Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard The Hidden Lives of Writers

S07 E04 Karen Jennings

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Karen Jennings is an internationally acclaimed author whose work has been rewarded with a Booker Prize longlisting.

Karen joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how new ideas sometimes come to her in the form of a colour, and how she writes multiple drafts of the same manuscript in search of incremental improvement. She describes where she was and what she was doing when she found out about the Booker longlisting.

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Chapters
  • 00:00 Introduction and Weekly Writing Updates
  • 02:03 The Importance of Firsthand Content Consumption
  • 04:47 Gail's Hilary Mantel Revelation
  • 07:09 Introducing Karen Jennings
  • 09:31 Karen's Writing Routine and Process
  • 15:32 The Many Drafts Approach
  • 18:06 Color-Based Creative Inspiration
  • 21:25 Early Writing Influences and Family Background
  • 24:57 Educational Journey and Career Path
  • 28:15 "An Island" and the Booker Experience
  • 33:56 Positive Outcomes from Booker Recognition
  • 38:25 Writing "Crooked Seeds" and Character Development
  • 44:22 Collective Responsibility and Social Consciousness
  • 48:08 Academic Writing Education Critique
  • 53:10 "The First of December" - Historical Context
  • 57:46 Reading Recommendations and Conclusion
13 Apr English South Africa Books · Arts

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