In collaboration with NTU’s WRAP, Platform got an exclusive interview with author Ashley Hickson-Lovence – author of The 392 – talking about his life as an author, his inspirations and what it is like to be an author during a global pandemic.
Originally from Hackney, London, Ashley Hickson–Lovence released his debut novel The 392 in April 2019 through the independent publisher “Own It!”. Hickson-Lovence’s previous career was as a secondary school English teacher, however he went on to complete an MA in Creative Writing at City, University of London. Currently, he is completing a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of East Anglia.
So, you were originally a teacher but then you went onto study your MA in Creative Writing and then eventually your PhD which you are currently doing. Where do you think your journey began on the road to becoming an author?
Ashley: I think when I did my ‘A’ levels, I did English Literature and Language together and I had a really inspirational English teacher who made me write a sonnet one day and that was the first time I had really written anything, so I started writing poetry more than anything, dabbling with poetry when I was a sixth former, and it sort of just digressed from there.
I wrote a collection of bus-themed poetry and bus-themed sonnets throughout my university years when I was doing my first degree which was in English and I decided I wanted to sort of extend this idea and elaborate of this idea.
But yeah I definitely think it started from poetry, I learnt a lot from poetry and being a novelist. The appreciation of language at line level – I learnt all of that by being a sort of undercover poet first.
Who would you say was your favourite author growing up and why?
Ashley: So when I was a teenager I read football autobiographies, that was the main thing that got me into reading.
Like I said I started to write poetry soon after and one of my favourite poets was Frank O’ Hara the American poet. He just made poetry really accessible to me, the language wasn’t too difficult and I felt like I got the gist to what he was trying to say and that was really sort of an awakening experience for me.
Image credit: Literary Hub
I think more generally I suppose writers like Zadie Smith who writes about London so beautifully with such great sensory detail.
One of my favourite ever books is a book called The Lonely Londoners by this writer called Sam Selvon – the story of a character called Moses coming from the Caribbean to England and that sort of alienating experience of being a black man in this very cold, bleak massive city. It reminded me of my grandad who very similarly came from the Caribbean in the 50s.
What is your personal writing process?
Ashley: It does change. I think it’s all dependent on sort of the context of your life and you know the situation at a time so when I was writing The 392 I was a full time English teacher so I was basically writing when I had time so on my way to work, coming back from work, late at night, early in the morning, just trying to squeeze in five minutes of writing time to try and get the book finished.
I don’t know the right answer but as long as you are writing, have a notebook on you, have your phone on you, write everything on your notes, pick up conversations you here when you walk down the road or as you go to the park of as you go to the coffee shop, listen to conversations and try and pry on their stories. I think that’s always very inspirational.
How did you hear of WRAP and start working with them? Also, what sort of work are you doing with them this term?
Ashley: So I heard about WRAP through my publisher of The 392 – and my publisher rang me and said that they are interested in your story and about you and would I be interested in taking part in a full series of events and yeah I snapped up the opportunity because I love universities who are building a creative writing sort of force.
I love the fact that Nottingham Trent are really trying to encourage creative writing with you know the WRAP café, the open mic night, the giveaways. I love it, I really do because the more universities that are offering creative writing courses the better in my opinion.
Already we have done the book giveaway so 21 copies of The 392 were given out to 21 members of staff and 21 students at NTU and given copies to over 250 bursary holder students, which was fantastic. Even though this was a book set in London the themes are universal – there’s stories about people in our society whether you’re from Newcastle, Nottingham or Norwich you know it really is a story for everybody I hope.
I’m going to be leading a creative writing workshop hopefully getting people thinking about the craft of creative writing.
Then we have WRAP live events. Becky will be interviewing me I think for about an hour and a half – that’s open to everyone not just Nottingham Trent students but everybody because it’s going to be live online on YouTube. (Which you can book here)
So really full on but I’m looking forward to it, it’s a real honour that this book I wrote in my spare time on my way to work is now being read by students and staff at a very reputable university.
What would you describe is the overall genre for the novels you write?
Ashley: Its contemporary literary fiction I would say. The 392 in particular is a very current ‘millennialesque’ novel – a real cross-section of society I’m trying to talk about and talk too in my work.
I would say I like to respond to the world around me, I like to respond to topical matters and topical subjects whether it be racism, whether it be terrorism, whether it be homophobia and all those things. I love responding to topics that seem really pertinent at the moment.
So your second book Your Show is based on the first black referee Uriah Rennie, what inspired you to do this for your second novel?
Ashley: Well I must stress even though this is about Uriah Rennie – it’s more than a football book. I’m doing everything in my power in relation to how I want the cover to look like – to appeal to non-football fans.
This is more about a story of a black man trying to overcome all the obstacles to get to the top of his profession, this is more about an underdog story more than anything.
Image credit: The Voice Newspaper
I’ve always been inspired by his story, I used to be a football referee. I started refereeing when I was 16.
For the first few years, the only referee who looked like me on the tele was Uriah Rennie. He was the only black referee and I found that very surprising because football is a relatively diverse game.
Since I was about 20 I’ve always had this idea that I’m going to write a book about him one day – I managed to go up to Sheffield where he was based and visit him and record our conversations and I used that material to write a book which is based on his life and career.
How or has Covid affected your writing at the moment?
Ashley: That’s a good question. It’s been good and bad in many ways, I managed to finish the book during lockdown one which I wouldn’t have done as early as I did without lockdown, basically I had nothing to do so I just sat and write!
I wanted to go to Jamaica for research reasons, obviously that didn’t happen, so that was a real shame.
I feel really sorry for writers and authors and I know many of them who had to release a book over the lockdown, it was so hard. Because one of the best things about being an author for me was two things well one that I’ve been able to go to Waterstones and see my book on the shelf and that was an amazing experience. I dreamt of that for years and years. The fact that book shops are closed is hard because you know many other writers won’t get that joy.
For me you know it’s been quite good because I managed to get my head down, finish this second book, edit the second book and start thinking about my third book.
Finally, what would your advice be to anyone wanting to pursue a career in writing?
Ashley: Have belief, it can be done. I never thought that maybe five, six years ago you could make a living from being a writer and I now know you can and I didn’t know that. I just thought it was only possible for a select few.
Have belief, keep writing and it will never be linear, it will never be straightforward. There will always be ups and downs on the journey but it can happen.
It takes a lot of patience and I didn’t know this you know to write the book The 392 it probably took about four years and to get it published after that you know another year or two so that’s a long time.
With my second book Your Show I finished it, I finished my first draft last summer and it’s not being published until Spring 2022.
So be patient, have belief – and just keep writing and you know everything is possible.
Many thanks to WRAP and Ashley for this interview.
Ashley Hickson-Lovence’s novel The 392 is available to buy online at Amazon. His second novel “Your Show” is due to be released in Spring 2022.
For more events to see Ashley in, follow Curated and Created @NTUcreated and the WRAP Instagram @insta.wrap.notts.
By Katie Green
Feature image: Ashley Hicskon-Lovence