Isabel Ashdown
Encyclopedia
Isabel Ashdown is a British writer of contemporary fiction. She is the winner of The Mail on Sunday
Novel Competition 2008, with judges Fay Weldon
, Sir John Mortimer and Michael Ridpath
describing Isabel's winning entry as magnificent ... made every word work and left the reader anxious to read on. Her debut novel
Glasshopper was subsequently released in 2009, gaining critical acclaim and going on to be listed in the London Evening Standard Best Books of '09 and the Observer
Best Debuts of '09.
Glasshopper and Hurry Up and Wait are both published by Myriad Editions
.
and grew up in East Wittering
, a seaside village in West Sussex
, and she now lives in the county with her her carpenter husband and their two children. Isabel worked in product marketing for many years, predominantly for The Body Shop
, during which time she was Head of Product for Europe, the Middle East and Africa
. In her mid-thirties she gave up her career to study for a Masters in Creative Writing
at the University of Chichester
, from where she graduated with distinction.
Isabel now writes full-time, spending much of her time on the Isle of Wight
where she walks, thinks, and works on her next novel.
Hurry Up and Wait (2011)
Despite his turbulent home life, Jake is an irrepressible teenager and his troubled mother is not the only thing on his mind: there’s the hi-fi he’s saving up for, his growing passion for Greek mythology (and his pretty classics teacher), and the anticipation of brief visits to see his dad. When his parents reconcile, life finally seems to be looking up. Their first family holiday, announced over scampi and chips in the Royal Oak, promises to be the icing on the cake – until long-unspoken family secrets begin to surface.
Isabel Ashdown’s début novel tells a captivating story of family life, at once troubling, funny and joyous. Vividly bringing to life the gentility of a 1950s childhood, the free-spirited hedonism of the Sixties, and the urban domesticity of 1980s Portsmouth, this is an intimate, lyrical and deeply moving portrait of a family crumbling under the weight of past mistakes.
August 1985: Sarah celebrates her fifteenth birthday in the back garden of the suburban seaside house she shares with her ageing father. As she embarks on her fifth and final year at Selton High School for Girls Sarah’s main focus is on her erratic friendships with Tina and Kate; her closest allies one moment, her fiercest opponents the next as they compete for the attention of the new boy, Dante. When her father is unexpectedly taken ill, Sarah is sent to stay with Kate’s family in nearby Amber Chalks. Kate’s youthful parents welcome her into the comfort of their liberal family home, where the girls can eat off trays and watch TV in Kate’s bedroom. They’ve never been closer – until a few days into her stay, events take a sinister turn, and Sarah knows that nothing will ever be the same again.
An immaculately written novel with plenty of dark family secrets and gentle wit within. Recommended for book groups. Waterstone’s Books Quarterly
A tender and subtle novel about alcoholism that explores difficult issues in deceptively easy prose. A wonderful debut – intelligent, understated and sensitive. Observer
Books of the Year 2009
A disturbing, thought-provoking tale of family dysfunction, spanning the second half of the 20th century, that guarantees laughter at the uncomfortable familiarity of it all. London Evening Standard Best Books of 2009
I love it. It’s a book that’s very fast and really rewarding as a reader. There’s a wrenching end to the first chapter that switches the mood and absolutely hooked me for the rest of the book. David Vann
, author of Legend of a Suicide
Ashdown’s Glasshopper was one of our favourite books of 2009, and her second novel is another mix of compelling characters and 1980s nostalgia. Bella Magazine
A great story. It is incredibly sad but it’s incredibly enjoyable, like watching a horror film; you enjoy being frightened. Lemn Sissay
on the Simon Mayo
Show
A brilliant debut. Sainsbury’s Magazine
A heartbreaking redemptive tale of family secrets that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Glamour Magazine
It reminded me of Iain Banks. If you enjoyed The Crow Road, I think you’ll get lots out of this book. Joel Morris on the Simon Mayo
Show
Carefully observed, unexpected and mesmerisingly beautiful. Easy Living
It’s an incredibly powerful, intense book. Very, very real. Boyd Hilton
on the Simon Mayo
Show
Glasshopper is skilfully written and hard to put down. A page-turningly good read . . . a perceptive insight into alcohol’s hidden harm. Drink & Drugs Review
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
Novel Competition 2008, with judges Fay Weldon
Fay Weldon
Fay Weldon CBE is an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrays contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.-Biography:Weldon was...
, Sir John Mortimer and Michael Ridpath
Michael Ridpath
Michael Ridpath is the British author of various thrillers based around the world of high finance. He was born in Devon in 1961 and grew up in Yorkshire. He was educated at Millfield School and Merton College, Oxford where he obtained first class honours in Modern History, and represented the...
describing Isabel's winning entry as magnificent ... made every word work and left the reader anxious to read on. Her debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
Glasshopper was subsequently released in 2009, gaining critical acclaim and going on to be listed in the London Evening Standard Best Books of '09 and the Observer
Observer
Observer may refer to person who is observing. More specialised meanings follow.-Computer science and information theory:*In information theory, any system which receives information from an object....
Best Debuts of '09.
Glasshopper and Hurry Up and Wait are both published by Myriad Editions
Myriad Editions
Myriad Editions is an independent publishing house based in Brighton, UK, specialising in three genres: topical atlases, graphic non-fiction and original fiction.-History:Myriad Editions was founded as a book packager in 1993...
.
Biography
Isabel Ashdown was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and grew up in East Wittering
East Wittering
East Wittering is a coastal village in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. The eastern half of the village lies within the civil parish of East Wittering and Bracklesham, while the western half lies within the boundary of West Wittering civil parish...
