children's and YA list. She is the co-founder of Scoop Magazine for children. Sarah travels around the world giving talks and hosting workshops about publishing and children’s literature. She also teaches creative writing focusing on books for young readers.
Kunmi Odueke
Kunmi Odueke, who lives in Lagos, Nigeria, is a seasoned content writer and author of the eBook, ‘Good Writers Wanted!’ She’s deeply passionate about supporting writers with the practical knowledge and tools needed to excel at their craft, and regularly organises content writing workshops. She brings her many talents to support Accord authors on all fronts from running our social media to helping organise workshops and retreats.
We are proud to be working with the following authors.
Ruby Yayra Goka
Writes issue-centred books for teenagers
P Ochieng Ochieng
Writes voice-driven literary fiction for young teens
What is your book about?
Playing a dangerous Game is a coming of age novel. A story of four friends who live in a railway estate. And whose bravery leads them into exposing a coffee smuggling gang, that uses a deserted house - believed to be haunted - as their hideout.
Where is it set?
The book is set in a railway estate, in a Nairobi of the 70's
Who is most like you in the book?
Like the lead protagonist, Lumush, I too lived in a railway estate as a child, and could have shared some of his experiences, while coming of age.
What was your favourite books as a child, and now as an adult?
My favorite book as a child was Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. I still smile when i remember Tom's pranks. And as an adult Disgrace by JM Coetzee & Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo.
What do you do on a day off?
On my day off I swim or read a book..
What happens if you have a great book idea at three in the morning?
When I have a great book idea at three in the morning, i grab my phone and duck into the bathroom to write. I've done quite some writing on my phone while perched on the toilet seat.
Erhu Kome
Writes speculative fiction
What is your book about?
My book is about Naborhi, a girl who wants nothing more than to leave her tribe before she is married off at sixteen. This leads her to take on Moyo's offer to train her to be part of her king's elite soldiers with the freedom and noble purpose Naborhi yearns to have. But as time passes, it starts to dawn on her that her training might just be the machinations of a mad man. So when a god sends her on a rescue mission, she jumps on the chance to finally go out into the world not minding all the dangers that may come with it.
Where is it set?
It is set in a fantasy world mostly inspired by Urhobo culture and mythology.
Who is more like you in the book?
No particular character is most like me. I think there is a little bit of me in some of the characters.
What was your favourite books as a child, and now as an adult?
I didn't have a favourite book as a child. But I'll tell you my favourite romance book of all time which I read as a child- The Concubine by Elechi Amadi.
What do you do on a day off?
As a mom I have no day off. Lol. But in between mommying and writing, I watch a lot of anime and supernatural TV shows.
What happens if you have a great book idea at three in the morning?
If I have a great book idea at 3 in the morning, I'm forgetting sleep and writing it down on my phone immediately. I'll even start a rough outline and come up with an ending. That always calms my excited over working mind.
Elizabeth-Irene Baitie
Writes family-focused middle grade adventures
Abiola Adegboyega
Writes fantasy inspired by Yoruba mythology
Blessing Musariri
Writes across genres but loves magical realism
Edudzi Adodo
Writes science fiction and fantasy infused with African culture and mythology
Visit Edu's websites for himself and his book for lots of information, extra fun facts about the world of CHILDREN OF STARDUST and a monthly newsletter.
M. P. Armana
SUBMISSIONS
We are open for submissions for novels written for young readers aged between 8 and 16 years old. Submissions must include the following:
How we work
Accord Literary will offer advice and guidance on editorial issues with the view of mentoring authors to create works ready for submission to international publishers. Please be patient as we have many many emails to read through and many many submissions to consider. If we have read your work and are not going to offer you mentoring you will get a standard response and your email and attachments will be deleted from our system. If we read your work and are interested to read more of your work we shall email you and ask you to send in your complete manuscript. When we have read the entire submission we shall discuss your work with you in a bit more detail via email. Accord Literary will enter agreements with authors with whom they work with all terms and conditions of representation to be agreed. The works submitted have to be original works of fiction and not to infringe any copyright. The works are to be free for world wide publication.
We have a publishing arrangement with Norton Books for Young readers in North America. Visit your local bookshops or Norton Books For Young Readers https://wwnorton.com/nrtyng for more information or to buy books by Elizabeth-Irene Baitie, Ruby Yayra Goka, Edu Adodo, Patrick Ochieng and in 2023 Blessing Musariri and Erhu Kome. We also have publishing agreements for books in Italian with Giunti, Brazilian Portuguese with FTD and in English in the UK and Commonwealth with Cassava Republic and Nigeria with Ouida.
If you would like to know more about our authors and their books as well as rights that are available please contact ruth@accordliterary.com
We work tirelessly to promote our authors’ work with leading publishers all over the world. We are regular participants of the Bologna Book Fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair and the Ghana Book Fair.
For enquiries about UK and Commonwealth Rights, please contact Julia Churchill of A.M. Heath at: Julia.Churchill@amheath.com
For translation rights, please contact Accord at: team@accordliterary.com
For USA rights please contact Accord at: team@accordliterary.com
FAQ
Do you only work with African authors?
Yes we do. We feel that the relatively few African writers who find world-wide publication in the children’s field is an issue that we can directly engage with and help to make a difference.
Can I submit adult fiction?
Our focus is on children’s literature and books for young readers. If you have written an adult book perhaps you can think about submitting it for some of the many prizes that are open to adult authors or you can submit directly to publishers or agents. The Writers and Artists Handbook is a very helpful resource with lists of literary agents, prizes and publishers and what they are all looking for: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk We also recommend following these book bloggers and websites that regularly share about opportunities open to African writers of Adult fiction:
Who will my publisher be?
Accord Literary will act as your agent finding you the best publishers around the world, ensuring that you find a publishing partner that will support you and your writing. We have a wide network of contacts in the publishing industry and will put in place a support group of sub-agents and champions who will take your book out to publishers in multiple languages and territories around the world.
What happens if my work is not selected for mentoring?
Accord Literary will acknowledge all submissions and let people know if their work is not selected for mentoring. On notification we shall delete all copies of the submitted work from our system and database. We are very sorry but we will not be able to offer anyone whose work is not selected editorial advice or feedback.
What happens after my story is selected by Accord Literary?
We will work with you to edit your novel. Sometimes this is a quick process with just one or two rounds of comments and other times it is longer with three, four or even more rounds of comments. Our aim is to get the novel to the point where it can be submitted to publishers who will enter contracts to publish the book in their markets. This is where the author will begin to earn income from all the hard work to-date. Accord Literary will earn a commission for its work. Once we select your manuscript and before mentoring starts, we will ask that you enter an agreement with us so that we have your authority to submit your book worldwide. If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask us: team@accordliterary.com.
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