Claire Wade
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Breakthrough Mentoring Programme for Disabled Writers - Curtis Brown Creative

30/8/2023

 
Disabled author mentors - Polly Atkin, Lisette Auton, Nydia Hetherington, Chloe Timms and Claire Wade
I've just finished working with my mentee as part of the Curtis Brown Creative mentoring program for disabled writers.

I loved mentoring my writer, seeing the progress she made with her novel and the development of her story was incredible. If you’re a
disabled writer who wants to become published, this is a great step towards making that happen.

You can apply for the Breakthrough Mentoring Programme for Disabled Writers! Four writers will receive nine months of mentoring from a published author. 

​It’s free to enter.

Learn more: https://curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/course/breakthrough-mentoring-programme-for-disabled-writers…

Untold Stories : Disability and Inclusion - why we need more disabled storytellers at Cheltenham Literature Festival

30/8/2023

 
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I’m pleased to be chairing a virtual panel at this year’s #CheltLitFest  with Penny Parkes, Penny Batchelor and Jamie Hale.

Look out for Untold Stories : Disability and Inclusion - why we need more disabled storytellers.  

Historically, disabled people have been silenced, their stories ignored or told by non-disabled writers. Disabled creators are now fighting to be seen and heard, working to gain visibility on book shelves and literary stages. Award-winning author Penny Parkes, poet and founder of CRIPtic Arts Jamie Hale and Penelope Batchelor, author and founder of Keep Festivals Hybrid discuss why the literary world needs to be more accessible and inclusive.

View the full programme: 
https://cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/whats-on…

Five years on…

2/8/2023

 
I can’t believe it’s been five years since I won the Good Housekeeping debut novel competition with The Choice. It was such a whirlwind and an exciting adventure.

If you haven't picked up your copy yet, you can get it here…
https://t.co/rL1UH6UwBLt.co/rL1UH6UwBL
A smiling white woman with blonde hair, holding up a copy of Good Housekeeping magazine.

The Choice re-enters the Amazon charts

15/5/2023

 
The cover of The Choice with the Amazon orange number five flag is beside Mary Berry's 100 Cakes and Bakes cover at number six.
Wow! The Choice is back in the Amazon charts!

It is sitting happily beside Queen of Baking Mary Berry! I wonder how Mary would feel about a world where sugar is illegal and baking is a crime. 

​
https://amzn.to/3DL18Sl

The Choice is ‘The Great British Bake Off’ meets ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.


It won the Good Housekeeping First Novel Competition back in 2018 and the East Anglian Book Award for fiction in 2020. 

Happy 3rd Birthday, The Choice!

26/12/2022

 
Three copies of The Choice one early reader, one on a phone and one in paperback, beside three lit sparklers.
The Choice is three today!

If you’re looking for a story of friendship, family and fighting for the freedom to choose the life you want, this is the book for you.

Winner of The Good Housekeeping Novel Competition and the East Anglian Book Award for fiction 2020.

https://amzn.to/3DL18Sl

The Disability Issue of The Bookseller 2023

14/10/2022

 
The second Disability Issue of The Bookseller is out now & available to read for free.

​http://
thebookseller.com/editions/the-bookseller-14102022…


The gorgeous cover is by 
Tori Board & represents illuminating accessible content.
An illustration of the night sky with a string of lights, on each bowl shows a symbol representing accessible reading. At the bottom is a desk with accessible writing tools.
You can also access the articles directly using these links…
​
  • A chance to change by Claire Wade, Catherine Miller & Nydia Hetherington What has changed in the publishing industry since the last Disability Issue of The Bookseller? You would be the best person to judge that: have you noticed a change in the way things are donehttps://www.thebookseller.com/comment/a-chance-to-change
 
  • With the launch of Access to Literature, Jamie Hale from CRIPticArts and Ruth Harrison from Spread the Word call on the publishing industry to work collaboratively to dismantle the barriers that deaf and disabled people currently face. Read more about their investigation and the results here: buff.ly/3MAfebR
 
  • "A crucial further step towards fair representation would see disabled journalists appointed as editors of book sections" Scott Jordan Harris writes about why there needs to be more opportunities for disabled people to professionally write and review books: buff.ly/3MvK2dL
 