, a seaside village in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, and she now lives in the county with her her carpenter husband and their two children. Isabel worked in product marketing for many years, predominantly for The Body Shop
The Body Shop
The Body Shop International plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company...
, during which time she was Head of Product for Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government, marketing and business purposes...
. In her mid-thirties she gave up her career to study for a Masters in Creative Writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
at the University of Chichester
University of Chichester
The University of Chichester is a university based in West Sussex, England. Campuses are based in the city of Chichester and the nearby coastal resort of Bognor Regis...
, from where she graduated with distinction.
Isabel now writes full-time, spending much of her time on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
where she walks, thinks, and works on her next novel.
Novels
Glasshopper (2009)Hurry Up and Wait (2011)
Glasshopper
Portsmouth, 1984. Thirteen-year-old Jake’s world is unravelling as his father and older brother leave home, and his mother, Mary, plunges into alcoholic freefall.Despite his turbulent home life, Jake is an irrepressible teenager and his troubled mother is not the only thing on his mind: there’s the hi-fi he’s saving up for, his growing passion for Greek mythology (and his pretty classics teacher), and the anticipation of brief visits to see his dad. When his parents reconcile, life finally seems to be looking up. Their first family holiday, announced over scampi and chips in the Royal Oak, promises to be the icing on the cake – until long-unspoken family secrets begin to surface.
Isabel Ashdown’s début novel tells a captivating story of family life, at once troubling, funny and joyous. Vividly bringing to life the gentility of a 1950s childhood, the free-spirited hedonism of the Sixties, and the urban domesticity of 1980s Portsmouth, this is an intimate, lyrical and deeply moving portrait of a family crumbling under the weight of past mistakes.
Hurry Up and Wait
It’s more than twenty years since Sarah Ribbons last set foot inside her old high school, a crumbling Victorian-built comprehensive on the south coast of England. Now, as she prepares for her school reunion, 39-year-old Sarah has to face up to the truth of what really happened back in the summer of 1986.August 1985: Sarah celebrates her fifteenth birthday in the back garden of the suburban seaside house she shares with her ageing father. As she embarks on her fifth and final year at Selton High School for Girls Sarah’s main focus is on her erratic friendships with Tina and Kate; her closest allies one moment, her fiercest opponents the next as they compete for the attention of the new boy, Dante. When her father is unexpectedly taken ill, Sarah is sent to stay with Kate’s family in nearby Amber Chalks. Kate’s youthful parents welcome her into the comfort of their liberal family home, where the girls can eat off trays and watch TV in Kate’s bedroom. They’ve never been closer – until a few days into her stay, events take a sinister turn, and Sarah knows that nothing will ever be the same again.
Critical response
Ashdown’s storytelling skills are formidable; her human insights highly perceptive. Mail on SundayAn immaculately written novel with plenty of dark family secrets and gentle wit within. Recommended for book groups. Waterstone’s Books Quarterly
A tender and subtle novel about alcoholism that explores difficult issues in deceptively easy prose. A wonderful debut – intelligent, understated and sensitive. Observer
Observer
Observer may refer to person who is observing. More specialised meanings follow.-Computer science and information theory:*In information theory, any system which receives information from an object....
Books of the Year 2009
A disturbing, thought-provoking tale of family dysfunction, spanning the second half of the 20th century, that guarantees laughter at the uncomfortable familiarity of it all. London Evening Standard Best Books of 2009
I love it. It’s a book that’s very fast and really rewarding as a reader. There’s a wrenching end to the first chapter that switches the mood and absolutely hooked me for the rest of the book. David Vann
David Vann
David Johnson Vann was mayor of Birmingham, Alabama.Vann was born in Randolph County, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1950, and from the University's law school in 1951. He served as clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, and was present in the courtroom...
, author of Legend of a Suicide
Ashdown’s Glasshopper was one of our favourite books of 2009, and her second novel is another mix of compelling characters and 1980s nostalgia. Bella Magazine
A great story. It is incredibly sad but it’s incredibly enjoyable, like watching a horror film; you enjoy being frightened. Lemn Sissay
Lemn Sissay
Lemn Sissay MBE is an award-winning British author and broadcaster of Ethiopian and Eritrean parents.He is known for performances of his poetry and also with jazz fusion groups. He is a playwright, and has worked on radio and television...
on the Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
Show
A brilliant debut. Sainsbury’s Magazine
A heartbreaking redemptive tale of family secrets that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Glamour Magazine
Glamour magazine
Glamour magazine means:* Glamour magazine, a U.S. publication aimed at a predominantly female readership* a girlie magazine aimed at a male readership featuring photographs of women...
It reminded me of Iain Banks. If you enjoyed The Crow Road, I think you’ll get lots out of this book. Joel Morris on the Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
Show
Carefully observed, unexpected and mesmerisingly beautiful. Easy Living
It’s an incredibly powerful, intense book. Very, very real. Boyd Hilton
Boyd Hilton
Boyd Hilton is a British historian and a professor and fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He specialises in modern British history, from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century.Hilton was elected a fellow of Trinity College in 1974...
on the Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
Show
Glasshopper is skilfully written and hard to put down. A page-turningly good read . . . a perceptive insight into alcohol’s hidden harm. Drink & Drugs Review
External links
- Isabel Ashdown's Official Website
- Isabel Ashdown in the Guardian
- Isabel Ashdown: My Saturday Job
- Isabel Ashdown: The Thrill of the Taboo
- Isabel Ashdown on Writing Competitions
- Isabel Ashdown: Hidden Treasures in my Local Library
- Isabel Ashdown in Essentials Magazine
- Isabel Ashdown in Writing Magazine