Class of 2016
Creative Writing MA
IF YOU STUDIED YOUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME AT YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES, DID YOU GO ON TO POSTGRADUATE STUDY?
No
JOB:
Author
WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS PHOTO AS YOUR YSJ SNAPSHOT?
Pic one looks like me today, pic 2 is me on graduation day.
WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY?
As well as studying at York St John, I also worked there between 2013 and 2019 (I was a Library Assistant, Visa and Compliance Adviser and then a Careers Adviser), so York St John has been a big part of my life.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES?
The Creative Writing MA at York St John was perfect for me – it was an evening course, so it fit well around my full-time job, and it meant I got to work with some brilliant writers.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE COMPLETING YOUR STUDIES?
Since finishing my MA my life has changed significantly – I live in London now, still working in careers, and in 2022 I also secured a publishing deal for my first book, THE DARK WITHIN US, which is about a homeless 16-year-old who discovers she doesn’t have a soul, so makes a deal with a demon to go into Hell and get it back. I was working on this booking during my MA, so it’s been a long time coming!
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CURRENT STUDENT, OR ONE ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
Most recruitment is about storytelling – the job you want won’t necessarily know why you’re the best fit for a job, but you can use your applications and interviews to tell them why. Also – use your careers service!
To find out more about Jess’s debut book, The Dark Within Us, visit Chicken House Books’ website: https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/books/the-dark-within-us/