Novelists, get your pitch on at the International Literature Festival

Aspiring authors with a book burning a hole in their desk drawer might want to take note of this latest literary event. (This opening sentence is a bit tortured; lose the clichés.)

The International Literature Festival (formerly the Dublin Writers Festival) is hosting a meet-the-agent event, when selected writers will pitch their work to five leading literary agents. (Break this sentence into two. Keep it concise.)

Prospective authors are asked to submit the first 1,500 words (fiction or non-fiction) in hard copy, with a 1,000-word synopsis and a 500-word author biography. Submissions will be assessed by literary scout Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin and her colleagues in the Inkwell Group. Each submission costs €10 and the successful applicants will get a meeting with an agent to pitch their work and get professional feedback and advice. (Plenty of technical advice here; be wary of losing the reader.)

Among those taking part are Simon Trewin of WME London, and Polly Nolan from the Greenhouse Literary Agency. The closing date for submissions is March 18th and those selected will be notified by April 7th. (We need more depth on these characters: what are their motivations?)

The event is part of a day-long Getting Published Conference, which takes place on May 28th. It will cover all aspects of getting published, as well as a section on writing for television. Tickets are €50. For more , see ilfdublin.com. (Ending needs more punch; also, leave it open to a sequel, especially seeing as we haven't negotiated the film rights yet.)