Some lovely poetry news arrived in my inbox this morning: I’m pleased to say I’ll be getting a haiku published in Temple:British Haiku Society Anthology 2021, coming out later this year.
I haven’t had any poetry published in a while, and it’s been such a joy diving back into the form in recent weeks. For any other haiku (or tanka, haibun, etc.) enthusiasts, I thoroughly recommend joining the British Haiku Society. It’s a safe, fun space in which to explore the form – and it’s a very, very rewarding form!
I’m excited to be taking part in the CHASE Summer Readings series. The first event is tonight, Monday 19th July, chaired by myself and featuring readings from Petra McQueen from University of Essex, Caroline Millar from University of Kent, Kaja Knudsun from University of East Anglia and Susannah Dawes from University of Essex.
Then, next week on Monday 26th July, it’ll be my turn to read, along with Cat Conway from University of Goldsmiths, Gillian Laker from University of Kent, and Daniel C Jeffreys from University of Essex. We’ll be chaired by the lovely Ashley Barr.
These are private events for researchers at CHASE institutions – if you’re at one, tune in online from 7pm, the invite will be in your inbox!
I had a great time at the UEA LDC PGR Symposium today – what a way to end the academic year. Huge gratitude to all the amazing speakers, Rosalind Brown, Suzanne Solomon, John Steciuk, Karítas Hrundar Pálsdóttir and Kotryna Garanašvili – totally blown away by your presentations. Very proud and humbled to be an LDC postgrad right now.
Organising this was my last hurrah as LDC PGR Rep. It’s been an amazing and connective experience during the past two years – thanks to LDC and the Grad School for making room for our voices and listening to us so well during the pandemic. Sending out the University of East Anglia love!
A few weeks ago I was on the ‘Writing the Anthropocene’ panel at the UEA CW50 EACWP Conference. As part of that I wrote (and painted!) a little thing about my dear study at home for the Journey Around Our Rooms project with the University of Kent. Here’s a little extract:
“I spent the autumn and winter building a nest, plaiting moss and twigs to my shape. I still can’t believe it stays together when the once-sea winds pelt across the Norfolk flats.
“My study was the first room I finished, two days after moving, just in time for term to kick back in. The painting makes it look bigger than real life. But the things that make us free are always larger in our mind’s eye. Six years freelance, with my job sharing the same psychic space as my bed, but I’ve finally built a border between work and life. That unassuming door makes a hang of a difference – and just in time. Since I moved in, my whole world’s been on this desk: social life; paralegal, editing and teaching work; research; writing… I built a border, but that doesn’t mean I can balance it. The pandemic didn’t help, collapsing the geographical telescope. Still, I was lucky it locked me down in here…”
Between 11:30-12:30 on Thursday 24th June, I’m thrilled and honoured to be chairing Hallie Rubenhold’s keynote at the CHASE Virtual Encounters conference 2021 .
Historian Hallie Rubenhold is the author of three works of non-fiction and two novels, of which two, The Covent Garden Ladies and Lady Worsley’s Whim, have inspired television dramas – Harlots (Hulu/Amazon) and The Scandalous Lady W (BBC2). Her debut book, The Covent Garden Ladies, captured the imagination of millions when it brought to public attention the history of the Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies, an infamous 18th century guidebook to sex workers. Alongside her writing, her extensive experience extends to presenting TV documentaries, advising on period dramas, teaching, lecturing and curatorial work. You can find out more about her here.
Hallie will be talking about her book The Five, research methodology, and history as something live and relevant, incorporating the conference themes of ‘futures’ and ‘community’.
For more information about the conference, and to register, click here.
I had so much fun running Authorship Conference 2021 for UEA LDC yesterday. It’s the third year running & the conference is going from strength to strength!
Huge gratitude to our generous sponsors HW Fisher and to the fantastic and insightful speakers from ALCS and Society of Authors as well as authors Paul Howarth, Ben Pester, Tiffany Atkinson, Ben Musgrave, Siân Evans, Helen Smith & Andrew Cowan.
Attendee numbers were through the roof this year – we got over one hundred bookings! Big thanks to everyone who came – see you at next year’s conference…
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More international news from the self-help sphere – Boost is now available in Arabic! Here it is next to its brother and sister copies in other languages.
It’s been published by the Jarir Bookstore. This is the first book I’ve ever had translated into a language where the books read from right to left and it was extra fun to unwrap and flick through – as you can see form this video!
So, if you’re reading in Arabic, go ahead and give yourself a Boost – you can buy the book right here!
Yes, this is really happening – and I still can’t believe it! My short story ‘Sand’ is going to be published on the amazing sci-fi and fantasy website Tor.com this autumn. It will be edited by the wonderful Lee Harris, and will be free to read.
In their announcement of its upcoming publication, Tor.com described ‘Sand’ as a ‘heart-wrenching tale about generational trauma and healing.’ It’s a very special story to me personally, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s found such a wonderful home.
