Articles « Isabel Ashdown

Exclusively Independent (Jan 2010)

Currently featured in Exclusively Independent is the fantastic Glasshopper by Isabel Ashdown. An extract from the book won the 2008 Mail on Sunday Novel Competition, praised as ‘Magnificent…made every word work and left the reader anxious to read on.’

Isabel Ashdown on why laughter and pain will always share the page:

Andy stands motionless, staring up the tree. He suddenly snatches up into the branches, then screams like a girl and throws something at the ground as if it bit him. “Shit! Shit!”
“What is it?” I crawl across the rug, out of the shade, to look at the thing on the ground.
Andy crouches next to it, and cautiously pokes it with his finger.
“What is it?” I ask again.
“It’s its tail. I pulled its bloody tail off.”
We stare at it a bit longer with the sun’s rays burning down on our backs.
I stand up and press my palms together to do a Japanese bow. “Ahhhh! Glasshopper! Indeed, you have patience of cobra. Your initiation is complete!”

Andy stands and returns the bow, and I suddenly see us as others might, as two skinny boys in baggy pants, standing in the middle of nowhere in the scorching midday sun. I start to laugh, but it’s a nervous kind of laugh, one I can’t control, and it takes me over till I’m on my knees pounding the dry ground with my fists, screaming and laughing like a madman. Andy’s with me, rolling about on his back, clutching at his belly as tears roll down his face. “Glasshopper!” he howls. “Glasshopper!”

When the story of Jake first started to emerge, I knew it would be the story of a boy growing up with an alcoholic parent. Let’s not kid ourselves, the subject matter is tough, and it’s not for everyone. But in telling this story, I wanted to portray the normality of such a childhood – through its profound turmoil and pain, as well as through everyday moments of humour and triviality. In every other way, Jake is an ordinary thirteen year old boy – he’s saving for a hi-fi, he has a crush on his Classics teacher, and he’s not yet worked out how to be cool around other kids. But he has his particular burden to bear, in the shape of his dependent mother; and life’s not always rosy.

It was important to me that Glasshopper did not develop into a work of ‘misery-lit’. God forbid. As I wrote, the humour in Glasshopper became integral to the storytelling, enhancing the poignancy of Jake’s difficult childhood, rather than, I hope, reducing it. Jake’s unshakeable optimism gets him through the highs and lows, and in moments of teenage comedy and laughter we are able to understand how it is that he copes with his less than idyllic lifestyle.

To quote the wise words of Mark Twain, “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Posted by Legend Press at 10:43

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The News (Dec 2009)

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Chichester Observer (Phil Hewitt, Dec 09)

“Glasshopper, the debut novel from Chichester author Isabel Ashdown, has been listed in the Best Books of 2009 in both the London Evening Standard and the Observer Review.

Isabel said: “Since the launch in September we’ve had a hugely positive response to Glasshopper, with lots of great reviews in both the local and national press. Following my appearance on the Simon Mayo show in October, the book sold out online overnight!

When Waterstone’s magazine recommended it for book groups, sales spiked again, and we are now on to our third print run in just three months.

I was absolutely delighted when I heard that it had been included in the Best Books of 2009 listings in both the Observer Review and the London Evening Standard. It’s a great honour to be listed alongside so many wonderful writers.

I’ve really enjoyed all the book readings and interviews, but I’m now ready for a bit of quiet time.”

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Writing Magazine (Dec 2009)

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The Guardian (Oct 2009)

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The News (Oct 2009)

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The News (Sept 2009)

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The Chichester News (Sept 2009)

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Chichester Observer (Sept 2009)

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The Valley Diary (Sept 2009)

WEST DEAN SCHOOL MUM PUBLISHED!

Click on the link to read page 18 of local publication, The Valley Diary.

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Mail on sunday (Aug 2009)

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The News (Aug 2009)

TALENTED Isabel Ashdown

A wealth of top female writers are getting ready to make an appearance at this year’s Havant Literary Festival.

A woman’s touch will be brought to the festival, now in its second year, by top authors Fay Weldon, Maggie Gee and the festival’s official writer-in-residence, Stella Duffy.

The literary editor of The Guardian, Claire Armitstead, will be examining the role of the critic and debut author Lucy Beresford will talk about her new book, Something I’m Not.

Film historian Dr Amanda Field will talk about her new book, England’s Secret Weapon – the Wartime Films of Sherlock Holmes, explaining how 1940s Hollywood recruited the quintessential Victorian detective to fight the Nazis.

Crime newcomer Leigh Russell talks about her debut novel, Cut Short, the first of a series featuring DI Geraldine Steel. Children’s author Sandra Horn, creator of Tattybogle, will appear at Havant Library.

And local writers Isabel Ashdown, Alex Bell and Yong Pease will feature in a panel discussion on writing for and about teenagers.

The festival will run for 10 days from September 25 to October 4 after the success of an inaugural four-day festival last year, which attracted 1,500 visitors at more than 40 events, making a £4,000 profit.

The festival’s artistic director, Lucy Flannery, said: ‘We’re very confident we can build on last year’s success. We’ve got more big names and plenty of high calibre events across both weekends and during the week.

‘We want to compete with the likes of Hay, Cheltenham and Edinburgh but still keep our hearts in the local community.

‘Ticket sales are positive considering how little publicity there has been. It helps we’ve kept our prices low. Our highest price is £8 for Fay Weldon.’

Tickets from Havant Arts Centre in East Street, call (023) 9247 2700 or go to havantartscentre.co.uk

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Chichester Observer (Nov 2008)