International Publishing Fellowship

Susan Curtis is the Founding Director of Istros Books, an independent publisher of contemporary literature from South East Europe, based in Bloomsbury, London. Istros Books was set up in 2011 to showcase the very best of literature - both fiction and non-fiction- from the Balkan region to a new audience of English speakers, bringing the best of European writing through quality translation. Also a poet and translator, Susan has lived for periods in Belgium, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, working with refugees and in schools.

Susan will be heading to the Sharjah Publishers Conference.

A corporate crossover with experience launching innovative publishing solutions, Gersy Ifeanyi Ejimofo is passionate about fostering partnerships that nurture dialogue across cultures and disciplines. Deeply inspired by the legacy of the Heinemann African Writers Series, she founded DAS Editions to curate a publishing programme that is just as bold – a new series that will seek to preserve the legacies of canonical African writers whose works remain the building blocks of African literature, while showcasing contemporary literary voices at the intersection of Africa and rest of the world. A bridge between the past and the present, the continent and the diaspora and an invitation to readers and scholars alike to Discover Africa’s Stories not as isolated narratives but as sustained, interconnected voices that continue to shape our understanding of culture and society today.

Gersy will be heading to the Sharjah Publishers Conference.

Graduating with a degree in English from Sussex University, which included an exchange programme to Rutgers University in the United States, Natalie Jerome has worked as a Publisher and Acquiring Editor for some of the UK’s most prominent publishing houses, including Penguin Random House, Pan Macmillan and HarperCollins. Natalie specialises in commercial Non-Fiction and commissioned and published books by a host of high-profile names and bestsellers. She made the move across to literary agenting in 2020 and, in her first 12 months as an agent, she was shortlisted as Literary Agent of the Year at the 2021 British Book Awards. One of the few black Publishers in the UK, Natalie has worked to improve diversity within the industry. She is the former Deputy Chair of Literature Wales, and in November 2021, helped secure a £5 million investment from the Welsh government for books for schools in Wales. She is a founding trustee and board member for Creative Access – a mentoring and graduate trainee scheme for black and minority ethnic candidates looking for paid internships across the media sector. In 2016, Natalie was highly commended for her work at the National Business in the Community Race Equality Awards. She founded Originate Literary Agency in 2023, the first literary agency to open in Wales.

Natalie will be heading to the Sharjah Publishers Conference.

Eric Lane studied foreign languages at university and then law. In 1983, he founded Dedalus with his wife and four others and has run Dedalus ever since. In recent years Dedalus has been widening its translation list and specialises in publishing books from small linguistic areas and from countries where little has been translated into English.

Eric will be heading to the Sharjah Publishers Conference.

Julianna Asamoa-Krodua is the Founder and Creative Director of Krodua Publishing Agency, dedicated to amplifying African voices through editing, ghost-writing and digital publishing. Her work bridges traditional and digital markets, fostering literary innovation, youth empowerment and global collaboration across education, storytelling and creative enterprise.

Julianna will be heading to the FutureBook Conference.

Nuka Gambashidze is a publishing manager and rights representative at Sulakauri Publishing in Tbilisi. She is passionate about sharing stories and the connecting power of literature in translation. Nuka holds an MA in comparative literature and is pursuing a PhD. She managed the Tbilisi International Festival of Literature and curated various literary projects.

Nuka will be heading to the FutureBook Conference.

Mehr F. Husain is a journalist, author, publisher and sustainability advocate based in Lahore. She is the founder of ZUKA Books – a publishing platform that champions authors’ rights, ethical publishing practices and freedom of creative expression. In 2021, Mehr was shortlisted for the UN Women Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles Award and she is Pakistan’s first sustainability advocate appointed by the Swarovski Foundation’s Creatives For Our Future program. In 2023, she made history as the first female Pakistani shortlisted nominee for the IPA Prix Voltaire, which recognises exceptional courage in defending freedom to publish. Her work bridges culture, sustainability and social impact. Mehr has served as Director at Pakistan’s National History Museum and continues to lead initiatives that promote gender equity and sustainability across creative and cultural industries. She is the author of Pakistan: A Fashionable History.

