Aliya Ali-Afzal

Aliya Ali-Afzal’s debut novel sold at a multiple publisher auction in the UK and as a pre-empt in the USA.  Her novel ‘Would I Lie To You?’ has received praise from bestselling authors such as Adele Parks, Sophie Kinsella, Clare Mackintosh and Stacey Halls and Cosmopolitan calls Aliya a ‘refreshing new voice in commercial fiction.’

Aliya is an Alum of the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course and is exploring her creative practice on the MA Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her work has been longlisted for the Bath Novel Award, The Mslexia Novel Award, The Primadonna Prize and The Mo Prize Hachette UK.

Aliya has been providing one-to-one feedback and mentoring via email, virtually and in person, for several years to members of her writing group and on the Master’s degree. As a mental toughness and life coach for over 20 years, Aliya uses this experience to also help writers stay positive and resilient.

Specialises in: Contemporary fiction, crime and thriller, upmarket and book club fiction.

Aliya provides tuition for our Mentoring Service.

I am passionate about mentoring because I’ve been lucky enough to get mentoring myself. Getting targeted and tailored feedback helped me to improve my work, view it more objectively and so develop it further, and also gave me much needed moral support.

Writing a novel is a mammoth project that can take years to complete and there are so many elements to consider, such as character development, plot, language, pacing, setting, dialogue, tension. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and a mentor’s input can help pinpoint areas for improvement and also reassure you that something is working well.

Once we’ve discussed what kind of help you need, I draw up a practical plan of action with you and provide clear and honest feedback. I’ve been lucky enough to get editorial feedback from my literary agent Juliet Mushens. I learnt a lot from her about what makes a novel stand out and be ready for the market. I also use my 20 years experience as a resilience coach, as part of my mentoring. This can be a tough business and it’s important to stay positive and motivated!