We had a fantastic time in Birmingham at A Thousand Stories conference for children’s writers of colour! This is the first time the city has seen a conference quite like this one. I hope it won’t be the last. Here are some of the photos with thanks to Charlotte Bailey for taking them.
Thank you above all to ALCS for funding A Thousand Stories through their small grants for the arts programme. Without their funding it would have been impossible to hold this event.
Thank you to the following amazing, wonderful people: Stephanie King as always for her constant support and giving her time and skills so generously
@charlottewithstudios for taking these stunning photos and video of the day
Our event volunteers: Khadija Mehrban, Ayesha Khan, Hafsa Khan, Maariyah Baksh and Charlotte Bailey.
My Book Basket for providing book sales.
Our speakers: Serena Patel, Mayo Agard-Olubo, Abena Eyeson, Shireen Lalji, Kereen Getten, Anika Hussain, GM Linton, Safae El-Ouahabi, Louise Lamont, Ashley Thorpe, Eva Wong Nava, Anjem Anwar.
Everyone who came and made the day such a good experience (despite the heat and the train strike!)
Reyhana Ismail for designing the logo.
Book Trust Represents for sponsoring tickets.
The Birmingham and Midland Institute for maintaining an affordable space for literary events to happen in the city since 1854.
Despite 30 degree heat and a train strike, we had a wonderful day at A Thousand Stories conference. It was so good to see everyone. Here’s some of the feedback we had on the day… more photos to come soon!
Recently, many authors I know have been receiving scam emails which are written by AI. Some get hundreds per week via their author website. These emails all follow an extremely similar structure and form. For those of you for whom this might be a new experience, perhaps because you are just starting out on your writing journey, recently published or building web presence, I have analysed one which I received recently. Click ‘Analysis’ after each paragraph, to see it, below this clip from the Disney Jungle Book animated film.
Dear Leila,
I hope this message finds you well hopefully surrounded by good books, which I imagine is never in short supply at Waterstones Brussels!
Analysis
First red flag: The sender’s email address is a generic name + number @ Gmail dot com. Of course many legitimate organisations use these, but in the context and taken together with everything else I have listed below, it is a red flag. I have not shared the email address, as I assume it belongs to some unfortunate person who has been hacked. Second red flag – I have not worked at Waterstones Brussels for nearly 20 years. Anyone who had researched me properly would not use old information like this.
I recently came across Emeralds & Ashes and was completely swept into the world of Somerton Court. What you’ve built across the At Somerton trilogy is something genuinely special — a world that feels like Downton Abbey but with far more courage1. Charlotte’s transformation from selfish socialite to battlefield nurse. Sebastian and Oliver refusing to let a cruel society define the limits of their love. Ada choosing her Oxford brain and her independence over a tidy romantic ending.These aren’t just satisfying story arcs — they’re the kinds of characters that stay with readers long after the final page2.
Analysis
1This sentence is classic AI in structure and vocabulary.
2So is this one. ‘These aren’t just… they’re…’ (compare: ‘This isn’t just food, this is M&S food’). It’s a tautology. A satisfying arc will mean that a character stays with readers after the final page. It’s like saying ‘This isn’t just green, it’s a subtle blending of yellow and blue that produces a verdant hue reminiscent of trees in spring.’
At this point – stop and ask yourself. What does the person sending this email want? What is the purpose of this email? When I contact an author for professional reasons, such as booking them for an event, I get to the point quickly. I don’t begin with a lengthy, flattering-yet-generic review that summarises the plot and tells the author things they know already. Clearly the books have been ‘read’ by AI because it’s accurate in the sense that these are accurate summaries of the character arcs. But the ONLY reason to summarise the arcs to me, the author of the book, is to attempt to prove it has been read and must be from a human.
What makes Emeralds & Ashes stand out as a series finale is the weight of WWI pressing down on every character —1 forcing each one to shed who they were and discover who they truly are under pressure. That’s ambitious storytelling for any genre, let alone YA historical fiction, and readers across multiple languages and countries have clearly felt it2.
Analysis
1Dashes per se are not a hallmark of AI (I use loads of them when I am writing fast and casually, as I am right now) but dashes used in this specific way, in combination with all the other red flags, are.
