The List of Suspicious Things

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Jennie said: “It’ll sound really trite, but I really did have a moment where I thought: ‘I’m nearing 50, and I’ve had this thing that I’ve wanted to do since I was child. If not now, then when?’ This whole experience came about because I knew instinctively that I needed to do something different. I needed courage, dramatic change and a sprinkling of foolishness to make this happen but I listened to my instincts and the rest is history. And if your best comp title doesn’t fit into the guidelines (e.g., A Kestrel for a Knave would be too old) use your judgement. I decided that the agents I was querying would definitely have heard of, if not read A Kestrel for a Knave and that in combination with The Trouble with Goats and Sheep it was the most accurate and best way to represent my work. I just knew. It was straightforward, obvious, strong. It was September 2019 and I can then chart everything else that happened. I didn’t have a strong feeling for what I wanted to do, I had no plans other than not to continue to do what I was doing. The topic of leadership fascinates me. But I believe many of us have a closed opinion of who our leaders are.

The other thing I loved about my CBC courses was the focus on the industry – I learned a lot navigating publishing via your courses, and it’s thanks to you my INCREDIBLE agent (Nelle Andrew) found me, and vice versa!In Newman's hands... this tale of love and friendship is tender, funny, life-affirming joy. MARIE CLAIRE, 'Best Books of 2023' As a child of the 80s and a born and bred Yorkshire lass, as soon as I read the first line of this book, I knew I was going to love it. It invoked childhood memories of growing up in Yorkshire - the dialect, the accents and growing up in a small community. Think about your book as a whole and consider the aspects identified earlier in this blogpost. Some useful prompts to think about are: This is a superb coming of age story cleverly entwined with the mystery of the identity of a serial killer, it’s a story of unbreakable friendships, a life that is better just for knowing that person and the strength we derive from them. It’s beautifully written and I will not deny I have tears rolling down my face at times, this book is truly an experience and one to savour. It isn’t hard to imagine this will be one of the smash hits of 2024. Highly recommended, obviously!!

This is an interesting one. As far as I know there aren’t any. But there are some agent preferences, guidelines, and some common sense, which often morph into ‘rules’ when they appear on social media enough times (see also how many social media followers’ writers need to have).Inspiration is so important when we decide to change direction. Do you have a resource that you’d recommend to others? Jo Nadin is Jennie’s PhD supervisor, a Senior Lecturer in the University’s English Department and an author of several successful books. She said: “I’m thrilled for Jennie, but not at all surprised. Her writing is touching, funny and insightful. I can’t wait to see it in print.” Also, I will be forever grateful for Elizabeth Day’s work on failing. Her book, ‘How To Fail’ has been my constant companion in this and is a great inspiration. She said: “My own childhood was haunted by the Yorkshire Ripper and I wanted to write a novel that captured the atmosphere of the time and the shadow he cast over the community, while also celebrating human resilience and the power of connection. Walters also discussed how her literary mystery, The Lagos Wife, was partly about her own experience. “I was valued as a mother and a wife but not so much as an individual, I had not found a purpose in being there – I was that body floating by, seen and unseen.”

Think about film and television too – it’s all writing – and who wouldn’t want to read Succession in book form (for example). My current WIP has a Happy Valley vibe to it, and I’m very happy with that. Yes, I do actually. I know it takes a certain amount of self-leadership to follow such an uncertain path. I have no idea whether I’ll ever succeed but I show up every day. I feel as though it’s instinctive. It can be really challenging. I like to take control of whatever I can, and I want to shine.For fans of Nora Ephron and Sorrow & Bliss, We All Want Impossible Things is a deeply moving, jubilant celebration of life and friendship at its imperfect, radiant, and irreverent best. This is a proper laugh-out-loud tale of friendship that will utterly win your heart ... A truly special book - prepare to read this, fall in love and then hector everyone you know into reading it. STYLIST I think the answers are always inside – so maybe leadership is about following these and ignoring the ‘shoulds’. It gave me the courage to follow my true North. And it’s not just for artists or writers. When we get to a certain age or stage in life, it can feel as though our path is set. This can be a real impediment to doing/being somebody different. Humans are elastic so whatever age/stage you have the capacity to be something completely different. Never write off the ability to follow your dreams. Your debut novel The List of Suspicious Things follows 12-year-old Miv in 1970s Yorkshire as she launches her own investigation into the serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper.It will be published by Hutchinson Heinemann in 2024. Can you tell us more about the novel and the inspiration behind it?