Your writing mentor, Holly Race
About Holly
Holly is a bestselling fantasy author and former script editor for film and television. The first novel in her Tudor-inspired adult fantasy trilogy, SIX WILD CROWNS, was published in 2025 and became an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Its sequel, SIX SAVAGE THRONES, came out in 2026. Her YA urban fantasy trilogy MIDNIGHT’S TWINS was published by Hot Key in 2020-2022 and was long- and short-listed for several awards. Her YA gothic fantasy UNFORTUNATE CREATURES, inspired by both Frankenstein and Mary Shelley, will be published in March 2027 by Hodderscape, with a further gothic fantasy to follow in 2028. Her work has been published in multiple languages, including Spanish, French and Portuguese.
She is a Royal Literary Fund fellow and has taught creative writing for several institutions including Cambridge University. Prior to becoming an author, Holly worked in script editorial for companies such as Aardman Animations and Working Title Films, and on shows such as Death in Paradise. You can find her on Instagram at @hollyracebooks.
Write your novel alongside Holly
Write a publishable novel on our bestselling Ultimate Novel Writing Programme. From initial idea to finished draft, you’ll work closely with your dedicated tutor, Holly, receiving more one-to-one coaching and support than any other course.
Why Holly loves mentoring
One of the great joys of my career as a script editor was discovering and fostering new, exciting talent. Spotting the spark of a great idea or a unique authorial voice is exhilarating, and there’s little more rewarding than playing a part in helping a writer grow and improve their skills.
I am obsessive about the nitty-gritty craft of writing, and I will often use passages of texts and even scenes from films or TV shows to help you interrogate how to build an effective scene or demonstrate a character’s journey.
First and foremost, though, I will listen to what you want to achieve with our time together. If your end goal is a traditional publishing deal, then we might talk more about hooks, comps and commercial potential, and how to shape your story through those lenses without sacrificing the elements that made you fall in love with your novel in the first place. If, however, you’re more focused on a particular area of writing, such as character arcs or story structure, then I’ll break out my toolbox of methods and we can see which one/s appeal to you. I am passionate about helping authors on their own terms – we’re all different, and there’s no point in pushing a particular method on you if that’s not the way your brain works.
As a fantasy author, I am most interested in working in that genre, from historical through to urban fantasy through to gothic/horror-adjacent, although I am also more than happy to help with historical fiction which comes, after all, with its own world-building challenges!
Why we love Holly
At Jericho Writers, we’re a team of authors, just like you. Four of us are published by the Big 5, while others are deep in the writing process, honing our craft alongside the writers we support. We work with expert book coaches and carefully chosen mentors, selected for their ability to guide writers through every stage of their journey. It’s this approach that has helped countless authors launch their careers, sign with top literary agents, and even become Sunday Times Bestsellers.
Holly’s perspective from starting in script editorial before becoming a bestselling fantasy author makes her uniquely positioned to support writers with crafting rich, visual worlds and dynamic scenes. We love Holly’s tailored approach to mentoring, striving to meet every mentee’s learning style, and are excited to connect her with fantasy and historical writers.
