The process of becoming a published author can often seem daunting. It may feel difficult to know where to start or how to navigate the different elements of the publishing process. This free panel event allowed you to hear from author A.A. Dhand, as well as industry-leading editors and agents, to discover what it really takes to bring a book to life.

• Michael Stewart – Host

Michael Stewart is the author of four novels: King Crow (Bluemoose Books, winner of the Guardian’s Not-the-Booker Award, selected as a recommended read for World Book Night); Café Assassin (Bluemoose Books); Ill Will: The Untold Story of Heathcliff (HarperCollins, optioned by Kudos Films); and Black Wood Women (HarperCollins); two short story collections: Mr Jolly (Valley Press) and Four Letter Words (Wrecking Ball Press); two poetry collections: Couples (Valley Press) and The Dogs (Smokestack); and a hybrid memoir: Walking the Invisible: Following in the Brontës’ Footsteps (HarperCollins)

He is also the creator of the Brontë Stones project, four monumental stones situated in the landscape between the birthplace and the parsonage, inscribed with poems by Kate Bush, Carol Ann Duffy, Jeannette Winterson and Jackie Kay.

He has written for TV, radio and stage, and is the winner of the BBC Alfred Bradley Bursary Award, and the BBC Short Range film competition. His BBC Radio 4 drama Excluded was shortlisted for the Imison Award. He was head of Creative Writing at the University of Huddersfield for 18 years and now runs the Brontë Writing Centre.

• A.A. Dhand – Author

A.A. Dhand was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store.

After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired his ‘Harry Virdee’ novels, which has been turned in to a six-part BBC drama – the first novel by a British Asian to do so.

In 2025 his latest novel, The Chemist, became an instant Sunday Times top ten bestseller. He is currently working with several production companies on new screen projects.

• Danai Denga – Editor, Penguin Books

I’m Danai and I find bios to be a bit awkward but necessary. I find traces of my identity in Harare, Nottingham, Birmingham and London. I am an Editor within the #Merky Books and Cornerstone Press imprints at Penguin Random House. I believe that there are so many causes to devote yourself to, but it can feel exhausting. For that reason, publishing is my primary arena for change. I currently run the #Merky Books prize along with the rest of the #Merky team; it means a lot for me to do whatever I can to break down the barriers that can exist within publishing. Although I primarily acquire in the non-fiction space, I have experience in literary fiction publishing. This year, I have worked with authors such as Rivers Solomon, Drew Afualo and Adrienne Adhami (to name a few).

I am currently working on a project to revive ‘forgotten but classic’ works by authors from the global majority and I’m really looking forward to publishing a moving literary memoir about Black matriarchy next year. I am also a Creative Access mentor with a passion for literature and diversifying the publishing landscape. I can be found joining most conversations about astrology and negotiating with my body about eating cheese.

• Kerry-Ann Bentley – Literary Agent

Kerry-Ann Bentley is the founder and literary agent of KAB Literary Ltd where she represents the Estate of Alex Wheatle, Yvonne Bailey-Smith, Dominque Palmer, Jackson King, and more. KAB Literary represents global writers and diverse narratives with international appeal.

She started in the New York office of Janklow & Nesbit where she worked with writers such as Yrsa Daley-Ward, Mason Coile, Allison P. Davis and more. She joined TGLA in 2023 and founded KABL in February 2025.