In 2025, SYP South West is running the Into and Ahead streams of the mentorship scheme.
Click here to apply to the mentorship Into stream.
Click here to apply to the mentorship Ahead stream.
SYP South West Mentors 2025
Dr. Jo Parsons
Lecturer, Editor, & Writer, Falmouth University
I am an experienced editor and writer for both academic and popular writing. I have a PhD in literature and 2 book series with Edinburgh University Press and 1 with University of Wales Press. I also edit academic journals and have several academic and creative writing publications, including 13 Cornish Ghost Stories (Mabecron 2024) and Doomed Romances (British Library 2024). I have been a ghost writer for fiction and non-fiction books, as well as working on my own popular Romance fiction, alongside editing and writing several academic texts. As well as my freelance work, I am employed as a Senior Lecturer at Falmouth University.
Eleanor Gaffney
Editorial & Publishing, Dialogue Books & Renegade Books
She’s currently a Project Editor at Dialogue Books & Renegade Books (part of John Murray Press, Hachette) and works out of the Bristol office – and lives in Bristol too. She was one of the UK Co-Chairs last year and was also the South West Chair in 2023. She has 6 years of experience in academic publishing, so she can speak to that too if anyone is particularly interested in academic publishing.
Hayley Symonds
Sales, Paper Engine/HHUK
Sales Director at Paper Engine, an independent publisher of novelty products, and print and design partner for key UK trade publishers (Usborne, Pan Mac, Nosy Crow, PRH, and more). Specialising in concept, design, production, and delivery for novelty and luxury books (including pop-up, moving, and sound). With a decade of experience in Sales and Brand Partnerships at Penguin Random House. Focus on Non-Trade publishing across all Adult markets and Children’s novelty.
Jennifer Irish
Sales/Foreign Rights, Curious Universe
Jen Irish has been working in publishing for 20 years. She is currently a Rights and Co-edition Sales Manager for Curious Universe based in Bath. However, before she made the switch to Foreign Rights, she spent most of her publishing career working in UK Special Sales for Hachette, OPG, Ryland Peters & Small, and Bounce Sales & Marketing. All of her publishing experience has been focused on either illustrated non-fiction and children’s books. She is looking forward to helping young aspiring publishing professionals start or progress their careers in either UK Sales or Foreign Rights.
John Twiggs
Managing Director & Publisher, Hungry Tomato
I started in publishing with my own company in the 1990s, and grew this business to over £3m with 30+ employees. It was sold eleven years ago. I started Hungry Tomato nine years ago, with the focus on children’s non-fiction, and then moved the company to Cornwall in 2019. We have a growing team of nine (soon ten) people, and nearly all of the team live in Cornwall, and this is their first venture into the publishing world. We actively want to mentor people into this industry as there are few opportunities, especially in Cornwall.
Kitty Chivers
Sales, Simon & Schuester
Kitty began her career at Penguin Random House, initially covering a maternity leave position in the sales department, before transitioning to the Children’s Marketing and Publicity team. She gained experience working with big brand-name authors – from Jacqueline Wilson to James Patterson – as well as creating grassroots campaigns for debut authors. She then moved to HarperCollins as a Campaign Manager for Children’s Non-Fiction (Collins). After some time working in education, she returned to sales, now serving as a Regional Sales Manager for Simon & Schuster. In this role, she travels across the South and South West, connecting with her favourite independent bookshops.
Laura Baker
Freelance Children’s Author & Editor
Laura has worked in publishing for more than 15 years. Laura spent over seven years in a publishing house as a children’s editor, responsible for a number of award-winning picture, board, activity, and non-fiction books. She then moved into freelance work and now edits and writes all sorts of books for a variety of publishers, including Little Tiger, Ladybird, Scholastic, OUP, Quarto, Make Believe Ideas, Lonely Planet Kids, and more. Laura holds a BA in English: Rhetoric and Professional Writing and an MA in Creative Writing. Laura grew up in Canada but now lives on the south coast of Wales.
Megan Farr
Children’s Publishing, PR, & Marketing, Bath Spa University & Chicken House
Megan Farr is a Lecturer in Publishing at Bath Spa University, currently completing her PhD in the field of Children’s Publishing in Wales. Her 25-year journey in the industry began with work experience at Seren Books, where she now serves on the Board of Directors. Throughout her career, Megan has held roles in PR, marketing, and communications across children’s publishing houses, including Barefoot Books, Little Tiger Press, Macmillan Children’s Books, Hot Key Books, Firefly Press, Graffeg, and Chicken House. Megan has also worked for New Welsh Review magazine and literature promotion organisations BookTrust and Literature Wales.
Samantha Stewart
Editorial & Freelance, Bath Spa University
Samantha Stewart has been managing editorial processes in global publishing houses for the last thirty years, working most recently at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins Publishers. She is now a Lecturer in Publishing at Bath Spa University, an editorial consultant for the big-five publishers in London, and an author of books for young people. Her middle-grade fantasy book, Fireblood, was published in March 2023. She is passionate about sharing insight into all aspects of the creative industries.
Dr. Kate Wallis
Senior Lecturer in World Literatures and Publishing, University of Exeter
Kate is an editor and literary producer with twenty years’ experience of working in the publishing industry. She was previously Head of Humanities at Palgrave Macmillan, responsible for paperback publishing across history, literature, theatre and language. She worked for four years as an Editor and Producer at Kenya’s leading literary publisher Kwani Trust. She is currently a Director for Kigali-based publishing company Huza Press. Kate is the Co-Director of University of Exeter’s MA Publishing programme which launched in 2021/2 with a commitment to making meaningful change in the industry. She was part of the Steering Group for Exeter’s successful bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature. She also regularly curates workshops and festivals, and is the co-founder and co-producer of Africa Writes–Exeter.