Penguin Random House UK has opened applications for its 10th annual WriteNow programme, an award-winning initiative that seeks to find, mentor, and publish writers from backgrounds currently under-represented on British bookshelves.
This year’s programme focuses exclusively on children’s books, offering a platform for new authors working on picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade fiction or non-fiction for ages 0–12. Applications are open until Wednesday 7 January 2026, and can be made via www.penguin.co.uk/writenow.
Working in partnership with Penguin’s Ladybird and Puffin imprints, the 2025–26 edition of WriteNow will provide tailored support through workshops, mentoring, and editorial feedback from leading children’s publishing professionals.
All applicants will be invited to a free online workshop designed to demystify children’s publishing, featuring insights from editors, agents, and authors. Shortlisted writers will receive one-to-one feedback on their manuscripts, and a final group will be selected to join a year-long editorial development programme pairing them with Penguin editors.
Francesca Dow, Managing Director at Penguin Random House Children’s, said: “At Penguin Random House Children’s, we believe every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the stories they read. Over the past ten years, WriteNow has introduced extraordinary talent to our lists, including Manjeet Mann, Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, and Rashmi Sirdeshpande. We can’t wait to read this year’s submissions.”
Previous WriteNow alumni include Manjeet Mann, author of Run, Rebel and The Crossing, both published by Penguin’s Puffin Books. Mann, who will be available for interviews, credited the programme with helping her navigate her early writing career.
Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, author of The City of Stolen Magic, also praised WriteNow: “It’s safe to say the programme changed my life. The moment my editor picked my extract and told me it was special, that I was a writer, I felt seen.”
Since launching in 2016, WriteNow has:
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Given nearly 900 writers one-to-one editorial feedback.
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Provided 2,700 aspiring authors with access to regional and online workshops.
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Helped 32 writers secure publishing deals.
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Published 22 authors through Penguin Random House UK, with seven others published elsewhere.
The 2025 programme aims to increase the visibility of authors from South Asian, Black, disabled, and socio economically marginalised backgrounds, particularly those writing stories for and about diverse children.
