University appoints creative writing expert

AN award-winning author whose bestselling novel was named book of the year by the Guardian and Observer newspapers is to join the University of Chichester.

Suzanne Joinson has been appointed as a senior lecturer to teach on the emerging field of non-fiction creative and digital writing. The former writer-in-residence at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum joins the department of English and Creative Writing, History and Politics.

Speaking of the appointment Ms Joinson said: “I am really happy to have taken up a post at the University of Chichester. I’ll be teaching creative non-fiction and the blurry areas between auto-fiction, fiction, non-fiction which is very exciting.”

The award-winning author’s most recent book, The Photographer’s Wife, was published by Bloomsbury in the UK and US. It followed her debut novel, A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar, a Guardian and Observer book of the year, which was translated into 16 languages and long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin literary award 2014.

Ms Joinson has also written for the New York Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Independent, and Vogue UK, and others. Head of Department Professor Hugo Frey said: “It is fantastic our students will be learning from such an important figure in the field.

“Suzy joins us with a wealth of experience and her novels are some of the most interesting to be published this decade. It is particularly pleasing as she will be able to contribute to the excellent MA in Creative Writing and work too with history writers.”

For more about Suzanne Joinson visit www.chi.ac.uk/department-english-and-creative-writing. Alternatively go to www.suzannejoinson.com or follow @suzyjoinson on Twitter.