Posted by Monica Cardenas on 22 April 2022, in Byte Experts, News
By Jane Austin
How long is it before one calls oneself a writer? I was well into my second novel before I took the plunge. It happened after teaming up with two writer friends, Janet Dean Knight and Yvie Holder, who like me have had other careers. Between us, we write poetry, prose and memoir, sharing the joy and the urgency of writing as women with a lifetime’s experience. We ask, who’s truth are we writing and does this change over time? We share our triumphs and setbacks on the journey and metaphorically hold each other’s hands.
My life’s work before writing was as a teacher and manager in schools, community education and the university sector. Before retiring, I took a part-time diploma course in creative writing at the University of York, when I started writing my first novel, set in the first world war.
My experience of publication is with a small independent publisher. My debut novel, News from Nowhere, was shortlisted for a Cinnamon Press competition and after a period of mentoring, was published in 2017. Renegade, my second novel, published in March this year is under Cinnamon’s hybrid imprint, Leaf by Leaf, and I worked with a great editor, Rowan Fortune on both novels.
I don’t have an agent, though I’ve submitted to a few over the years. I find that being with a small reputable press is an excellent route, but this means I do a lot of my own publicity. I’m building my public profile on several fronts. Face to face events such as festivals, a book launch and speaking at libraries and book groups all generate interest by word of mouth. This year, I was invited with fellow writers Janet and Yvie to the York Literature Festival, in conversation about our Encore Careers, which sparked off debate about second careers while still in one’s prime, the role of life writing and our evolving identities.
In May I’m having a private London launch of about forty friends and contacts including representatives from two local book shops as well as the library. Meeting readers is always a thrill, which I experienced when I was selected for New Writing North’s wonderful libraries outreach programme for News from Nowhere, and spoke at libraries across the northern region.
My online profile is taking shape thanks to Byte the Book contact Kelly Weekes, who provides excellent social media mentoring, and Simon Appleby of Bookswarm who is designing my smart new website. It’s amazing how media professionals can boost your confidence!
Book reviews can generate a buzz and I encourage all my readers to write them. A recent review says of Renegade, ‘Austin deftly captures narratives of truth, class, ethnicity and gender in the 1970s and the present. Her ear for dialogue, and her hilarious observations of life in squats in 70s and today's battles - emotional and physical - make this a real page turner.’
On the back cover, writer and critic, Jeremy Worman says, ‘From 70s violent anarchy in Notting Hill to respectability as a happily married university professor: can Justin come to terms with the guilt of his past? This evocative historical novel also explores the nature of libertarian ideals in the contemporary world. An absorbing read.’
My Encore Career of a dozen years has opened magical doors and drawn me into the orbit of some extraordinary people. Onwards and upwards to my third novel! This is about a young woman born to an Indian mother and an English East India Company doctor from York, and her fate after a teenage love affair with the wild and colourful Anne Lister, dubbed Gentleman Jack.
Jane Austin's novel is available from Brick Lane Bookshop, Cinnamon Press and Amazon.
janeaustinauthor.com
