Louise Austin

Louise Austin fell in love with stories from an early age, often sneaking a book into bed to find out what happened next. After studying law at Oxford, she spent over a decade as a corporate pensions lawyer before leaving the profession to focus on raising her three children, writing and fulfilling her dream of getting a puppy – Arya, a cavapoo comprised entirely of fluff and enthusiasm. Passionate about fostering a love of reading in children, Louise became chair of governors and a literacy link at her local school, and now works as a teaching assistant in Key Stage 2, where she delights in inspiring young readers and writers.

Louse’s journey as a writer began when she could no longer ignore the stories in her head. She honed her craft through courses with Write Mentor, learning from acclaimed authors and forming a supportive critique group. Her dedication paid off when she won a place on the Edit Your Novel the Professional Way course as a Bath Novel Awards longlistee and later became a 2024 SCBWI Undiscovered Voices winner. Represented by Becky Bagnell of Lindsay Literary Agency, Louse signed a pre-empt deal with Macmillan for her debut novel. She now balances her time between writing, working in schools and championing accessible, engaging books for young readers.

‘I loved the breadth of the Edit Your Novel course – it helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses and gave me new tools to improve my writing. As a discovery writer, it helped me to understand the narrative arc of my book and make adjustments to bring out the core elements to build tension and emotional resonance. The reading list and materials helped me to look at my writing through different lenses when editing – I still log on and use some of the materials when I’m working on manuscripts.

I really enjoyed the collaborative work with the other writers on the course; there was a fantastic mix of different stories, styles and skills, and I learned as much from giving feedback as I did from receiving it. One of my great struggles was identifying when to stop editing and get my work out there, and Kathryn gave me the confidence to know when to stop tinkering and press send. 

When you’re working on a manuscript it can be easy to lose yourself in that one piece of work. The best thing about this course is that it will not only improve the novel you’re working on, but will give you tools and skills that improve your writing craft for future projects too. It’s made me a better writer, a better critique partner and when I’m working with my editor, the fantastic Sarah Hughes, it’s helped me understand and better implement her editorial feedback ready for publication.’