Magic in Morecambe Bay – Jenn Ashworth

 

Jenn Ashworth is publishing her fourth novel, a Magic Realism inspired piece called Fell and I couldn’t be happier because that meant I had the chance to interview her! I have loved Jenn’s writing since always. She ventures to places people normally prefer to ignore, and she talks about characters that society condemns. And she’s dark, and funny, and engaging. And her female characters are always exquisite and realist – and I take my hat to that, because it’s not the norm, either.

What can I tell you so you go and buy Fell? Well, it’s not an easy reading. The story is dark, and full of desolation. But in life, there is not always happiness and daffodils, and we need that other dark half, too. 

Illness, death, resurrection, magic and sycamores…. Fell has all that and a beautiful cover. And it’s set in Morecambe bay, which means that if you want to visit the original place of the novel you can always come, say hi and I’ll show you around!

Finally,  Jenn Ashworth is not only a writer who will pull you into any of her stories but also a very inspiring artist. Since I know her – and also got the privilege of doing my PhD with her – I have been marvelled at how passionate she’s about the craft but how seriously she takes it too. In a world where many people think writing is just a side hobby or a privilege job for a few chosen ones, Jenn proves that is possible to live on it – while being an extraordinarily prolific writer, a enthusiastic professor and having always the time to be launching exciting writing projects such as Curious Tales!

 

 

What can you find in this interview?

– Writing habits.

-Writing genre and realistic fiction.

-Publishing and promoting your work.

-Writing about Lancashire and the North.

 

 

Texts Read:

– Fell (Novel).

 

Do you want to know more about Jenn Ashworth?

-Check out her website.

-Check out her twitter.

-Check out her own publishing house that she launched along with other writers, Curious Tales! (They publish the most beautiful and unsettling ghost stories, perfect to give as a Christmas gift for very special people.)

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel, and the founder of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Jenn Ashworth. She was our Creative Writing tutor when we – Teresa and me – were doing the MA at Lancaster University and she inspired us a lot. We are always waiting for your new books and hope you bring us many more!

 

 

The Navaho Influence: Dennison Smith

‘I still think in terms of the theathre far more often than I think in terms of the written word.’

I first met Dennison Smith when she came to the Northwest Literary Salon last February. When she read an extract of her book, The Eye of the Day, I was completely hooked. Characters and settings appeared directly into the room through words that were both, beautiful and disturbing. (If you are curious, she’s reading exactly the same bit in her interview!)

When Dennison Smith  was in her twenties, she hitchhiked in US and was finally welcomed by a Navaho family. This period in her life has vastly influenced her art . She has published several books that include both poetry and prose, she has worked in drama as author and director, she has done a PhD in Creative Writing in the University of East Anglia and recently opened an art gallery in London, The Baldwin Gallery, which –among others– promotes the work of indigenous artists from North America.

 

What can you find in this interview?

-Writing and yoga.

-Theatre.

-Memoir.

-Publishing and getting an agent.

-Studying Creative Writing.

 

Text read in this interview:

–An extract from The Eye of the Day.

 

Do you want to know more about Dennison Smith?

-Check out her webpage.

-Check out her publications.

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Dennison Smith. Your literary journey is truly inspiring and we wish you all all the best luck with your new art gallery!

 

Writer and Performer: Elizabeth Hare

‘I always had this gift of being able to read well aloud, and one of the things I really enjoy is the oportunity to do open mic… it’s usually worth it.’

Elizabeth Hare was born in the South of England but has been living in Lancashire since 1980. She has done drama, teaching Creative Writing for the Open University, performing poetry… and even Sci-Fi books for children, the project she’s currently working on.

Elizabeth is a passionate person who encourages any aspiring writer to get out and share their work. She’s part of the Brewery Poets in Kendal and the writers’ group from Lancaster. ‘Even if you don’t write too much, you have preassure on you to do something for the group… you preassure yourself.’  Her webpage is always full of useful tips and interesting information about literature.

What can you find in this interview?

-Studying and teaching drama.

-Teaching CW for the Open University.

-Publishing poetry.

-Performing poetry and doing literary readings.

 

Poems read in this interview:

–1962

–Visiting The British Museum

–You Can Do Shakespeare with These Kids

 

Do you want to know more about Elizabeth Hare?

-Check out her webpage.

-Check out her publications.

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Elizabeth Hare, who has share with us all her expertise and valuable tips! We are looking to read your sci-fi novel soon!

