Carolyn Jess-Cooke

1978

Belfast, Northern Ireland

At 26 she took up a lectureship in film studies at the University of Sunderland, where she established herself as a film theorist, publishing numerous articles and books and receiving a reference in Who"s Who in Research: Film. She took up a senior lectureship in Creative Writing at the University of Northumbria in 2009 but tendered her resignation to write full-time in January 2011. Jess-Cooke is the author of the novel, The Guardian Angel"s Journal, which was published in 2011 in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth by Piatkus, an imprint of Little, Brown, and Guideposts Books in the United States of America. The book hit the Bookseller"s Heatseaker"s chart upon publication, sold 40,000 copies in its first week of publication in Italy., and hit the number two spot in the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, Company magazine hailed Jess-Cooke as "the new Audrey Niffenegger", while in the United States, a starred review in Publisher"s Weekly called Jess-Cooke "one to watch.". The book is published in 22 languages to date. Jess-Cooke"s poetry has also appeared in Review, London, New Zealand, Ireland Review, The Wolf, Magma, Wales, The Lonely Poets" Guide to Belfast, Black Mountain Review, Ambit, Tower, The SHOp, and in a ribbon of steel that runs for half a mile throughout a medical facility in Middlesbrough. A second poetry collection titled "Boom!" - the title poem of which appears in the Summer 2012 issue of Review - is scheduled for publication with Seren in 2014. Jess-Cooke"s second novel, The Boy Who Could See Demons, was published in the United Kingdom by Piatkus in May 2012, where it was reviewed as "one of the year"s best reads.". Random House published the book in 2013, with an ending that differed - rather dramatically - to the British version. The different ending is highly controversial, with Jess-Cooke commenting that she responded to her publisher"s suggestions by experimenting with narrative form. A Hollywood film is currently being made of the book The audiobook of the novel - released by Random House United States in August 2013 - features Jess-Cooke narrating the part of Anya, one of the novel"s lead characters. Jess-Cooke currently resides in Whitley Bay, England with her family.

Carolyn Jess-Cooke

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Background

Carolyn Jess-Cooke was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1978.

Education

She was educated at The Queen"s University of Belfast, where she received a Bachelor (Honours), Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy by the age of 25.

Career

At 26 she took up a lectureship in film studies at the University of Sunderland, where she established herself as a film theorist, publishing numerous articles and books and receiving a reference in Who"s Who in Research: Film. She took up a senior lectureship in Creative Writing at the University of Northumbria in 2009 but tendered her resignation to write full-time in January 2011. Jess-Cooke is the author of the novel, The Guardian Angel"s Journal, which was published in 2011 in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth by Piatkus, an imprint of Little, Brown, and Guideposts Books in the United States of America. The book hit the Bookseller"s Heatseaker"s chart upon publication, sold 40,000 copies in its first week of publication in Italy., and hit the number two spot in the Netherlands.

In the United Kingdom, Company magazine hailed Jess-Cooke as "the new Audrey Niffenegger", while in the United States, a starred review in Publisher"s Weekly called Jess-Cooke "one to watch.".

The book is published in 22 languages to date. Jess-Cooke"s poetry has also appeared in Review, London, New Zealand, Ireland Review, The Wolf, Magma, Wales, The Lonely Poets" Guide to Belfast, Black Mountain Review, Ambit, Tower, The SHOp, and in a ribbon of steel that runs for half a mile throughout a medical facility in Middlesbrough.

A second poetry collection titled "Boom!" - the title poem of which appears in the Summer 2012 issue of Review - is scheduled for publication with Seren in 2014. Jess-Cooke"s second novel, The Boy Who Could See Demons, was published in the United Kingdom by Piatkus in May 2012, where it was reviewed as "one of the year"s best reads.".

Random House published the book in 2013, with an ending that differed - rather dramatically - to the British version.

The different ending is highly controversial, with Jess-Cooke commenting that she responded to her publisher"s suggestions by experimenting with narrative form. A Hollywood film is currently being made of the book The audiobook of the novel - released by Random House United States in August 2013 - features Jess-Cooke narrating the part of Anya, one of the novel"s lead characters.

Jess-Cooke currently resides in Whitley Bay, England with her family.

Achievements

2001 Academi Cardiff International Poetry Prize (2nd place) 2004 The Tyrone Guthrie Prize for Poetry 2004 Arts Council of Northern Ireland (travel award) 2005 Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors 2006 Arts Council of England Writer"s Award 2008 Northern Promise Award 2009 Poetry Ireland Introductions Series 2013 Northern Promise Award 2013 Arts Council of England Award.