Alumni news
Sussex mentoring stories: Angus and Lisa
By: APRIL WILSON
Last updated: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Left: Mentee Angus Simpson. Right: Mentor Lisa Fransson.
Recent graduate Angus Simpson and alumna Lisa Fransson (Russian and Linguistics 1995) began their mentoring relationship during the 2024/25 Global Mentoring Programme.
Lisa started studying a BA in Russian and Linguistics at Sussex in autumn 1995 as a mature student. After completing her course, she began working as a technical translator. In between her translation projects and raising three children, she managed to find moments to write and has published books for children in Swedish and also recently published a novel for adults in English.
Angus studied an MA in Law at Sussex, graduating in 2024. He applied for the Global Mentoring Programme for some guidance on his dream – becoming an author.
Angus and Lisa met in person throughout the programme and Angus said that his recent writing achievements under Lisa’s guidance “felt attainable in a way they didn't necessarily before”. As a mentor, Lisa signed up to the programme because she wanted to share her “hard-earned experience and…make the journey easier for someone else”.
What made you apply for the mentoring programme?
Angus: “I applied the previous year, and I think I was too broad in my search. When I reapplied, I had to choose between seeking a mentor in law, or a mentor for my deeper passion, which is writing. I thought this would be more a gamble — but I also had nothing to lose.”
Lisa: “I had been wanting to mentor a young writer for a few years. Knowing how hard it is as an author to navigate the industry and to keep going in the face of rejection I wanted to share my hard-earned experience and so make the journey easier for someone else.”
“Through this mentoring relationship I have learned as much as I have shared.”
Lisa Fransson (Russian and Linguistics 1995)
What have you gained from your mentoring relationship?
Angus: “So many things! On the craft of writing, I have learned a lot from Lisa through us exchanging writing samples and reading and discussing them together. We have very different styles and it has been really fruitful bringing that together.
“I also learned the world of ‘being a writer’. Lisa went to a lot of trouble, for which I am very grateful, of plugging me into the literary world through joining her at events, meeting other local writers, and connecting me with bigger organisations. All this also requires a bit of confidence, and she helped me achieve more confidence in my writing. Relatedly, Lisa's experience with the publishing world in the commercial sense (getting an agent and seeking a publisher) has been completely invaluable as this always seems arcane from the outside. Speaking to someone who has been through this process humanises and normalises what is quite a daunting prospect.
“In my everyday life, I have gained more discipline, balance and realism. Whilst I have been Lisa's mentee, I have taken on two writing jobs (a videogame narrative designer and a legal journalist) and sold two short stories. Plus, for the first time, I have completely edited an entire novel manuscript in a logical, structured, and promising way. Under her guidance these achievements have felt attainable in a way they didn't necessarily before.”
Lisa: “I was apprehensive at first, as I always am with time commitment, but through this mentoring relationship I have learned as much as I have shared. Specifically, I gained confidence in my own knowledge and skills. It was useful to for me to realise exactly how much I know. I also found that after each meeting I came back re-energised. My mentee is enthusiastic and ambitious, and this enthusiasm and ambition fuelled my own.”
What would you say to someone considering a mentoring relationship?
Angus: “Do it. And don't just do it for an industry you feel like you ‘should’ seek a mentor for. I've no doubt if I had a mentor for a career as a barrister I would have gained a lot from it too, but this is an opportunity to seek some support for whatever you are curious about. There are a wealth of helpful, wonderful people out there and this programme helps to bridge what can often seem like a yawning gap.”
Lisa: “For those worried about the time commitment, my experience was that the time spent was time earned. The goals I set for my mentee clarified my own goals and made me work harder towards them, and to see my own writing life broken down and structured for someone else’s benefit helped me enormously in seeing where I want to go next in my author career.”
“The best way to get the most out of a mentoring relationship for you and also for your mentor is for you both to know where you stand and what you want.”
Angus Simpson (Law 2023)
Do you have any advice for recent graduates and students thinking of approaching a mentor?
Angus: “Be yourself – by which I mean be sincere. You don't need to flex what you can do nor be embarrassed about what you can't. The best way to get the most out of a mentoring relationship for you and also for your mentor is for you both to know where you stand and what you want. So that might mean clear goals, but it has to mean a clear starting point.
Lisa: “The most important thing is to choose the path you have a passion for. If you can enter the mentoring relationship with enthusiasm then much can be achieved in a year.”
While Angus and Lisa met through the mentoring programme, you don’t need the University to organise mentoring relationships on your behalf. You can find your own mentor on Sussex Connect. Simply create an account, search for alumni already in the industry you’re interested in and send them a message. Make sure to look out for those who say they are ‘Willing to help’ in their profile.