An Otterly New Approach to Life
A sign of things to come
The quest was simple: find a life of stability doing what you love. The route wasn’t easy, but with dedication, you made your way: writing, submitting, dealing with rejection, and teaching the craft as you went. A two-hour-a-week university post with a termly, hourly-paid contract. Always freelance, always scrabbling for the next piece of work or funding, but bit by bit, growing a reputation in literary circles and not just for drinking too much free wine at the parties, although yes, that too.
Getting funding for a PhD in Creative Writing was the turning point. The next four years weren’t easy, but the book? The book was something else, and it landed a big, juicy deal. There was a launch at the British Library. The publisher wrapped it in copies of 16th-century maps, sealed with wax seals, and sent it to celebrities for Christmas. There were mainstream reviews, BBC Radio 4 discussions and appearances, high-profile lit fests with paid accommodation and glorious gree…
