Fresher is a Bournemouth University press, run by staff and students from the Faculty of Media and Communication. We are fortunate to also be supported by an executive board made up of key figures in the publishing industry, including marketing managers, literary agents, and senior management.
The Executive Board
Edward Peppitt
Publisher and Consultant
Ed Peppitt is an experienced UK publisher, former Publishing Director at Letts, and consultant to leading publishers, including Hodder & Stoughton and Harper Collins. Ed runs regular publishing workshops, seminars and events, as well as self-publishing Masterclasses for the Guardian.
Madeleine Milburn
The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency was formed in 2012 and it has quickly become one of the top literary agencies in the UK. Madeleine Milburn represents a wide range of bestselling authors writing literary and popular fiction including crime and thrillers, psychological suspense, women’s fiction, comedy, romance, high-concept, children’s, Young Adult and crossover fiction. She represent authors based all around the world and has a reputation for growing writing careers internationally. She is proactively seeking upmarket adult fiction that has a strong talking point and is suitable for book club discussion; crime and thrillers and commercial fiction that combine fresh voices with memorable characters.
Madeleine has a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of St Andrews and started her career at a small independent publisher based in Berlin. She then established herself in foreign rights at the oldest Literary Agency in the UK. She later became the Head of Rights and Deputy MD of Children’s Books at the most commercial agency in the UK, handling the rights to three No.1 bestselling authors, and building a strong list of clients.
Francesca Main
Francesca is an Editorial director at Picador, where her authors include Jessie Burton, Naomi Wood, Mark Watson and Lottie Moggach. In 2015 she won Editor of the Year at the Bookseller Industry Awards.
Francesca has also worked in the editorial departments of Simon & Schuster and Penguin and has been a tutor for the Arvon Foundation and Singapore Writers Festival, among others. She grew up in Dorset and now lives in London.
Humfrey Hunter
Humfrey Hunter is the Publisher of Silvertail Books, an independent publisher which he founded in 2012. He is also a literary agent through his agency Hunter Profiles and occasional author and publishing consultant.
Silvertail publishes fiction and non-fiction, and its list so far includes books by award-winning BBC journalist John Sweeney (Elephant Moon and The Church of Fear), Terry Waite (The Voyage of The Golden Handshake) Pulitzer Prize-winner Lawrence Wright (Going Clear), and debut novelists Thomas W. Hodgkinson (Memoirs of a Stalker) and Dan Clements (what will remain).
As an agent Humfrey’s clients have included: Scott Mills, Matt Potter, Isabel Oakeshott, Kenny Dalglish, Calum Best, Nicholas Booth and PC David Rathband.
Ali Sparkes
Ali Sparkes is a children’s author, whose books include The Shapeshifter series, Out of this World (a prequel to The Shapeshifter and first released as Miganium), Unleashed (a spin-off/sequel series of The Shapeshifter, centred on some of the other Shapeshifter characters), Dark Summer, Frozen in Time, Wishful Thinking, Destination Earth, the Monster Makers series, and S.W.I.T.C.H. Her debut book The Shapeshifter: Finding the Fox was nominated for the 2007 Bolton Children’s Book Award. She has also won two Blue Peter awards: “Book I Couldn’t Put Down” and “Book Of The Year”, for her book Frozen in Time.
The Fresher Team
Emma Scattergood
Role: Editorial Director of Fresher Writing Anthologies, Fresher Writing Prize, Writing Wizardry Prize and Writing Witches.
Emma is an author and a senior lecturer at Bournemouth University, where she leads the new MA in Creative Writing & Publishing, and undergraduate Writing, Editing and Publishing units. A former journalist, she has written seven non-fiction books and one novel to date and has an MA in Creative & Critical Writing. She is now embarking on a phd. Emma particularly enjoys spotting and supporting new talent – when she is not out walking her border terrier on the beach.
Daniela Mela
Role: Digital Director
Having worked internationally for companies like eBay and Google since concluding her Master Degree studies, Daniela has become a specialist in digital design, web development, content management and social media. During the past years, Daniela kept developing WordPress systems to create websites and digital designs for international clients. Daniela is now Digital Director for the Fresher’s online presence.
Saeed Rashid
Role: Art Director
When not teaching layout and design at Bournemouth University, Saeed can be found submerged in his other passion – underwater photography. An award winning photographer, Saeed has made a name for himself as an expert in his chosen field, speaking at conferences and sharing his skills in workshops all over the world. Bringing his love for design to the Fresher brand, Saeed is the driving force behind the art direction for our publishing house.