Jenn Ashworth

Taking a lot from my reading, which has skittered about recently.

Slowly working through the stories of John Cheever – and after being sidetracked by Flannery O’Connor and some musings on redemptive acts of violence and the grotesque – was reminded today by Amber Paulen at Descripted Lines to go back to him.

Recently finished The Turning by Tim Winton – an author I’m ashamed to say I’d never heard of before this collection was recommended to me by a new friend. Lots of broken, scarred and hurting bodies in this one too. And much more. Am reminded, again, of what a deep well the teenage years and the homes you had during them is for a writer. As if I’d forgotten.

I am half way through On Writing Fiction: Rethinking Conventional Wisdom About The Craft by David Jauss. (In America it is called, slightly more pleasingly – Alone With All That Can Happen) A book to get your teeth into – and to disagree with – certainly. (Does that make me conventionally wise? I can only aspire to it…) Best essay on point of view I have read in a while – Jauss reminds us of what it is easy to forget, which is that point of view is about distance and not person. Apparently he’s also brilliant on present tense and epiphanies, so will look forward to that.

I don’t need to write it on a post-it – I carry that quotation from JCO around in my head with me – about her soul being as thin as a playing card, and the reading, the writing, restoring it. I have been washed out, finishing that novel. And the work it needs isn’t done yet. But it’s all there. Short stories have been bringing me back to myself and I have even been writing them.

The Lancashire Writing Hub has recently published two reviews – one of Cold Light by John Rutter, and one of A Kind of Intimacy by Daisy Baldwin.

Learn This Phrase has also reviewed both books recently – A Kind of Intimacy here, and Cold Light here.

It is really great to see both books still being read and reviewed once the initial flurry of responses in the aftermath of publication day has settled down – I know reviewing is more time consuming and tricker than it looks, so thanks, everyone. Really appreciate it.

I’ve been a bit crap at keeping up on twitter – so if you’ve recently followed me and I’ve not followed back, give me a shout and I will sort it out. I’ve been up to my eyeballs in the third novel and other things, like washing and tweeting, have had to go. Normal-ish bleating will resume soon.

I’m going to be at Lancaster Library next week to help celebrate Lancashire Day – details below. To book a ticket, contact the library here.

Jenn Ashworth is a Preston born novelist – her first novel, A Kind Of Intimacy, was published in 2009 and won a Betty Trask award. Her second, Cold Light, came out earlier this year. Both books have been published in Europe and the US and shortlisted for a number of awards.

Jenn is also an award winning blogger and has appeared at literature festivals and events across the country. All her fiction is set in Lancashire, and during this event she’ll read from her own work, which has been critically acclaimed for its striking sense of time and place, and talk about how Lancashire has shaped her work and how her writing has shaped her sense of Lancashire.

Where: Lancaster Library, Market Square, Lancaster, LA1 1HY

When: Tuesday 22 November at 7pm

Tickets: £2 including refreshments and £1 off a copy of one of Jenn’s books.

This Saturday Sarah Hymas and I will be in Birmingham for the Writers’ Toolkit 2011 Conference, run by Writing West Midlands. We’ll have our Writing Smithy hats on, talking about editing, mentoring, process and career for prose writers and poets – though of course our writing hats are never far away (I’m getting confused too – bear with me) so no doubt the conversations will be wide ranging.

I’ve attended the Writers’ Toolkit before – both as panel member and a participant – the things I learned and people I met at them were instrumental in me having the nerve to jack in my job and be a full time writer – so it is well worth going.

You can find out more details about booking arrangements and the sessions available here. You can read the Writing Smithy blog here.

Jenn (that’s me) will be reading from and speaking about her work as a writer and award winning blogger at the Equator Arts Cafe, Wednesday 26th October @ 7pm. Hosted by the Harvest Preston Creative Community.

Free Entry, limited space.

The facebook page for the event is here.

The Harvest Preston Creative Community can be found here – for creative Prestonians of all types.

There might never be a better time for a novel that gives voice to Kenneth Clarke’s “feral underclass”. Made in Britain introduces us to three young people on the brink of adult life, each desperate to escape from the depressed east Lancashire town where the book is set. These are troubled teenagers; victims of a society they are powerless to influence and who, in turn, mete out petty and not so petty injustices to the world that made them…

Here’s the latest review I wrote for The Guardian – on Gavin James Bower’s Made in Britain.

Here’s an interview I did with Lucy Suttle at the Birmingham Book Festival blog. Cold Light is the official BBF book this year, which is brilliantly exciting.

I’ll be at the festival on the 16th October, reading and talking and doing my thing. Here’s the link for the event, where you can find out more and buy tickets.

As nicked from the Cheshire East Council’s library pages:

On Saturday 24th September Cheshire East Libraries, in conjunction with Time to Read, are holding a Readers and Writers Day at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe. The theme for the day is bringing books to life and there will be a panel of bestselling authors, workshops, discussion, books to buy and book signing, and a prize draw – all Chaired by former Cheshire Poet Laureate, Jo Bell.

The author panel will include Manchester-based Cath Staincliffe, author of the Sal Kilkenny mysteries and writer of the Blue Murder TV series; S J Watson, whose haunting debut novel, Before I go to Sleep, has been highly acclaimed; Jenn Ashworth, whose first novel, A Kind of Intimacy, won a Betty Trask Award and Nigel Cawthorne, author of over eighty books, most recently A Brief History of Sherlock Holmes.
Michael Schmidt OBE FRSL, Professor of Poetry and convener of the Creative Writing programme in the Department of English, University of Glasgow and founder and editorial and managing director of Carcanet Press Ltd, will lead an after lunch debate. Michael is also general editor of PN Review.

Bringing books to life aims to cover various aspects of realising a book – from concept to finished product, whether as the printed word, electronic publication, translation or film. There should be something for everyone who loves reading and writing, as we explore bringing books to life in the beautiful Edwardian setting of the Lyceum Theatre in its centenary year. For full programme details download the Bringing Books to Life leaflet (PDF 956KB).

The day starts at 10.45am and closes at 4.30pm and tickets cost £18.00. Lunch and afternoon tea will be provided. To book please contact the Lyceum Theatre box office on 01270 537333.

On Wednesday 31st August at 6pm I will be in Preston Waterstones discussing Cold Light with the book group.

I don’t know if any bookish Prestonians read this blog, but if you do, and you’re free on Wednesday, and you’d like to chat about the book with us, come along!

There are some discussion prompts for reading groups here. But really, we get to talk about whatever we like.

Freestyle conversation. Books. Preston. Brill!

Today at 1pm I will be on the John Gilmore Show on BBC Radio Lancashire.

This will be the second time I’ve been on the radio. The last time, about three years ago, I confessed, live on air, to liking Will Young. I have no idea why I did that, because I don’t. Well, I don’t dislike him. I just don’t know all that much about him. Will Young and I are not *like that*. We’re actually strangers. You can see why I’ve avoided radio since then.

Tune in to listen to more of my anxiety filled fictional confessions this afternoon.