Please meet our wonderful judges…
Becky Bagnell
Becky is the founder of the Lindsay Literary Agency and has been in publishing for almost 30 years. She worked as a commissioning editor at Macmillan before becoming a literary agent in 2008. Becky’s clients have been published in multiple languages across the world and include the multi-award-winning authors Pamela Butchart, Sue Wallman, Larry Hayes, Louise Finch and Sital Gorasia Chapman.
Photo by Rich Barr
Charlie Castelletti
Charlie is a Commissioning Editor at Macmillan Children’s Books and First Ink. They are also an author of fiction and picture books, as well as a poetry anthologist.
Frances Taffinder
Frances is a Commissioning Editor at Walker Books, where she works on fiction for all ages. After a stint working in audiobook publishing, Frances started at Walker back in 2012. She initially worked in the Editorial Services team, proofreading and copy-editing anything and everything, before joining the Fiction team. Frances has a particular interest in teen and YA fiction of all genres, and two of her favourite authors are Jandy Nelson and Neal Shusterman, both of whom she is lucky enough to work with.
Julia Churchill
Julia runs the children’s book side of the business at AM Heath & Co Ltd. She represents writers of all ages of children’s books, and fiction and non-fiction.
Saskia Leach - Junior Literary Agent at Kate Nash Literary Agency
Saskia joined Kate Nash Literary Agency in 2021. She represents commercial
fiction for adults, young adults and children, and her clients include A.
J. Clack, J. L. Simmonds and Hannah Kingsley. Saskia was a founding member
of the Association of Authors' Agents Bridge Committee, serving as
Secretary from 2022-2024, and is a champion of the #RespectRomFic movement.
She loves stories written from multiple perspectives and featuring complex
and dynamic characters. Outside of agenting, Saskia enjoys musical theatre,
both as a performer and viewer, and supports Brighton & Hove Albion FC. She
is delighted to be one of the judges for UV 26 and looks forward to reading
everyone's entries.
Tierney Holm
Tierney is the senior editor on the Gallery Kids & YA list at Simon & Schuster where she works across children’s fiction, non-fiction and picture books. She graduated Valedictorian from Royal Holloway in 2019 with a BA Hons in Drama & Theatre Studies before making her start in publishing as part of the sales team at Scholastic. Tierney looks for voice-led fiction, a hook you cannot put down and characters you’re excited to spend time with. She enjoys reading horror, romance, literary fiction and the occasional fantasy.
… and our incredible honorary chair
Photograph (c) Robin Christian
Louie Stowell
Louie Stowell worked in children’s publishing for 15 years before becoming a full-time writer. Her debut novel for children, THE DRAGON IN THE LIBRARY, came out in 2019, followed by two more in the series, THE MONSTER IN THE LAKE and THE WIZARD IN THE WOOD. In 2021 she published OTHERLAND, a middle grade novel (very) loosely based on Spenser’s Faerie Queene, with a touch of Queenie from Blackadder. Translated into 29 languages and counting, Louie’s bestselling and multi-award-winning LOKI: A BAD GOD’S GUIDE series began in 2022 and, if she has anything to do with it, will go on for many years. She also writes short stories and writes and draws comics. Louie lives in Hackney with her wife, Karen and a nameless creepy puppet that is probably cursed.