First Pages Panel

*A reminder you must have booked a Basic Ticket before booking this session.

Maddy Belton is an Associate Agent working closely with Chloe Seager while building a list across children’s fiction and non-fiction and adult sci-fi and fantasy.

After graduating from St Andrews University with a degree in English Literature and Art History, Maddy followed her love of literature to an internship at non-fiction literary agency Graham Maw Christie.  At GMC, Maddy worked her way up to Agent and built a list of authors who wrote for both for adults and children, spanning history, tarot, and nature writing. An avid reader of anything magical, Maddy joined Madeline Milburn in 2022 to build a list specialising in SFF.

Saffron Dodd joined the ASH Literary team in 2022 as agency assistant and was promoted to Associate Agent in 2023. She has a background in media and communications and has most recently worked for a children’s education charity. She has always loved reading books for children and young adults, and is currently doing a Masters in Children’s Literature. Saffron is extremely passionate about highlighting and supporting diverse voices in publishing.

Tom Bonnick Editorial Director at HarperCollins Children’s Books

Aisha Bushby was born in Bahrain and has lived in Kuwait, England and Canada. Now she mostly lives in the worlds of her children’s books. Aisha was a contributing author in the Stripes anthology for BAME writers, A Change is Gonna Come, alongside writers including Patrice Lawrence, Tanya Byrne and Nikesh Shukla. The anthology was awarded a YA Book Prize Special Achievement Award. Aisha’s debut novel A Pocketful of Stars was longlisted for the Carnegie medal and shortlisted for the Branford Boase award. Aisha’s books are always full of heart and have a sprinkling of magic in them.