Ashley Hickson-Lovence
@AHicksonLovence
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THE 392 ( @OWNITLDN ), YOUR SHOW ( @FaberBooks ) and WILD EAST ( @PenguinUKbooks ). Agent: @PhilippaSitters . PhD in Creative Writing from UEA.
Joined February 2009
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Pinned Tweet
WILD EAST is
@thetimes
’ Children’s Book of the Week!!
“this is a book that is meant to be heard, and the audiobook version will particularly appeal […] it’s the fresh, “spoken word” style that makes Ronny’s story special.”
Very grateful for review 🙏🏾🧡
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I* DID** IT!***
*a team effort. Two amazing supervisors and a loving support network
**
#PhD
thesis handed in but viva to come
***from council flat, first in family to go to uni, to doing a PhD at UEA (I couldn’t even get in at 18!). Whatever ‘it’ is, it’ll do for now
💚💚💚
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Some news:
1.I turn 30 today! 🎈
2.I recently accepted the position of Lecturer of Creative Writing (pt) at Arts University Bournemouth
📸:
@iggyldn
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My mum just joined Goodreads to give my book 1 star. Having a great birthday weekend.
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I lost my grandad last night. Very sudden. He arrived in the UK from the West Indies in the 1950s and only (reluctantly) retired a few months ago aged 83. He was my hero.
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My second novel YOUR SHOW, based on the life and career of the legendary Uriah Rennie - the first and only Black Premier League football referee, is released with
@FaberBooks
on 7th April 2022. Available to pre-order from your favourite bookshop today 🙏🏾
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Officially DR. AHL! 👨🏽🎓
First-gen at uni; not the best GCSEs (2007); rejected by UEA (2009); underperformed at BA (2012); probational review setback (2019); corrections (2022); PhD graduation at UEA (2023) ✅
Impossible without the very special people around me. So grateful ❤️🙏🏾
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Over the moon that YOUR SHOW has been longlisted for the 2022
#GordonBurnPrize
alongside some greats. My first ever literary prize nomination! A team effort, thank you to many 🏆
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Wow 😮
“Dear Ashley, you have been shortlisted as a nominee at the London Chamber of Commerce Black Excellence Awards (BEA) in the category of ‘Outstanding Contribution to Literature’”
Won in 2022 by
@DavidOlusoga
no less.
Congrats and good luck to all the other nominees 👏🏽👏🏽
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“...one of the most exciting new British novels I’ve read in years...”
YOUR SHOW, a novel based on the career of legendary football referee Uriah Rennie - the first black official in the Premier League - to be released with
@FaberBooks
in Spring 2022 ✊🏾
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YOUR SHOW a novel based on the life and career of the legendary Uriah Rennie - the first and only Black Premier League football referee, is officially out TODAY!
Every kind word, every book bought, every bit of love means the world, thank you 🙏🏾
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Well… not your average Tuesday afternoon!
Happy Birthday
@FirstStory
(and well done superstar student/writer Daniella from
@skinnersacademy
)
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🚨 BOOK THREE NEWS 🚨: My YA-in-verse WILD EAST to be released with
@PenguinUKBooks
🐧 next May. A gripping story about grief-stricken Ronny relocating from east London to East Anglia trying to navigate his new city as a young black boy. Two book deal! 🌱
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✊🏿 BEDTIME STORIES: BEAUTIFUL BLACK TALES FROM THE PAST ✊🏿
Have written not one but TWO stories for this really beautiful and important new book alongside talented writers and illustrators. My stories are about the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 and trailblazing Black NHS nurses.
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How cool is this?! I’m one of the subjects of
@EastsideCH
’s ‘Black Writers, Black Voices’ exhibition on display at
@NewhamBookshop
today and then at Stratford Library for the remainder of
#BlackHistoryMonth
. Quite the honour.
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I often think about my decade or so as a referee. Best thing I ever did. I was actually quite shy as a teenager, now nothing fazes me.