The Harpist Writer: Beth Cortese

‘With the creative writing I don’t have the fear of the blank page… I like to write…  I’d just get something done and then I go from there…’

Beth is English Literature PhD student, author of two children novels, poetry performer harpist player… and she’s not even 25! She started writing children’s fiction when she was still in highschool, and her prose is fresh and original (listen to her reading in this podcast and you’ll see what I mean!)

Her books Buttercup and her Many-Legged Friends and The Sharson Chronicles have been published by Rowanvale Books, funded by alumni from Lancaster Universty. Beth’s books can be enjoyed by kids and adults equally – and they are specially good if you, as I do, are deadly scared of hairy spiders and wasps…

What can you find in this interview?

-Doing undergraduate Creative Writing moudules

-Life of a English Literature PhD student.

-Performing poetry and doing literary readings.

-Working with an independant publiser like Rowanvale Books.

 

Do you want to know more about Beth Cortese?

-Check out her books in Amazon.

 

Text read:

And extract from The Sharson Chronicles.

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Beth Cortese, who is my PhD pal and also an extremely talented writer. We hope you keep publishing and succeeding in both your creative and academic career!

The Renasssaince Writer – Rachel McCarthy

‘We need the specialisations, but we could do with more cross-fertilisation between humanities and the arts.’

Rachel McCarthy has succeed in two fields that some consider the complete opposite: Science and Art. She’s a climate scientist and also a poet whose first pamphlet – Element – was praised  by the Laureate poet Carol Duffy. So for those who claim for an education that divides arts and sciences from a very early stage… this is an example of what people can be when they don’t have to decide between one and the other!

‘Writing is a very solitary act…to bear your soul on a piece of paper… and then stand up present it to everyone is kind of one of those nightmares.’

Rachel knows a lot about showing her art and performing in front of an audience, too. She co-hosted a radio programme when she was a university student and has been director of the Exeter Poetry Festival on 2013.

What can you find in this interview?

-Mixing Art and Science.

-Publishing a poetry pamphlet.

-Literature and Climate Change.

-Balancing work and writing.

-Engaging with the literary community.

 

Do you want to know more about Rachel McCarthy?

-Check out her webpage.

-Check out her poetry pamphlet Element.

 

Text read:

Two poems from Element (poetry pamphlet).

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Rachel McCarthy who we had the pleasure to meet in the January Northwest Literary Salon at Lancaster. We loved your reading and became instantlly fascinated with your mixture of literature and science. We wish you the very best in your two careers!

The Horrors of Morecambe – Andrew Michael Hurley

‘I think any place like Morcambe, so full of contraditions,  is interesting for a writer…’

Did you hever heard about this town facing a myterious bay in which the sea appears and disappears as quick as lightning? People love or hate Morecambe Bay, but since Lancastrian author Andrew M Hurley chose it as a scenery for his disturbing Gothic novel the place – and its unique imaginery – will be immortal forever.

Andrew has one of this inspiring stories aspiring writers like to hear. One day he was working as a librarian while writing a novel, next day he published it with a small publishing press, and the day after that the novel was bought by a John Murray imprint and won the Costa First Novel Award (in 2015).

But what people forget is that behind all this success there are years and years of endurance, writing, two books of short stories, an MA in Creative Writing and much effort… Listen to the interview for the full story!

And don’t forget Andrew’s final advice…

‘Don’t give up and always trust your own voice’.

What can you find in this interview?

-Doing a Creative Writing MA.

-Publishing with a small press. (Tartarus Press).

-Gothic.

-Teaching CW.

-Finding an agent.

Do you want to know more about Andrew M Hurley?

-Check out his fantastic novel The Loney. It has a brilliant ending, I promise! And, apparently, it’s the first part of a trilogy of Gothic novels set in the Lancashire area…

-Check out his Wikipedia page.

-Check out his collections of short stories Cages and Other Stories, 2006, ISBN 9781411699021, and The Unusual Death of Julie Christie and Other Stories, 2008, ISBN 9780955981401

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. Also, to Jenn Ashworth, who helped us get this wonderful interview. And, of course, to Andrew Michael Hurley, who was very kind an accesible. A true inspiration for writers and – specially – fans of Gothic literature!  We wish you the very best with your next novels.

 

 

 

Travelling through words and form: Maggie How

‘Creative Writing can certainly be learnt… we learn by doing it.’

