Photograph by Paul Strand 'Archie MacDonald, South Uist 1954' © Aperture Foundation Inc., Paul Strand. Please visit National Galleries of Scotland website for more information.Welcome the new writers Q&A section of my blog! 'New Writing Talent' is created in association with From Glasgow to Saturn, the creative writing magazine at Glasgow University. Some immensely talented writers are being published each month: the magazine publishes the best short works by members of the university community, studying any subject. This means writers from a large range backgrounds and subject specialisations submit work, and as writers are encouraged to submit poems, drama and short stories in any genre or style, the range is always invigorating!
Every couple of weeks, I am going to select a favourite piece of writing from the latest issue- the piece or pieces that really shine for me - hunt down the author, and talk to them about themselves, their writing process and inspiration.
I am really happy to kick off this new section with a look at a great writer, John Jennett.
John wrote The Cut of the Cloth, which was one of my favourite pieces in April's Issue 13 (in fact I blogged about it here!). All submissions to From Glasgow to Saturn are judged anonymously, but it turned out John is a Creative Writing MLitt student at Glasgow University!
Hello John! Tell us about yourself - when did you first start writing? How would you describe the kind of writing you do?
I started writing after selling my business in late 2007. It was on my list of things I have been meaning to do for twenty years, if only I had time, like sailing round Britain and having a baby; just some of the boxes I have ticked lately! In my business life I was always the writer of reports and marketing copy and I thought I could claim a writing pedigree because my parents were both widely published in the medical field and my cousin was the Irish writer Jerrard Tickell.
I completed an Open University course in Creative Writing (which far exceeded my expectations and I would recommend to anyone) an Arvon Course (ditto) and attended an inspirational workshop by an Irish writer I much admire http://www.niallwilliams.com/ before starting the MLitt.
Although I am from Glasgow, I have spent most of my life working or playing in the West Highlands and Islands of Scotland. I have lived in Argyll for 15 years and my partner is from the Western Isles. At the moment this seems to reflect in my writing and I am drawn to themes that are connected with the region and my interest in the physical and cultural scenery. I’m not sure if this is just a phase but I’m trying not to worry about that, rather exploring material in a way that is not clichéd parochial or chintzy, something the Irish are better at than we are I think. There is a resurgence of interest in gaelic and I have been trying to do my bit by incorporating little bits of the language to colour my work. Even though I don’t speak the language personally, my partner comes from a fluent family so it is in the house. The best channel on TV is BBC Alba!
The Cut of the Cloth gave such an insight into the characters on this Croft, and you brilliantly address language, the sound of language and the types of fluency people have. Actions speak louder than words! I also loved the focused depiction of a family, and the relationships they have with each other, and with outsiders. Can you talk about what inspired this short story? You have acknowledgements at the end of your piece, to a photograph - I would love to hear more about this photograph, and what it means to you.
Thank you! This piece started (much shorter) as an entry for the National Gallery of Scotland Get Writing competition, where work was required to be inspired by something in their collection. The original work was “highly commended” in the competition; another piece I submitted was runner up and will be published as part of an anthology later in the year. The Paul Strand photograph that inspired The Cut of the Cloth is here
Paul Strand was one of the original snappers of craggy crofters and landscapes in the first half of the century before it became trendy and overcooked – a sort of Ansel Adams for the Hebrides. I already had his book of photographs, not least because it contains a portrait of my partner’s granny. Anyway the photograph provided inspiration for the piece which, as I said in my acknowledgement, is purely fictional. I do find that choice objects or photographs provide something to write into and this is something that interests me as part of my creative process. At the moment I am trying to always provide myself with at least one object or image for any piece I am working on, however abstracted that becomes. Although the Cut of the Cloth is perhaps a more literal study of the photograph in question I find it amazing what spins out of an image or object.
I also took some reverse inspiration from a work by Claire Wigfall which won the National Short Story Prize in 2008. It is a brilliant story but is breathtakingly fast and loose with its linguistic and cultural references http://www.theshortstory.org.
You have packed a lot into a very short story! Are you primarily a short story writer? Do you have favourite short story writers?
No I think I am a poor short story writer. I fall into the predictable category of eyeing a longer work and starting out by seeing the short story as a necessary means to an end. However, I’m coming to enjoy the genre more and the subject of my MLitt Editorial Project was writing short story for radio which has proved an interesting specialisation.
If you haven’t read the brilliant Claire Keegan you should:
Claire Keegan http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Alistair MacLeod http://www.nytimes.com/books/
Also Alice Munro and Bernard McLaverty.
Who or what influences your writing the most?
As I said the cultural and physical landscapes of Scotland, including beliefs like second sight.
Real family history – mine in Ireland/Scotland/England; my partner’s in the Hebrides
The emotions around having (or trying to have) a baby.
Loneliness and endurance.
Medical World (parents)
The Sea, Boats and Birds.
Do you have a favourite author/s, or books you love?
The well known would be Dickens, Alasdair Gray (Poor Things), John Irvine, Marquez, Spark, Stevenson,
Claire Keegan qv
Margot Livesey (Eva Moves the Furniture) http://www.margotlivesey.com/
Bernard McLaverty (Grace Notes) http://www.bernardmaclaverty.
Alistair MacLeod (No Great Mischief)
Niall Williams qv
What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future?
As to the title -
“The belief in portents of death is deeply seated in the mind of the Highlander. There are very few who have not had a manadh of some sort during their life.”
R.C. Maclagan (1897) Ghost Lights of the West Highlands
Meanwhile I am also working on a few short story projects for magazines and competitions, ditto poetry and life writing and a collaborative musical project. I enjoy having many projects on the go and working across all genres.
Where can we read your writing, and keep up to date with you?Thank you, John! I love the concept of reverse inspiration in particular, and I certainly do not agree that you are a poor short story writer! I look forward to reading the novel, it sounds really gripping.
Coming up in the next few weeks we have an interview with Richard Scott Pye, a first year medical student at Glasgow University, and a talented short story writer too! His story Anatomy was published in March Issue 13 of From Glasgow to Saturn, and I loved it.
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