Jenn ashworth annie fairhurst bears a resemblance to stephen kings annie wilkes from misery and ashworth is playing with the horror genre here, although the reader doesnt realize this for quite some. She lives in preston, lancashire, with her family and writes an awardwinning blog at uk. Jenn ashworths first book, a kind of intimacy, won the u. As well as being her first novel, this is also the first of my requests which came in at the local library. An intense and intriguing novel that never quite lets the reader get comfortable.
In 2009 she left her job as a prison librarian in order to work on her second novel. A kind of bridget jones for marketers, this is a very funny book indeed. Her latest book, notes made while falling, a memoir told in essays, is out this autumn with goldsmiths press. Jenn ashworth studied english at cambridge university and creative writing at manchester. Tracing the dark possibilities of best intentions gone awry, a kind of intimacy is a darkly comic novel about a dysfunctional young woman s life in the suburbs. A kind of intimacy provided my first encounter with jenn ashworths work.
A kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth a kind of sitcom noir with a dangerously unreliable narrator, this is a strange but satisfying book sam jordison. Author jenn ashworth is the fourth writer to be interviewed by the scribbler about being included in waterstones new voices 2009 her debut novel, a kind of intimacy, caught the attention of the waterstones critics last year and with good reason. She first heard about jenn when jenn submitted work to mels flash fiction website, the pygmy giant. A kind of intimacy by ashworth, jenn 20 paperback on. Imagine, for a moment, that you live in a nice quiet little middleclass street policed by the local volunteer neighbourhood watch. Jenn ashworth is a fellow of the royal society of literature and author of the novels a kind of intimacy, cold light, the friday gospels, and fell. Ashworth, author of the friday gospels, cold light and a kind of intimacy, talks to us about hauntings, blurring boundaries, and psychogeographies. Buy a kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth from waterstones today. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. I have been a fan of jenn ashworths for quite sometime. Its not a comfortable read but then these are the kind of.
Her first novel, a kind of intimacy, won a betty trask award in 2010. Armed with selfhelp books, her cat and a collection of cowshaped milk jugs, she moves into her new home and sets about getting to know the neighbours. She lives in lancashire and teaches creative writing at lancaster. Publication date 2010 topics overweight women, murder, obesity, homicide publisher. Deeply personal and unsettlingly familiar, it provokes the uncomfortable realization that theres a bit of annie in each of us. She lives in preston, lancashire, with her family and writes an awardwinning blog at. Jenn ashworth is currently considered a single author. A kind of intimacy by jenn ashwortha debut novel reveals a true gift for black comedy, says stevie davies.
Shes hoping for a clean slate, but there is something familiar about her next door neighbour. It is a story that traces the dark possibilities of best intentions going awry. The story starts by annie becoming increasingly interested in her next door neighbour, neil. Actually, it was only mentioned in passing, but i liked its title immensely so i checked what the novel was about, and then, convinced, i jotted down the author and the title on a slip of paper and put it away to a place where i was surely going to. A kind of intimacy is a marvel of a book which the singularity of annies voice drives so compellingly.
She has graduated from cambridge university and the manchester centre for new writing. A kind of intimacy is an increasingly dark, disturbing book about a young woman, annie. May 25, 2010 jenn ashworth studied english at cambridge university and creative writing at manchester. But as with all satire there is a serious point here too, about the way in which corporate culture allows language to obscure narcissism, inauthenticity, and unpleasantness. An extract from an earlier novel, lost as a jenn ashworth is an english writer. Ashworths uncanny insight into a mind both fragile and damaged will remind readers.
In march 2011 she was featured as one of the bbc culture shows best 12 new novelists. I loved this book, heart and soul, from beginning to end. Jul 18, 20 buy a kind of intimacy by ashworth, jenn isbn. Cold light by jenn ashworth overdrive rakuten overdrive. Jenn ashworth jenn ashworth studied english at cambridge university and creative writing at manchester.
Mar 26, 2009 a kind of intimacy provided my first encounter with jenn ashworth s work. Ever since our lovely mutual friend emma jane unsworth popped a copy of a kind of intimacy into my hands and said read this i have become. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. A kind of intimacy is a fascinating and suspenseful portrait of a sociopath and the wreckage she creates around her when her fantastical reality intersects with other this book is absolutely brilliant. At the beginning of the book, annie is moving house following the breakup of her marriage.