2It’s the sentence structure. Especially the ‘That’s… and’. The two ideas in the sentence: 1) ambitious storytelling, and 2) it has been translated, also do not really connect to each other. Why join these two ideas together? Just to get in some extra information to make me believe that the sender really knows something about me and my books.
It is true that human writers often create sentences which contain ideas that don’t really connect to each other, especially in a messy first draft. What makes this stand out as AI is the slickness of it. The idea is confused, but the expression of it flows well enough that you might not notice if you’re not paying attention. See also the tautology example.
At this point you should be asking yourself: Who is the writer of this email talking to? Why does it feel as if they are talking to themselves? What do they want from me and why haven’t they told me yet? Why are they into a second paragraph telling me things I know already about my own book?
With 30 books to your name1, an MA in Children’s Literature and Creative Writing2, and a career built around putting the right books in the right hands3, you bring a rare combination4 of craft and passion to everything you do5. That story deserves to be told6.
Analysis
This paragraph is the worst.
130 books is wrong – I have not published anything close to this number.
2There is no MA in Children’s Literature and Creative Writing that I’m aware of in the UK. I have one MA in children’s literature and a second in Writing.
3‘career… hands’ suggests they’re still assuming I’m a bookseller.
4‘Rare combination’ is terrible. It’s a phrase that means and communicates nothing at all. Maybe it once meant something but now the meaning has been chewed out of it, leaving just pulpy filler.
5Everything I do? Really? Last night I made supper that was a bowl of boiled potatoes with lumps of cheddar on top of it. Zero craft and passion in that, I assure you. 6What does this even mean? What story? Sounds like they want to write my biography.
I’m reaching out to offer a full review of Emeralds & Ashes on 1our platform, alongside an author profile feature celebrating your career, your At Somerton trilogy, and the kind of inclusive, emotionally rich storytelling you’ve championed2 throughout your work. It would be a wonderful way to introduce the series — and your voice — to readers who haven’t yet discovered Somerton Court.
Analysis
Ok so here’s where they get to the point. Any professional email sent out with a genuine offer of this kind, would get to what they actually want/ are offering, far sooner. Of course sometimes people ramble, it doesn’t mean they are not human if they don’t write emails efficiently. However, after reading hundreds of these emails it becomes very easy to tell which ones are AI generated and which ones are from real people. Importantly, real people would include crucial information that is missing here, like the name and web address of the platform, examples,, and reasons to sign up to it.
1Our platform: what is it called? What is the web address? Show me an example. Who else is on there? Why are they not showing you the website itself, examples of what they do? Metrics? How many site visitors and click-throughs etc.? Put it together with the gmail address and alarm bells should be ringing. This is not a real offer. This is a fishing expedition and you are the fish.
There is nothing to stop anyone reviewing a book they like, or profiling an author, on any platform. They do not have to ask an author’s permission. So why send this email? One reason only. If you respond ‘yes please’ to this, they will be asking for money.
2Championed is such an AI word.
Would you be open to connecting? I’d be truly delighted to feature you. Best regards, Generic English Name
Analysis
Connecting? What does that mean exactly? Being interviewed? Sending a review copy? Too vague. Too AI. After being specific in the paragraph before (we want to review your book on our website), to go back to this vague language suggests the author isn’t thinking about what they write. Feature you – again, on what platform? What website address?
Broken down like this, it seems incredible that anyone falls for this kind of email. But many authors are busy, reading fast, and keen to believe in positive feedback. It is really easy and fast to send these automated emails – all the info in it is scraped, probably from my own author website and links, then it uses the contact form to send it back to me. So if they send out, e.g. 1,000 in 1 hour, and get 1 response that turns into someone giving them money or personal data, that’s probably a good enough result for them. AI is getting better and soon may be more realistic than this. Bottom line: if the email:
– sounds like Kaa out of the Disney Jungle Book, whispering ‘Trussst in mee… jussst in meee…’ rather than a genuine attempt to communicate -gets key facts wrong – is coy and vague about important information -sounds slick on the surface, but when the ideas are examined they don’t hold up
then it’s probably AI and almost certainly a scam of some sort. Delete and block sender.
This should also be a wake-up call to anyone who does need to get in touch with an author for a legitimate reason. Your email mustn’t sound like AI or it will get trashed. So don’t use AI to write it.
