The latest interview in this debut author series is with former teacher Ashley Hickson-Lovence whose novel The 392 comes out in April. I came across Ashley on Twitter and was fascinated by the description of his book, which sounds like a unique and original read.
Read on to find out more about the book and how it came to be published.
Tell us a little about your book and how you came to write it.
The 392 is set almost entirely on a single-decker London bus travelling from Hoxton to Highbury. The story is told from the different passengers’ perspectives as they react and respond to a strange man with a rucksack loitering at the front of the bus.
The 392 took about four years to write in total; in that time, a lot of things shaped the final work.
I was initially inspired to start writing this story when I spotted a quirky-looking bus driver in Islington, north London one day in 2014. She wore a colourful headwrap and gold jangly earrings and was just so smiley and striking that I was compelled to write a few lines about her immediately on my iPhone. The finished book has become much bigger than just this observation since, but the boldness of her attire is definitely a feature in the finished work.
In the much wider sense, I wanted to write about the gentrification of my area, an area of London that went from being dingy to desirable very quickly. I’m still grappling with the conundrum of whether this has been a good or bad thing overall but it was a dramatic observation that I felt inclined to write about.
Thematically, as well as the issues of gentrification, it’s also a book about perceptions and prejudice and not judging books by covers. By the end of reading, I hope serious questions around ideas of ‘otherness’ are raised.
I also used to be a secondary school English teacher and had to teach my GCSE students J.B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls. The reaction caused by the shock twist at the end every time I’ve taught it was also a reaction I was keen to emulate in The 392.
What makes your book unique?
The story is told over a period of just 36 minutes on essentially one small space, a little London bus. It’s a pithy, tense, fast-paced read; deliberately slightly shorter in length than your average novel to allow the reader to be utterly immersed in the dramatic journey at the centre of the story.
I also wanted to create something where previously unheard or forgotten voices were given a space to have their talk acknowledged in an uncensored style that resembles the nuances of urban existence. I wanted it to ooze Britishness, bringing the settings of north and east London alive. And despite the very specific setting – which I worked hard to replicate authentically in The 392 – I want it to be a book with a wide readership, with a story that all can relate to in some way.
The book is just a snapshot of these characters’ lives as they embark on a Monday morning commute, what they represent in the larger sense can be left to interpretation for the reader.
Your book will soon be in readers’ hands. Which part of being published are you most excited about?
The conversations it will hopefully evoke. The tangibility of seeing my words in print, words that once only existed in my head and then on my phone or computer, now available to read in a cafe or a bus! I’m looking forward to (hopefully) doing readings as I love the performance aspect of having to recite work that you’ve written.
When I was a teacher, I was always very envious of the poets, writers and artists we invited in to speak to the students wearing jeans, t-shirt and trainers, while I had to don a suit and manage behaviour.
What has been the most challenging part of your journey to publication?
Even after you think you’ve finished writing the book, getting published takes time and I’m very impatient.
I had to make some tough decisions relating to which publisher to choose when I had a few tentative options on the table.
Because my novel is told from the perspectives of the different passengers on the little bus, some of the passengers were ultimately cut from the final print simply because their voice didn’t work. This was tough because you become attached to particular characters and the voice you have created for them. In the end though, the work is much better now without them.
Do you have a writing mentor, or someone who has influenced your work?
Officially, I have never had a mentor, no, but I did do a MA in Creative Writing and am currently doing a PhD in Creative Writing so have had the assistance of many writing tutors at both City, University of London and University of East Anglia.
I suppose my literary agent Philippa Sitters has been a mentor figure in many ways in the last couple of years, reading my manuscript many times before it was ready to be sent out for submission and making sensible suggestions before hitting send.
If there was one book that you could have written, other than your own, what would it be and why?
Anything by Zadie Smith (obviously).
Sam Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners is probably my favourite book.
Guy Gunaratne’s In Our Mad and Furious City is also incredibly powerful and a hugely impressive London-based modern novel and exactly the voice-driven writing that I like.
What advice would you give to other writers hoping to publish a novel?
Vomit the words out and unearth the magic later with editing. I’ve never been a ‘write 1000 words a day’ type of writer but just try and write the most you physically and mentally can; it might be ten pages, equally, it might just be a paragraph. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just write and try to enjoy it. Not sure whether I take my own advice, but sounds good, doesn’t it?
Is there a debut novel you’re particularly looking forward to reading in 2019?
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams is one that stands out. I actually don’t know much about it but I am excited to read the work of a black British writer with a black British protagonist. You don’t see that often enough in my opinion.
Find out more about The 392 or buy your copy here, the book is published on 25 April 2019.
About the author
Ashley Hickson-Lovence was born in 1991 and grew in Hackney, east London. He is a former football referee and secondary school English teacher and is currently completing his PhD in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of East Anglia.
You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ahicksonlovence or visit his website.