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🚨 PROOF KLAXON! 🚨
My second novel YOUR SHOW will be released on the 7th APRIL 2022 with
@FaberBooks
! A story about overcoming setbacks and striving for success based on the career of the first Black football referee in the Premier League, Uriah Rennie.
**official cover soon**
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How cool is this?!
My novel YOUR SHOW features on a permanent book bench sculpture in Norwich (outside the church on Upper St. Giles Street) alongside some of the best writers connected to the city. What an honour, I’m truly touched!
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Being shortlisted for
#WriteNow
back in 2018 was bit of a game changer for me in terms of confidence and craft etc. Six years later I’m now a Penguin author. Apply if you can! 🐧
#WriteNow
is back! 🥳 Our programme to give writers from under-represented backgrounds in publishing the tools, information and access needed to navigate the book industry. Find out more and apply by Sunday 16 June 👉
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Holding actual physical copies of YOUR SHOW for the first time. Can’t quite believe its beauty.
Out April 7th with
@FaberBooks
.
Available to pre-order now (and you know how important they are!):
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The 392 has hit 💯 ratings on Goodreads (inc. mine). Maybe not many to some but a mini milestone: indie debut, very teeny marketing, no ARCs, not on NetGalley, no book blog tours, big reviews or award noms - just publisher drive, bookshop love and ace friends, family + readers 🙏🏾
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WOW! That was dream come true stuff! 1700 students and teachers at
@hayfestival
global stage today. Proper pinch me moment. Was signing copies of WILD EAST for well over an hour after, chatting to some really wonderful young people 🧡
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Over 1700 applicants, only 150 places and I got one! Delighted! Thank you
@PenguinRHUK
#WriteNowLive
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Huge congratulations to Sam Allison, first Black Premier League referee since Uriah Rennie. I’ve been chatting to the BBC about the big day, after 15 (long!) years, huge credit to the hard work of many, especially the
@BAMERef
team. More to come 👊🏾
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Two years later… WILD EAST publication day!
Thank you everyone for your support 🙏🏾🧡
Finished the first draft of something new at Arvon (Totleigh B) last week. It’s called Wild East, a novella-in-verse, with illustrations by Lenka Della-Porta. Time to edit and see what happens 🌿
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On my way to
@durhambookfest
and have just been told that YOUR SHOW has been shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards 2022 in the fiction category. Congrats and good luck to all the other nominees in the various categories 🏆
The annual East Anglian Book Awards celebrates the best writing in the region
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Mad to me that the paperback of my little debut THE 392 is still being reprinted and finding new readers 3/4 years after its release. Nothing but grateful as always
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Chekhov doesn’t want me to do any work today and I’m cool with that.
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What an unforgettable evening at the Black Excellence Awards last night. An honour to be in such esteemed company. Congrats to all the inspirational winners especially
@BernardineEvari
- winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Literature category 💫
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Lots to be thankful for this year, lots more to come hopefully 🙏🏾
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Grandad (83) has had first vaccine dose to make grandson (29) very happy 🙏🏾
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This is my late wrestler grandad ‘Dr Death’. Definitely feels like there’s a novel here.
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This list is by no means exhaustive, in fact I have my eye on a few others including
@MumblinDeafRo
’s Panenka, but on this HUGE day, here are some of my favourite novels featuring the beautiful game (with my proof of Your Show conveniently plonked on top 😅)
#EURO2020
⚽️🍺🏴
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It’s publication day,
#The392
is officially out TODAY! Available to buy online and from all good bookshops.
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Still incredibly moved by this review of The 392 on the Waterstones website from an ex-student I taught English. If you read and enjoyed it too and/or Your Show and have a few mins, would really appreciate a little review or star rating on Amazon/Goodreads/Waterstones. Thank you.
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Only took nine years... 😂
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✨ COVER REVEAL ✨
My YA verse-novel WILD EAST (
@PenguinUKBooks
) is released May 23rd and is available to pre-order. Ronny’s story is one for young adults and those still young at heart. Recording the audiobook soon too!