  • "If somebody is deaf or disabled and has concerns that it will hold you back, don’t try to hide your access need" Caitlin Quinn's important interview with bestselling author Nell Pattison about how publishing needs to change to be accessible to all. Nell Pattison discusses her experiences as a disabled writer and how the industry can be more inclusive.   https://www.thebookseller.com/author-interviews/nell-pattison-in-conversation-about-how-publishing-needs-to-change-to-be-accessible-to-all
 
  • Different but equal: tackling biases and discrimination by Pragya Agarwal. We need to move to a framework of publishing where disability is acknowledged as different but accepted as equal. https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/different-but-equal-tackling-biases-and-discrimination
 
  • The stories we tell by Hannah Knowles. The narrative around mental health provision and staff wellbeing in the book trade tallies little with those experiencing it—and we need a fresh start. https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/the-stories-we-tell
 
  • Accessible Books Kate Nash OBE, founder of @mypurplespace, reveals how book publishers can anticipate the needs of disabled readers and release titles that are accessible to all: buff.ly/3MB8sCW
 
  • "The normality of everyday life with a disability is not uninteresting and the industry must see the value of these narratives." Dr Pragya Agarwal's important article on unconscious bias in the publishing industry: buff.ly/3ey8Y7S
 
  • Why querying is hell for neurodivergents by Chloe Johnson Literary agencies have taken steps to make their submissions policies more inclusive—and some simple adjustments can throw the doors wide open.

RNA Inclusion Award Finalist

11/10/2022

 
I’m delighted to be shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Inclusion Award 2022. Navigating the publishing industry as a disabled person has been difficult and I have felt very isolated. That’s why I worked with the Society of Authors to form Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (ADCI).  

In ADCI I’ve found an incredible, supportive community and we’re also changing the publishing industry, achieving more inclusivity and accessibility for disabled authors and raising disabled voices. As readers discover work by more diverse authors, it’s essential that disabled stories are told; by understanding those with different experiences we gain a better insight into the world we live in and can make it a kinder and more inclusive place.

It’s a huge surprise to be shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Inclusion Award; I do this work because I believe it’s important and I’m honoured that others recognise the value of it as well.
An image of a white woman in a blue jumper sitting in a blue wheelchair. The text reads I am a finalist in the Romantic Novelists Association Inclusion Award 2022.

I talk to ALCS about being a disabled authors

18/8/2022

 
Authors' Matters podcast logo, black text on a pink and green wavy background.
I was excited to record my first ever podcast interview with Caroline Sanderson from ALCS - The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society.

We talked about how I became established as a writer and the challenges I've faced in an industry that is centred around well and non-disabled people.

I explained how to be a good ally to writers experiencing disability or chronic illness and the role that community plays in raising the voices of a vastly overlooked group. 

You can listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your regular podcasts from. Just search for 
Authors' Matters by ALCS, Season 2, episode 7.


Afternoon tea with Jen Campbell

11/7/2022

 
Two white women at the smile camera. Jen Campbell and Claire Wade.
Grab a cuppa and get to know best-selling author and award-winning poet Jen Campbell as part of the Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses #ADCI Week brought to you by the Society of Authors.

I am in conversation with Jen to discuss her work and career as an advocate for disability, and will offer a glimpse into her creative routine.

​
Catch up with the recording here… https://vimeo.com/728886649

A Reading from The Choice

14/5/2022

 
I co-organised the Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (ADCI) Week with the Society of Authors during Disability Pride month. As part of the Instagram takeover I did a reading from my award-winning novel The Choice.

ADCI Week Book Reading - Claire Wade from The Society of Authors on Vimeo.

Claire Wade reading from her award-winning debut novel THE CHOICE

***Part of the Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (ADCI) Week Instagram takeover***

Follow Claire on Instagram @clairerwade

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    Claire Wade

    Claire Wade

    I'm an author, disability activist, winner of the Good Housekeeping First Novel Competition and The EABA for Fiction 2020 and founder of Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (ADCI).


    The Choice is available from:

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    DETAILS:
    ​Title:
    The Choice
    Publisher: Orion
    ISBN: 1409187748

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  • Home
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