📢Open Conversation: Being ‘Authentic’. What does it mean for a minoritised children’s writer? May 24th 7-8.30pm
🎤This discussion was suggested by a member of our Megaphone Community, as it’s a topic many of us find ourselves struggling with at some point in our career.
🤝We’d like to throw it open to any children’s writer of colour (emerging or published) who wants to hear what others have to say and share their own experiences.
✉ Email hello@megaphonewrite.com for the Zoom link to register
🌻What we’re talking about:
👉What does authenticity really mean, what is the weight which that word carries?
👉How can writers from minoritised groups come up with strategies to support ourselves as creatives?
🌎This is an online discussion. It isn’t a webinar or presentation. In this meeting everyone will have the opportunity to speak, though there is no compulsion to do so.
❤️You can also send in topics/ questions in advance if you want them raised anonymously, to the same email address above.
It’s HERE! Tickets are now on sale for Megaphone’s first ever IN PERSON writing conference: A THOUSAND STORIES. This is an opportunity for people of colour with an interest in writing for children or teenagers to come together, hear from professionals and connect with other writers. Attendee tickets are limited to 35 in this first year and are selling fast. Check the website for full details and the programme: https://megaphonewrite.com/a-thousand-stories/
The conference is in central Birmingham on Saturday July 11th and thanks to sponsorship from ALCS and support from volunteers, the tickets are just £10. This includes lunch and refreshments. To make it fully accessible, we can also offer a pay-as-you-can option, contact us if this is relevant to you.
Serena Patel on going from unpublished to a bestseller in children’s literature
Megaphone debuts Abena Eyeson and Mayo Agard-Olubo on their experience of publishing, Kereen Getten and GM Linton on creating writing for contemporary children that’s inspired by childhood and heritage
Literary agents Safae El-Ouahabi (RCW Literary Agency) and Louise Lamont (LBA Literary Agency) on going beyond the first draft to editing, polishing and selling your book.
WRITING COMPETITION: Stephanie and Leila are offering editorial feedback to ticket-holders who send in up to 2,000 words of their writing for children by May 31st. There will be a prize for our favourite piece of writing, which we will award on the day.
BUY TICKETS: The webpage is now live on the website, where you can see all the information and programme: https://megaphonewrite.com/a-thousand-stories/ You can click through from there to the Ticket Tailor site to buy tickets.
THANK YOU! Special thanks to the Birmingham-based volunteers who’ve helped so far – Michelle Wales, Ayesha Khan, Charlotte Bailey – and to Reyhana Ismail who has designed the wonderful logo, and of course to ALCS whose funding has made this possible and to Stephanie King!
ALCS is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers’ work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity; ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal for writers. It represents over 130,000 members, and since 1977 has paid over £750 million to writers.
“We can’t let the rarest monkey in India become a pet or a performing animal. It needs to be returned to the forest, where it belongs. Come on, cholo!”
A thrilling adventure following three children through the Indian jungle in the 1800s. Roma Moreau can’t stand her boarding school, the prissy Miss Oliphant’s, and wants to be a doctor, but her father won’t allow it. Then she discovers a rare golden leaf-eating monkey – and it has in its paws a mysterious treasure, the Snake Stone. The monkey is stolen by bandits, and Roma sets off to rescue it and return it to its secret home in the jungle. Along the way, the cursed Snake Stone brings her new friends and enemies. The characters draw on real historical figures from the period, as well as members of the author’s own family, as a fascinating author’s note makes clear. A really special feature of the book is the ambigram illustrations – riddling pictures that can be read one way, then turned upside down to read another way. This book is a companion to Secrets of the Snakestone, which was a Times Children’s Book of the Week and shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize.
The Golden Monkey Mystery is a Middle grade historical-fantasy adventure published by Nosy Crow in January 2026. It’s 232 pages long (proof copy) and aimed at children aged 9-12.
We’re very excited that today is the official release day for THE NIGHT I BORROWED TIME, the first children’s book from our former mentee, Iqbal Hussain. Iqbal’s voice is so warm and funny and this book is absolutely magical – a time travelling, family-centred adventure that takes a young Pakistani-British boy back to the past to find out about the historical forces that formed his family. It’s incredible to see stories of Partition finally making it to British children’s bookshelves, and with Iqbal’s talent for storytelling, I know this is going to be an unforgettable adventure that captures so many children’s imaginations.