Maggie How is a Lake District born author. She studied Interior Design and, by the end of her degree, her professor was already advising her to focus in writing about Design rather than designing itself. She started with poetry when she was a child and had been also experimenting with short stories and even a novel since.

Maggie’s first Creative Writing tutor was Gary Boswell.  She has done several Creative Writing courses and an MA in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. She’s currently doing another MA in Writing for Therapeutical Purposes.

As Sarah Jasmon, Maggie is a very active author who believes that writing is far from isolating. She attends to writing retreats quite regularly and belongs to several writing groups including the Brewery Poets in Kendal.

If you love experimenting with your words and learning all sort of forms in writing, you’re going to love Maggie’s story and advice!

 

What can you find in this interview?

-Doing a Creative Writing MA at Lancaster University.

-Experience in self-publishing.

-Experimenting with different forms of writing.

-Writing for therapeutical purposes.

-Experience in the publishing world

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Maggie How. We had the pleasure to be her classmates during the Creative Writing MA at Lancaster Uni and learnt a lot from her. We wish you the best with your poetry – and we’re also looking forward to read your novel finished one day!

How writing can save your life: Michael Womack

‘I’m not really doing it for the money, it’s something I’m passionate about…’

Michael Womack revindicates the importance of how we positively impact on others with our writing instead of measuring our success just with money. In his own words, there’s no better recipe for disappointment than doing the latter.

Michael started writing poetry in highschool. He joined the USA army and fought in Iraq. Back in Georgia he struggled with post traumatic stress disorder and depression. His first novel, From a Soldier’s Perspective, was inspired in his personal experiences. He is also the author of a poetry collection called Sexual Intimacy, Beyond Pleasure.

Listen to Michael‘s honest advice on how important is to feel passionate about your writing, because it can literally save your life!

What can you find in this interview?

-Using writing to overcome traumatic experiences.

-Self-publishing.

-Advantages of publishing in e-Book formart.

-Poetry.

-War experiences.

Texts Read:

– From a Soldier’s Perspective  (extract).

Do you want to know more about Michael Womack?

-Check out his twitter.

-Check out his FB page.

-Check out his blog.

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Michael Womack, who kindly agreed to be interviewed even if he lives in the other side of the Atlantic… we wish you the best in your literary career!

From Italy to Lancaster: Monica Guerrasio.

‘I always wanted to write, I started when I was nine years old and I always thought that was something you were supposed to do on the side while having a proper job, but when I realised that my career wasn’t making me happy and I didn’t have time to write I decided to do Creative Writing MA full time.’

Monica Guerrasio published her first Fantasy novel at 18. She moved from Italy to London to study journalism, worked there while writing reviews for music magazines and ended up in   Lancaster studying a Creative Writing MA…

Do you want to hear the adventures of this charismatic Fantasy writer publishing and developing a writing career in different languages?

What can you find in this interview?

-Travelling to pursue a writing career.

-Journalism.

-First experience publishing.

-Doing an MA in Creative Writing at Lancaster University.

-Writing in English and Italian.

Texts Read:

– Extract from dystopian novelette (untitled).

Do you want to know more about Monica Guerrasio?

-Check out her twitter.

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel and to the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Monica Guerrasio, we had so much fun interviewing you… we hope to see you soon at a Sci-Fi convention signing your novels!

Writer on a boat – Sarah Jasmon

 

‘I can see why people might consider writing a lonely activity, but I don’t find it that way. There’s twitter… I don’t think writers can be lonely again.’

Sarah Jasmon lives on a boat in the Liverpool canal and writes novels. She always wanted to be an author. By obtaining an MA in Creative Writing and opening her blog she got fully involved in the literary world and found an agent and a publisher… She’s a fresh, positive writer always approachable via Twitter. Do you want to listen to the inspiring story of her debut novel?

 

 

What can you find in this interview?

-Pursuing a career in writing – no matter your age!

-Blogging as a writer.

-Finding agents ad publishers.

-Being part of a writing community.

-Doing an MA in Creative Writing.

-Writing and parenting.

 

Texts Read:

– Extract from The summer of secrets (novel).

 

Do you want to know more about Sarah Jasmon?

-Check out her website.

-Check out her twitter.

 

Many thanks to our meticulous editor, Terry Garanhel, and the founder and sponsor of the programme, Yvonne Battle-Felton. And, of course, to Sarah Jasmon, who shared with us her inspiring story about publishing her debut novel… we hope you publish many more!