Working on something special?

Local writers are invited to pitch their first page to literary agents during Cork World Book Fest, which welcomes Irish and international writers to Cork for an extravaganza of books and writing this April.

The organisers have run the successful First Page Pitch event for a number of years and are asking writers to submit their work for consideration.

A panel of expert book lovers will choose ten of the submissions for the authors to read out loud for feedback from their agents (or if you’re shy, Sam Blake will read them).

“It is incredibly useful to hear pitches and the openings of books and what the agents think of them,” said Patricia Looney, Senior Executive Librarian at Cork City Libraries.

“Even if your work isn’t selected to be read, it’s also a great opportunity to tune in to perfect your own approach, find out what works and what doesn’t! You also never know what will happen as a result – Olivia Hope pitched at our festival a few years ago and she’s now a published author.”

How do I get involved?

The readings and feedback will take place on Saturday, April 22nd at Cork City Library, Grand Parade.

To submit, email as an attachment a two-line/50-word pitch describing your book and the first 500 words of your book to patricia_looney@corkcity.ie. The closing date for submissions is 5pm Friday, March 31st, 2023.

 For more on the Cork World Book Fest programme, visit corkworldbookfest.com.