In the meantime, there’s a tonne of awesome stuff on the Tor.com website – it really is the go-to place for all things genre – so be sure to head over there and nose around if you haven’t already! ✨
I’m presenting ‘Shards of Ourselves: Exploring the role boundaries of teacher, editor and therapist in the age of anxiety’ at the CW50 & EACWP Futures for Creative Writing Online Conference, 21st-22nd May 2021:
Celebrating 50 years of Creative Writing at UEA, join UEA and the European Association of Creative Writing Programmes (EACWP) for 2 days of online workshops, panels, lectures and discussions.
This online conference seeks to bring together PhD research students, Creative Writing tutors and graduates, writers and scholars to explore the varieties of practice in our discipline now, the points of convergence and contention, and, crucially, the opportunities for future development and the forces that may shape the nature of writing in the academy over the next several years.
Central to the conference will be an acknowledgement of the importance of literature and drama in helping us navigate challenging moments in history.
I’m really excited to go as an attendee as well as a speaker – particularly for the keynotes from Bernardine Evaristo, Carolyn Forché, John Yorke and (one of my PhD supervisors and total legend) Andrew Cowan.
The whole thing will be happening online, so you can attend from anywhere in the world! Pick up your tickets here.
I’m having a very happy academic moment today: I’ve had my first academic book review published in the ASLE’s journal Green Letters: Studies in Ecocriticism!
‘Fragments from the history of loss: the nature industry and the postcolony’ by Louise Green was a totally fascinating read – constellations of detail are my new favourite thing. You can read the full review here.
I got quoted on my journey to becoming an editor in an article on the fabulous Reedsy blog: ‘How to Become a Copy Editor: 5 Steps to Start Polishing Manuscripts’. Read the full article here for free!
I am just utterly delighted to say that my latest paper, ‘The Burning Core: Using Heraclitus’ concept of an arche of fire to examine humanity’s connection with nature in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road‘ has been published in The Cormac McCarthy Journal Vol.18.2. You can access my article directly here, and the full issue here.
This publication means an extraordinary amount to me: The Road was one of those seminal works of literature I came across as a teenager and I’ve read it cover to cover countless times. The binding is going on my copy, and it’s a real joy to finally have been able to express so much about why I love this book.
Thanks in particular to Stacey Peebles the journal’s editor, and the two mysterious peer reviewers who agreed this piece should be published – you’ve all reflected so much of my passion for the novel back to me and made the publication process easy and joyous.
Today, I’m curling up with The Fairlight Book Of Short Stories Vol.1, which has just been published. I’m so excited to that my short story ‘The Cloud Loom’ has been included in this collection!
This new anthology comes from fab indie publisher Fairlight Books, who have previously published my stories ‘The Cloud Loom’ and ‘The Locust Theorem’ online. They are a fantastic publisher doing really wonderful things, and I couldn’t be more delighted to have been selected for this anthology alongside so many amazing authors – thank you Fairlight Team!
The book is now available and you can pick up a copy here.
This news is a little publishing nerd moment for me: basically I love creative-critical writing. So, this piece is actually a two-part creative-critical piece – a story, and an essay, which have a symbiotic relationship.
In an awesome publishing collaboration, the essay half has been published in vol.31.2 of the journal LOGOS – while the story half has been published by the marvellous folks at Fairlight Books.
The whole piece is called ‘Cohesive Plurality: Exploring the relationship between resonance and the act of writing’.
‘Part 1: The Writer’s Internal Choir’ is accessible via an institutional login or subscription to the LOGOS journal, here.
And ‘Part 2: The Composer’ is free to read on the Fairlight Books website, right here.
Huge thanks to the editorial teams at LOGOS and Fairlight Books for first of all liking my work, and second of all liking this co-publication idea – it’s been really fun to work together!
They’re gorgeous calendars, I love them so much and I’m delighted to be included. If you’re really thinking ahead, you can pre-order your own calendar right here!
I don’t often shout about this, but alongside my writing, I also take on freelance editing projects and writing/publishing consultation sessions. This week I’ve re-opened the doors to new projects – and I want to work with YOU!
Already, I am fully booked until 1st June, but if you need help with your latest manuscript, want to get some advice on querying agents, or are stuck in a rut with your writer’s block, get in touch!
NEED AN EDITOR? I’ve edited Booker longlistees and Amazon bestsellers – if you’d like more info on my training and experience, check out my five-star reviewed Reedsy profile.
GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING OR PUBLISHING? With six years experience in publishing as an author, publisher and book trade journalist, I’m here to answer your questions about the book world through one-to-one online video consultations. Available for one-off sessions and longer term mentoring, I’m here to help you write your novel, get published, or self-publish!
STILL ON THE FENCE? THIS FEEDBACK WILL CONVINCE YOU: ‘I genuinely had a great experience working with Jasmin, she went beyond the call of duty in terms of feedback… I highly recommend her services’ – Shwan XuXa
‘This is the second time I have worked with Jasmin and once again her support has proved invaluable… Working with Jasmin feels like a true collaboration. She makes insightful suggestions and her attention to detail is remarkable’ – Richard Greaves
‘Jasmin went above and beyond the brief, to give me insightful, actionable, and priceless feedback on my manuscript… Thanks to her, I will end up with a better book’ – Maya Middlemiss