Mehr will be heading to the FutureBook Conference.

Crystal is the co-founder and Publishing Director of Scribe House Uganda, a publishing agency dedicated to producing high-quality books for global readers. A Commonwealth Scholar in Publishing Studies and with over 15 years’ experience in editing, writing, and publishing, she champions inspiring African stories and sustainable publishing models. 

Crystal will be heading to the FutureBook Conference.

Svitlana Stretovych is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Stretovych Publishing, holding a PhD in Social Communications. She has been working in the publishing industry for over 10 years. As editor-in-chief, she has published over 70 books. She is the author of the children’s book The Bear Travels to the Carpathians, published in Ukrainian and Slovak.

Svitlana will be heading to the FutureBook Conference.

Selina Zigomo is a Zimbabwean self-publishing strategist and communications professional with twenty years’ experience across branding, corporate communications and the NGO sector. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Rhodes University, South Africa. Through Ngano Content Creatives, she has brought over 35 publications to print, Amazon and Akello Library. She has also curated social dialogue platforms, including TEDx Harare events and the SoCreative Hubs Summit. Selina co-produced and hosted four seasons of the Thando Channel Book Club, interviewing over 50 female African authors and curating and co-producing the Business of Books Annual conferences, advancing literature across Southern Africa. 

Selina will be heading to the FutureBook Conference.

Ruby Hembrom is an Adivasi (Indigenous from India) publisher, cultural documentarian and practitioner. She is the founder of adivaani (first voices) which started in July 2012 as a non-profit organization. She is the writer of adivaani’s Santal Creation Stories for Children, a recast of the Santal Creation narratives in English, and the prize-winning Disaibon Hul on the Santal Rebellion of 1855. Her publishing initiative, with a list of 19 books, grew out of a need to claim Adivasi’s stake in historical and contemporary, social, cultural and literary spaces and as peoples. Her advocacy and discourse making engagement through publishing, knowledge production and reproduction, spills into other allied areas of campaigning and movement building for Adivasis. 

Ruby will be heading to the Jaipur BookMark / London Book Fair.

Harriet Hirshman is the publishing manager at Dead Ink Books in Liverpool where she commissions and edits titles and manages production and rights. Her authors include Adam S. Leslie, Jordan Prosser, Alice Evelyn Yang, Matt Hill, Tess Sharpe, Micheliny Verunschk and Gerardo Sámano Cordova. She has recently been shortlisted for Future Leader of the year at the FutureBook Awards.

Harriet will be heading to the Jaipur BookMark / London Book Fair.

Five UK publishers and agents will participate in a bespoke programme at the Sharjah Publishers Conference (2-4 November 2025), in partnership with the Sharjah Book Authority. Held just before Sharjah International Book Fair, the Publishers Conference attracts leading rights professionals from over 100 countries. 

The fellows will have access to seminars on global publishing trends, matchmaking sessions and networking opportunities, allowing participants to explore new markets and establish valuable connections in the Arab and global publishing industries. 

We provide six international fellows the opportunity to attend FutureBook (1 December 2025), in partnership with The Bookseller. FutureBook is the UK’s leading conference focused on leadership and innovation in the publishing sector. 

This is part of a week-long programme of activities in Manchester and London, designed to foster professional exchange for the fellows. They will engage in curated meetings and roundtable discussions with UK publishing leaders, tailored to their areas of interest: digital innovation, business models, co-editions, marketing, translations and more.

The India-UK Publishing Fellowship is a collaboration between us at the British Council and Jaipur BookMark and provides an opportunity for independent publishers to gain international exposure. 

Fellows will foster international connections by attending the Jaipur BookMark (15-19 January 2026) and the London Book Fair (10-12 March 2026). They will explore new markets for books and strengthen collaborations between the UK and India.