Illustrations:
@thecamru
@PenguinPlatform
#WorldBookDay
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It’s official, my debut novel ‘The 392’ will be released with the wonderful
@OWNITLDN
this April! A dream come true. Launch details soon🥂
#The392
You can read
@thebookseller
article here:
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My first permanent teaching job was at St. Martin’s (😢) in Tulse Hill, where I taught (the now defunct) A-Level Creative Writing to Year 12 & 13. I’ve explicitly been teaching CW in schools, APs/PRUs, universities, Arvons, YOIs etc for nearly 10 years. Grateful to every student.
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Things I do - or have done - for book research. Driven a bus, flown a plane…
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Writing is hard. Editing is hard. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself credit.
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Look what’s arrived 👀🔥
Honoured to have my piece ‘Why I Wish I Was a Drill Artist’ in MANDEM, a groundbreaking anthology of Black male expression alongside
@YomiSode
,
@jeffreykboakye
,
@NzeluWrites
and many other legends. Edited by
@iggyldn
Out next Thursday!
@JacarandaBooks
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I’ve wanted to work with
@FirstStory
ever since seeing
@CarolineBirdUK
,
@JasmineCooray
and
@DeanAtta
work their magic when I was an English teacher. I’m so excited to start my first placement as a writer-in-residence myself soon!
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This has really made my day 🥹
A whole table display of YOUR SHOW at
@Foyles
(Stratford). Much love to the team there who were also ever so supportive of THE 392 too. Will pop in this week and sign copies. Incredibly grateful.
The Uriah Rennie Show? Damn right it is!
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Thank you to host, poets, publishers, novelists, comedians, script writers, old friends, new friends, family, girlfriend, podcasters, booksellers, book lovers, wine drinkers, quote givers, workspace managers in launching
#The392
paperback last night. Heart is full, smile is wide.
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Pride of place. Personalised handmade creations from my creative PhD supervisor. Left: “Finally [...] I can see the bus’s little face at last. The 392.” Right: as featured in novel two Your Show, lyrics from Bob & Marcia’s 70s hit ‘Young, Gifted and Black’. Thank you Andrew Cowan
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🚨 NEW WEBSITE 🚨
All the good stuff in one place. Available (limited) for university talks, school assemblies, writing workshops, leading CPDs, manuscript editing and general mentoring:
Grateful to
@frontwards_dsgn
for their visionary wizardry ✨
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some of my favourite fiction reads this year (not exhaustive)
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⭐️ New website ⭐️
When possible, and safe to do so, I would love to do more school and university visits to hopefully inspire the next generation...
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Mega proud of lil bro
@TylerLovence
, triple distinction and off to study Graphic Design at Ravensbourne University London 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
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This is the kind of editor love I needed this week
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YOUR SHOW the paperback out 02.03.23 (World Book Day)
▫️‘Stirring ... bold and powerful.’ Observer
▫️'A gripping, thought-provoking and important read.'
Daily Mail
▫️‘The football novel is back.’
The Times
▫️‘Haven’t got round to reading it yet.’ My mum
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The beautiful new paperback of YOUR SHOW, a novel based on the life and career of Uriah Rennie, comes out next week Thursday!
Every copy bought or borrowed, pre-ordered and/or reviewed means more than you can imagine, thank you.
Pre-order here:
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Thank you all. I’ll be fine I think, just a shock. Here’s a saucy pic of him as a young man with his guns out to lighten the mood 😅
#thirsttrap
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Been asked to lead another walking tour along part of my made up 392 bus route next month, exploring local landmarks and discussing how gentrification informed my writing
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One month of WILD EAST…
& great to celebrate its solid start at the amazing Dial Lane Books in Ipswich last night
Grateful to every reader so far 🧡
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Sooo... I’ve been shortlisted for
@PenguinRHUK
’s
#WriteNowLive
. Totally unexpected, but totally delighted! 🐧
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💫 ‘YOUR SHOW’ COVER REVEAL 💫
…a novel based on the life and career of the legendary Uriah Rennie, the first and only Black football referee in the Premier League out 7th April 2022 with
@FaberBooks
. A novel about dedication, disappointment and determination. PRE-ORDER TODAY!
