about storymix
The Multi Award-Winning Inclusive Fiction Studio
Storymix creates original and high-concept series for children and teenagers with inclusive casts of characters. It was founded in 2019 by entrepreneur, editor, screenwriter and author Jasmine Richards, who is passionate about creating heroes for every child and creating stories where every child gets to be the hero. Storymix offers a springboard to racially-minoritized creators, and incubates talent by working collaboratively to produce fiction for children and teenagers to be sold directly to publishers.
Since Storymix’s launch in 2019, publishers have sold over 60,000 copies of titles starring our inclusive casts of characters, fantastic worlds and thrilling concepts. In 2021, Storymix won the Precious Awards Creative Business of the Year Award and in 2022 Storymix also won the FutureBook Start-up of the Year Award. In 2023, middle grade fiction title The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries written by J.T. Williams and published by Farshore was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
At Storymix, we help publishers meaningfully increase the number of inclusive titles they publish each year. Our stories allow young readers from racially-minoritised backgrounds to see themselves in books.
our story
Jasmine Richards, founder of Storymix
Jasmine has over 18 years experience in commissioning and editing fiction for children and teenagers. She started her career at Penguin and then worked as an editor for several years at fiction packager Working Partners where she developed concept proposals, and wrote storylines for many successful series including Beast Quest and Rainbow Magic. She later co-founded a writers development business called Book Bound and went on to set up and run the Creative Kitchen at Oxford University Press Children’s, where she worked with writers, illustrators, editors and designers to create commercial and compelling series fiction. Jasmine is also the author of over 15 books for children and has been a screenwriter on both Disney's PJ Masks and BBC's Jo Jo and Gran Gran. In 2023 Jasmine was shortlisted for Editor of the Year at the British Book Awards.
In 2018, Jasmine struggled to find chapter books with characters that looked like her 5 year son. She decided that she would use her background as an editor, writer, IP developer and entrepreneur to create a fiction production company that would change this. The idea for Storymix was born.
Within its first few years Storymix’s team has grown significantly and is made up of passionate and talented editors, storyliners, creatives and marketeers who help to deliver on its mission statement of inclusion, representation and entertainment. Storymix has sold 11 fiction series to publishers so far and has had 13 titles published, with many more in the works.
meet the team
Sara Grant
Talent Development Consultant
Writer, editor, lecturer and mentor Sara Grant consults part-time as Storymix’s talent manager. Dark Parties, her first YA novel, won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Europe. Publishers in the US, UK and Europe, including Scholastic, Little Brown and Orion, have published ten of Sara’s books for children/teens. She’s taught master’s courses on writing for children/teens at Goldsmiths University and the University of Winchester. She co-founded Undiscovered Voices – which has launched the writing careers of more than a hundred authors.
Ashley Thorpe
Senior Editor
Ashley’s role involves developing storylines and characters, writer outreach, and editing on Storymix projects. He’s worked across children’s fiction, and academic and educational publishing over a 15-year career. Ashley is also a fiction writer, shortlisted for Penguin Random House’s Write Now programme in 2017. His debut middle grade novel is expected in 2024. His favourite children’s book is currently Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas.
Irem Ozpullukcu
Editorial & Operations Assistant
After splitting her youth between London and Eskişehir, Irem read Law at Queen Mary, University of London. She joined Storymix via the Kickstart scheme in 2022 and has worked with them since. As Editorial and Operations Assistant, Irem manages administrative tasks and supports the editorial team across the Storymix list. Irem is the resident YA expert and writes fiction in her spare time.
Jayna Matharu
Marketing & Editorial Assistant
Jayna is an illustrator and writer with a background in children’s bookselling at Foyles and Waterstones. In 2020 she received the Mo Siewcharran Publisher’s Prize for her first picture book. At Storymix, Jayna leads the production of social media content and writes storylines for new book ideas. With a love of illustrated books and teen/YA fiction, she is passionate about inclusive literature and creating stories she would've loved as a child.
Stephanie King
Development Editorial Consultant
Stephanie is a dedicated editor with an approach that is professional and deeply author-focused. She studied English Literature at UCL, before embarking on a career in children's brand licensing, developing brand identities and copywriting. Stephanie spent 15 years at Usborne where she commissioned and edited an eclectic range of books for 7+ to YA. She is passionate about finding and nurturing talented children’s writers of colour, and committed to ensuring all children see themselves reflected in the books they love.
Clare Whitston
Storyliner and Editorial Consultant
Clare is a freelance editor with over twenty years’ experience in the children’s books publishing industry. As Senior Commissioning Editor at Oxford University Press, she was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award twice and shortlisted once. As a freelance editor, Clare works with a wide variety of children’s publishers such as Puffin, Hachette and Quarto. Clare specialises in helping publishers and writers create storylines, characters and worlds for new book ideas.
Sinead Gosai
PR & Marketing Consultant
Sinéad Gosai is a dynamic and creative PR Consultant with 18 years’ experience working in the media, not-for-profit and publishing industries. She has developed press strategies for international authors and bestsellers, created publicity campaigns for beloved children’s book creators, and managed busy press offices and teams across multiple organisations. At Storymix, Sinéad is in charge of publicity/marketing, author care and publisher relations.
Wendy Shakespeare
Editorial Management Consultant
Wendy Shakespeare worked at Puffin Books for the past sixteen years, where she was the Senior Editorial Manager, working with authors such as Malorie Blackman, Tom Fletcher, Adam Kay and Jill Murphy. She’s currently the schedule manager for Storymix, and firmly believes that all children should see themselves represented in the books they read. She loves fantasy books and her favourite author is Diana Wynne Jones.
Reyhana Ismail
Design Consultant
Reyhana is a designer and illustrator from Lancashire, UK, who works in children’s publishing and is represented by The Bright Agency. She particularly enjoys working with companies that encourage a love of reading through representation and inclusion, so considers it a wonderful opportunity to have been working with Storymix on a range of design projects. When she’s not working, Reyhana can be found reading historical fiction, baking beautiful cakes, or attempting to keep her garden in bloom.