Have you ever wondered what it takes to get your writing published? Do you have an idea for a story that you could see flying off the shelves one day?

From Manuscript to Market is a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the publication of one book from start to finish, featuring Yorkshire-born author, Matson Taylor, in conversation with his editor Chris White, Editorial Director at Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, discussing their individual roles and their relationship to the publication process.

This event will demystify the publishing industry by considering the craft of writing in context, showing that editors are collaborators who help manuscripts make their way to the bookshelves. 

About The Author

Matson Taylor

Matson Taylor grew up in Yorkshire (the flat part not the Brontë part). He comes from farming stock and spent an idyllic childhood surrounded by horses, cows, bicycles, and cheap ice-cream. His father, a York City and Halifax Town footballer, has never forgiven him for getting on the school rugby team but not getting anywhere near the school football team.

Matson now lives in London, where he is a design historian and academic writing tutor at the V&A, Imperial College and the Royal College of Art. Previously, he talked his way into various jobs at universities and museums around the world; he has also worked on Camden Market, appeared in an Italian TV commercial and been a pronunciation coach for Catalan opera singers. He gets back to Yorkshire as much as possible, mainly to see family and friends but also to get a reasonably-priced haircut.

He has always loved telling stories and, after writing academically about beaded flapper dresses and World War 2 glow-in-the-dark fascinators, he decided to enrol on the Faber Academy ‘Writing A Novel’ course.

About The Speaker

Chris White

Chris White’s list encompasses Korean feminist fiction, dystopian literary thrillers, historical true crime and everything in between. As well as the Richard & Judy sensation, The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor, he has recently published books by Booker Prize-winner Graham Swift, Hari Kunzru, Rosa Rankin-Gee and West End star Obioma Ugoala. Before becoming an editor, he worked in bookselling for many years, most recently as Head of Fiction and Publisher Liaison for Waterstones.