Alumni
Ink Academy opened its doors in 2016, and since then we have had the joy of connecting several of our outstanding writers with brilliant agents. Even more excitingly, many of our Alumni have gone on to secure incredible publishing deals.
Read all about our stellar Alumni on their pages below – and if you’d like to end up on this page one day, apply to our Course today.
If you’re a literary agent who’d like advance notice of Ink Academy writers we think might fit your bill, please register your details here.
Annie Macmanus
Books: Mother Mother and The Mess We’re In
Publisher: Wildfire
Agent: Ben Dunn at Dunn Literary
Annie completed her Ink Academy course in 2018, with tutors Susanna Hislop and Philip Connor. She was subsequently signed by literary Agent Ben Dunn, and received a publishing deal with Wildfire, an imprint of Headline. Her first published novel, Mother Mother, was a 2021 Sunday Times Bestseller. Her second novel, The Mess We’re In, was published in May 2023.
Sussie Anie
Book: To Fill a Yellow House
Publisher: Phoenix
Agent: Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment
Sussie completed her Ink Academy course in 2017, with tutor Marina Kemp. She was subsequently signed by literary Agent Juliet Mushens, and received a two-book publishing deal with Phoenix, an imprint of Orion. Her first published novel is To Fill a Yellow House, longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award.
Suzanne Heywood
Books: What Does Jeremy Think and Wavewalker
Publisher: William Collins
Agent: Caroline Michel at Peters Fraser Dunlop
Suzanne completed her Ink Academy course in 2016, with tutor Marina Kemp. She was signed by literary agent Caroline Michel, and received a publishing deal with William Collins, an imprint of Harper Collins. Her first published book, What Does Jeremy Think, was a 2021 Sunday Times Bestseller. Her second book, Wavewalker, is a memoir and was published in April 2023.
Bea Setton
Book: Berlin
Publisher: Doubleday
Agent: Charlotte Seymour at Johnson & Alcock
Bea completed her Ink Academy course in 2016, with tutor Philip Connor. She was subsequently signed by literary agent Charlotte Seymour, and received a two-book publishing deal with Doubleday. Her first published novel is Berlin, published in the UK and US, and her second novel will be published in 2024.
Laure Van Rensburg
Books: Nobody But Us and The Good Daughter
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Agent: Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment
Laure completed her Ink Academy course in 2017, with tutor Marina Kemp. She was subsequently signed by literary Agent Juliet Mushens, and received a two-book publishing deal with Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Her novels are Nobody But Us and The Good Daughter.
Mary Martin
Book: Corporate Peace
Publisher: Hurst & Company
Editor: Michael Dwyer at Hurst & Company
Mary completed her Ink Academy course in 2016, with tutor Marina Kemp. Her book Corporate Peace, which she wrote over the course of her Ink Academy course, was bought by Michael Dwyer at Hurst & Company, and published in 2019.
Literary Agents
We love nothing more than making connections between our brilliant Alumni and compatible agents. If you are an agent and would like us to send recommended writers your way, please submit your interest via the form below.
Apply now for the Ink Academy Writing Course
Applying to the Ink Academy Writing Course is quick and simple. Just upload a sample of your writing below, along with your name and email address, and we will be in touch with enrolment details.
The sample of your writing does not need to be polished or perfect, or even from the work you want to develop on the course. It is just so that we can ensure our course is best placed to help you. For more details, please see our FAQs.