“A funny, heartbreaking and uplifting tale about family, bravery and living in the here and now, perfect for fans of Time Travelling With a Hamster and Wonder” – published by Penguin Books.
I’d recommend this book! 12-yr old Mimi and best friend Rafi are Dream Hunters, using their skills to catch bad dreams alongside their dream creatures. But, after stumbling on a plot to poison the king, they must leave the safe confines of their citadel and help the king before it’s too late.
Nazima has written a unique page turner (in first person present form) and Federica Frenna’s illustrations enhance this thrilling Indian fantasy adventure. There’s a political element, highlighting those that will go to any lengths to satiate their need for power and wealth.
Dream Hunters is a Middle grade fantasy adventure published by Simon & Schuster in 2024. It’s 278 pages and aimed at children aged 9-12.
Seema McArdle is a working-class writer born into a Newcastle-based Punjabi family. She is a winner of the National Centre for Writing 23/24 Escalator programme, where she worked on her debut children’s novel, mentored by Ashley Hickson-Lovence. Seema’s work has won the Publisher’s Prize at FABPrize 2020 and was shortlisted for the Penguin Random House WriteNow 2021 programme. She holds a BA (hons) in History & Sociology, a PGCE in Primary Education, and a CELTA, and has previously worked for The Independent, the Serious Fraud Office, the NHS, Norwich University of the Arts and as an educator. Seema is interested in the fascinating histories of British People of Colour, many of whom remain excluded from our history and story books. She works at the University of East Anglia, where she is a member of the Race Equality Steering Committee and helped launch South Asian Heritage Month. Seema is an active supporter of Show Racism the Red Card charity, and she is a contributor of the John Blanke Project.
RUNNING MY OWN RACE follows the story of Kofi, an 11-year-old boy whose world shifts when he receives a scholarship to a local private school. Kofi has always dreamt of being a professional running athlete, and with this opportunity, his dream is now a little step closer. But the path forward is far from easy, as Kofi finds himself torn between pursuing his athletic dreams and fulfilling his mother’s desire for him to achieve academic success and “become somebody.” As he struggles to balance his passion with his family’s expectations. Kofi faces more obstacles, trying and struggling to fit in his new environment, representing his local community and all the while trying to maintain old friendships, especially with his best friend Charlie. With positive guidance from the school coach, Kofi excels on the track, to the disgust of his classmate Miles, who begins a relentless campaign of bullying with taunts of racial and social class epithets, which ultimately culminates in an altercation that threatens to derail Kofi’s dream. Abena Eyeson takes the reader on an engaging tale of resilience, self-advocacy and learning to follow your own path: “running your own race”. Culminating in restorative justice and a positive resolution, this book is an ideal choice for readers 9-12 years old as it thoughtfully explores complex contemporary issues, all the while celebrating the joy of running.
Julian Beresford is a freelance illustrator and writer based in South Yorkshire, England. He grew up in the southwest of London, where he spent most of his childhood lost in his imagination, drawing constantly and taking inspiration from and developing a love of British comics such as the Beano, Dandy, 2000 AD and any of the worlds mythological stories he could get his hands on. He has studied animation and game art at university and has many creative interests which he combines with his love of the fantastical and mythological, to explore and create his written and illustrated work. In 2018 Julian was commended at Faber Faber Fab Prize award for his illustrative work. Julian is a Megaphone Community member.
What does home mean to you? In her introduction to this proof copy, E. L. Norry invites us to consider this question. For the boy and girl in RUNAWAYS, home isn’t safe or comforting. The adults in their lives are flawed and make mistakes that put them in enough danger to run away from home. Their journeys flow in and out of one another. As they run in the same direction, July and Jamie, who have never known each other before and have on the face of it nothing in common, encounter each other and become friends – or more accurately, something stronger than friends, companions in survival who can rely on each other to give them the safety the adults in their lives can’t. It all ends happily, which makes it a great story for children aged about 9 to 11 who are interested in contemporary issues but also need comfort in their stories. It’s out on July 3rd and is highly recommended by this reader! Buy here or here or your bookseller of choice.