Youve got a dark side hidden away in there somewhere, havent you. I actually picked up a few europa editions that day just because they have interesting covers and are well made books. Buy this book in her debut novel, ashworth takes on a. Fell by jenn ashworth follows the cliffords, who are grappling with nettie cliffords cancer, and annette, who as an adult returns to her parents empty and derelict house in morecambe bay. Buy the paperback book a kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth at indigo. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. A kind of intimacy, book by jenn ashworth paperback. Her first novel a kind of intimacy, was developed during her time studying creative writing at manchester university and was published in february 2009 by arcadia. The companys big idea was actually stolen by creative director simon horne from a couple of recent college graduates. Review by guy savage jun 18, 2010 special interview with jenn ashworth. Salvage the bones by jesmyn ward make your home among strangers by jennine capo crucet a kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth long division by kiese laymon in the country by mia.
Buy a cheap copy of a kind of intimacy book by jenn ashworth. This is an image that recurs throughout the book and with which she was clearly obsessed it haunted her sleepless, alcoholfilled nights. She is senior lecturer in the department of english literature and creative writing at lancaster university. Ashworth started haemorrhaging during a caesarean and was conscious but immobile for part of the operation. In 2006 an extract from a kind of intimacy was shortlisted in a national competition entitled the enigma of personality.
She narrates her own increasingly bizarre attempts to ingratiate herself with her new neighbours, learn from past mistakes and achieve a certain kind of intimacy with the boy next door. Reviewed by simon the title of jenn ashworths fourth novel could. A kind of intimacy is one of my mostlyfiction books of the year. A kind of intimacy, by jenn ashworth the independent. She now lectures in creative writing at the university of lancaster. In 2006 an exract from a kind of intimacy was shortlisted in a national competition entitled the enigma of personality. Read a kind of intimacy, by jenn ashworth online on bookmate a quirky, character driven and darkly comic debut in the tone of notes on a scandal, this novel is an offbeat and ironic study of misun.
Jenn ashworth annie moves into her new home bringing little else but her cat and a collection of cowshaped milk jugs. May 25, 2010 a kind of intimacy is an increasingly dark, disturbing book about a young woman, annie. A kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth read online on bookmate. From the very beginning, annies narrative voice felt incredibly authentic. An interview with jenn ashworth author of a kind of intimacy. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Knowing nothing about a kind of intimacy or its author jenn ashworth, i picked this one up at the borders closeout for 60% off. On the publication of her second, cold light sceptre, 2011 she was featured on the bbcs the culture show as one of the uks twelve best new writers. It tells the story of annie, a lonely woman failing to come to grips with reality, unable to relate to others and full of selfdeception. A kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth books hachette australia. The inability ever to really know a person is a truth acknowledged by e m forster in aspects of the novel. A kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth i came across the title of this novel on a blog somewhere.
I loved this book, and it is without a doubt, my favorite book read in 2011. A kind of intimacy by jenn ashworth in turns poignant, harrowing and violent, this is annies account of her attempts to start a new life in a new neighbourhood after a turbulent past gradually revealed. Jenn ashworth is a superb writer who manages to create a narrator who is as forceful and damaging as a hurricane, yet can also arouse feelings of sympathy even if they are fleeting. Her first novel, a kind of intimacy, was published in 2009 and won a betty trask. She studied english at cambridge and since then has gained an ma from manchester university, trained as a librarian and run a prison library in lancashire. Jenn ashworth is a first time author, and her book. An unforgettable birdseye view of the dark side of a fractured mind. Armed with selfhelp books, her cat and a collection of cowshaped milk jugs, she moves into her new home and sets about getting.
Her latest book is a memoirinessays, notes made while falling. A kind of intimacy by jenn ashwortha debut novel reveals a true gift for black comedy, says stevie davies skip to main content the guardian back to home. Jenn ashworth is a first time author, and her book deserves a lot of attention. Ashworth has written both short stories and longer works.