Path to Publication – Adult Fiction

Part of the Brunel University New Writers Programme

Industry Panel: Path to Publication – Adult Fiction

A panel of industry experts will offer their insights and advice to aspiring authors on the process of publishing adult fiction. Attendees will learn about the role of literary agents and how writers, agents and publishers work together. You will also receive advice on how to approach finding an agent and preparing your work for submission. Come along with any questions you have about how take the first steps towards finding a publisher for your novel.

Introducing the Panel:

Francesca Main – Publisher, Phoenix Books (Orion)

Francesca Main is the publisher of Orion imprint Phoenix, where her authors include Florence Knapp, Alison Espach, Emily Howes, Tom Newlands and Jessie Burton. She previously had editorial roles at Picador, S&S and Hamish Hamilton/Penguin. Francesca won the British Book Award for Editor of the Year in 2015 and was shortlisted for Imprint and Editor of the Year in 2026.

Hannah Chukwu – Publishing Director, Dialogue Books

Hannah Chukwu is a multi-award-winning Publishing Director at Dialogue Books, where she leads the literary team publishing across fiction and non-fiction, with a focus on publishing underrepresented voices. Authors she publishes include bell hooks, Bora Chung and Yoko Tawada. Prior to joining Dialogue, she commissioned at Hamish Hamilton, PRH, where she also edited Five Dials magazine, founded the Black Britain: Writing Back series with Bernardine Evaristo, and was the Policy and Campaign Consultant for the curriculum change project Lit in Colour, in collaboration with the Runnymede Trust. She is a Trustee for the education charity The Brilliant Club.

Sallyanne Sweeney – Co-Director & Literary Agent, International Creative Agency

Sallyanne Sweeney joined International Creative Agency (ICA) 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. 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. Known for her close editorial work, Sallyanne enjoys guiding debut writers into long-term careers, while also supporting established voices to reach new audiences.

The panel will moderated by Dr Helen Cullen, a novelist and Reader in Creative Writing at Brunel University.

About this programme:

Brunel University is a very proud partner of the Nero Book Awards and the Nero New Writers Prize for unpublished writers. With the New Writers Programme, our aim is to support as many aspiring writers as possible with an online series of free creative writing workshops, and publishing webinars.

If you would like to develop your writing craft, learn from incredible authors, and understand more about how publishing works from industry experts, this series is for you.