Agent Speed Dating 2026

Friday 23 October, 4-6:30pm
Cost £110. Each slot lasts 30 minutes (3 x 10 minute agent appointments)
Only 36 slots available

Who is this for?
- Writers who are ready to query
- Writers who have started a project and want professional feedback

This event is for writers of all genders, experiences, and backgrounds who write in the women's fiction genre, which is an umbrella term for books that focus on the characters' life experiences and are usually marketed to women. These books can be contemporary or historical and can have elements of magic, mystery, and more. We welcome commercial, romance, historical, literary, and book club fiction. However, our agents do represent other commercial genres.

What will I get?
Ten minutes of time with three randomly assigned publishing professionals who have read your submission package.

What we can’t promise
An agent signing, a book deal, a streaming studio deal, translation deals, international glory (although anything is possible!)

Details
The event begins at 4pm and we offer half-hour slots (ten minutes per agent). We will email you with your timetable closer to the event, so please ensure that you could do any time slots that you are assigned from 4-6:30pm.
Any questions about Agent Speed Dating? email events@edwomensficfest.co.uk

What do I need?
Cover note (up to one page), a synopsis (up to one page) and first 1000 words to submit in advance (due 2 October).

What agents are participating?

We are thrilled that the following agents will be joining us:

Rachel Goldblatt (Curtis Brown)

Louise Lamont (LBA)

Lina Langlee (The North Literary Agency)

Amy Mitchell (United Agents)

Juliet Pickering (Blake Friedman)

Amanda Preston (LBA)

Ann Rose (MLL)

Hannah Schofield (LBA)

Donald Winchester (Watson, Little)

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About the Festival
The Edinburgh Women's Fiction Festival is a literary festival celebrating writing for, by, and about women. We are an inclusive event and welcome everyone who finds joy in reading women's fiction - commercial, romance, historical, literary, book club and beyond. Our festival showcases authors of genres that are often overlooked, and our aim is to give readers the opportunity to connect with their favourite writers.

This year our festival panel events will take place on Saturday 24 October. See tickets here for all panels.