Novels & novellas
Sustained narratives with purposeful structure, compelling characters and the imaginative confidence to reward close reading.
Programme 02
Fiction & literature
Distinctive novels and short-form writing with emotional reach, cultural depth and lasting literary value.
Stories with a strong sense of place—and the power to travel.
Literature shaped by voice, character and craft rather than fashion or formula.
This programme is for fiction that creates a convincing world and gives readers a reason to remain in it: work with emotional intelligence, narrative discipline and a memorable point of view.
We welcome the full imaginative range of literature. A story may be contemporary, historical or speculative; intimate or expansive. What matters is the integrity of the writing and the depth with which it understands its people, places and consequences.
What we publish
Short fiction & collections
Concentrated storytelling in individual pieces or coherent collections, with precision of language and emotional range.
Literature across cultures
Writing grounded in particular lives and traditions that remains open, intelligible and resonant for readers elsewhere.
Cultural specificity is a strength, not an obstacle.
We develop fiction without flattening its language, setting or social world for an imagined universal reader. Editorial work should clarify intention, strengthen narrative choices and protect the distinctive life of the manuscript.
- 01
VoiceLanguage and point of view with authority, distinction and internal consistency.
- 02
ArchitectureStructure, pace and scene shaped around the experience the story intends to create.
- 03
CharacterPeople rendered with complexity, agency and emotional truth.
- 04
AfterlifeA reading experience with enough substance to remain meaningful beyond publication season.
How selected work is developed
For commissioned or confirmed projects, editorial development is shaped around the work itself. These stages describe the questions and responsibilities that guide the process; they do not represent an open call for submissions.
- 01
Identify the narrative promise
Clarify the world, emotional experience and distinctive point of view the manuscript offers its reader.
- 02
Test structure and consequence
Examine pace, scene, chronology and the relationship between character choices and narrative outcomes.
- 03
Deepen voice and social world
Strengthen language, dialogue, setting and cultural detail without flattening the manuscript’s particular identity.
- 04
Prepare the work to travel
Develop the edition, positioning, rights information and adaptation possibilities around the integrity of the finished story.
What guides our decisions
- What experience does the story promise, and does every major choice serve it?
- Do characters possess agency, contradiction and consequences of their own?
- Is the setting fully lived rather than treated as explanation or decoration?
- What will remain with the reader after the final page?
Readers, formats & rights
Who we publish for
- Readers of literary and contemporary fiction
- African and diaspora readers
- Libraries, book groups and cultural programmes
- Translation and adaptation partners
How the work may travel
- Paperback, hardcover and ebook
- Audio editions where appropriate
- Translation and territorial rights
- Dramatic, screen and performance adaptation
Availability is confirmed title by title. No format or right is offered until Leone Connect Publishing identifies it as available in writing.
Professional enquiries are welcome.
Confirmed publications and availability are listed in the catalogue. Use the relevant form for rights, education, media, partnership or other programme questions. Unsolicited manuscripts, proposals, sample chapters and creative attachments are not accepted.
Explore related publishing areas
Each area has a distinct editorial focus, while ideas, audiences and formats can move between them. Explore the three related areas below or return to the complete programme.