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Loads of now signed copies of YOUR SHOW at the very front of
@Foyles
Stratford. So grateful for the support!
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Yesterday I listened to and met the hugely inspirational
@KitdeWaal
. Today it’s my turn! Catch me at the
@WOMADfestival
World of Words tent at 12pm.
#WOMAD2019
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Just FOUR months until the release of my third book WILD EAST
Available to pre-order now from all your favourite places. Proper cover reveal soon come. Out 02.05.24
📸: John Smedley
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It’s
#The392
paperback publication day! Available to buy online and from all good bookshops. Launch party tonight at Second Home, London Fields, 7pm. 💫💫💫
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🥲
I know it could take a year or more (esp because of Brexit and coronavirus) and cost an arm and a leg but a big aim this year is to apply for my Irish passport 🇮🇪 🇪🇺
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Five years of The 392. Five years of bussy book pics. Grateful to all the commuters and reviewers
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New books! Lots of reading to be getting on with this Christmas
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15k words. Little by little 💪🏾
10k words reached of something new, every little helping…
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Amidst the madness in America, a couple of things to look forward to today: my letter about being a big brother this century goes live on
@BBCRadio4
at 9.45 this morning and the arrival of my pre-ordered copy of
@maxjohnporter
’s The Death of Francis Bacon
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A month or so till the release of my YA, Wild East. Early words from writers I admire truly touching:
A powerful story... if I had this when I was younger it would have changed my life -
@jeffreykboakye
A cocktail of prose, poetry and creative writing...superb -
@Dd_Armstrong
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Confession: I semi-deliberately included a scene in YOUR SHOW set in Ireland (Cork specifically) in the hope of being invited to read it at Irish literary festivals. Wink wink nudge nudge.
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Delighted to announce that I will be a
@WritersCentre
Escalator mentor this year and will be leading a free taster event in Peterborough (Central Library) in a few weeks. Register in advance. Spaces limited.
More info:
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I’ve had the most amazing time at
@arvonfoundation
co-tutoring young writers from all over the world from Afghanistan to South Sudan to Vietnam with
@LouiseWallwein
. We swapped stories, shared journeys and made memories 💙
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Big weekend, good time for YOUR SHOW (aka the Uriah Rennie story)
◉ Stirring, bold and powerful - Observer
◉ A gripping, thought-provoking and important read - Daily Mail
◉ Memorable and moving, a remarkable book - Guardian
◉ The football novel is back - The Times
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Next month I’m leading a walk along part of my made up 392 bus route exploring local landmarks and discussing how gentrification informed my writing of ‘The 392’
🗓: Sun 6th March
⏰: 11am - 1pm
💷: Free! (Tickets available on Eventbrite 7 days prior)
💻:
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And boy was it special… my first
@hayfestival
experience did not disappoint!
You can watch my talk about WILD EAST here:
WILD EAST is heading to Hay in May!
It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to appear at
@hayfestival
and no better time than the day after WILD EAST is released
Book here
Line-up looks 🔥🔥🔥🔥
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🚨 PREMIERE 🚨: The official
#The392
trailer. A journey not to be missed, pick up your copy today!
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Been a busy September. Conferences in Manchester, symposiums in Suffolk, creative writing teaching in Peterborough, Leicester, Kent. Lots in London. Even ran a half-marathon (sort of). Also been largely successful squeezing in new words of my own when I can. Just about.
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After taking a few years out, feels good to be back and receiving emails like this. Thank you Attleborough Town FC 🙏🏾⚽️
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It’s
#WorldBookDay
and fittingly the shiny new paperback of YOUR SHOW is officially out in the world! Thanks so much for all the support 🖐🏾
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Look at little me alongside
@FaberBooks
heavyweights!
An exclusive reading from new novel YOUR SHOW dropping at 7pm tonight as part of this year’s online Faber Fiction Showcase.
More info on how to watch and become a Faber Member (for free!) here at:
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