#070 One hour mentoring session on how to submit to agents, or creative writing mentoring, from author Aliya Ali-Afzal (lot 1 of 2)

This session can be done via Zoom or on the phone, and can either be about how to submit to agents, or to discuss your current creative writing project. This is one of two identical sessions. Aliya will also review your cover letter and 5,000 words if helpful, or your synopsis. 

Aliya Ali-Afzal has a degree in Russian and German from University College London, and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. She is an Alum of the Curtis Brown Creative Novel Writing course.

Aliya worked as a City head-hunter, before retraining as an MBA career coach. She has always lived in London, since moving there from Pakistan as a young child, but has also spent time in Russia (both pre- and post-Perestroika), Germany, Amsterdam, and Cairo.

Her debut novel, WOULD I LIE TO YOU? is about Faiza, who has secretly spent her family’s emergency savings fund. When her husband Tom loses his job, she must do everything she can to keep him from uncovering her secret. As she becomes ever more desperate, she starts to realise that she’s not the only one whose perfect life hides something much darker. WOULD I LIE TO YOU? was longlisted for The Bath Novel Award and The Mslexia Novel award. It will be published in September 2021 by Head of Zeus (UK) and Grand Central (US).

Her work in progress, THE FUNERAL BOOK, was longlisted for The Mo Prize Hachette UK, and is about 24-year-old Zara, who is planning a wedding at the same time as her beloved 90-year-old granny is planning her funeral.

You can follow her on twitter at: @AAAiswriting.