Posted: 24/03/11
Award-winning author to visit students
Media students at West Nottinghamshire College are to get writing tips and advice about life at university from an award-winning author as part of a creative writing workshop.
Learners at the college’s Media Studio based in Thoresby Street, Mansfield, will be welcoming Nicola Monaghan, writer of The Killing Jar, which details her life and experiences growing up on a Nottingham council estate.
Originally from Broxtowe, Nottingham, Nicola qualified as a teacher and went on to work in various jobs in London in a career that took her all over the world. She returned to her home city in 2001 to concentrate on her writing career.
She enrolled on the MA in Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University, where she graduated with a distinction in 2004 after becoming the first person from her family to go to university.
After publishing The Killing Jar in 2006 she was included in The Independent’s New Year list of ‘Rising Talent’ and went on to win a Betty Trask Award, the Authors' Club Best First Novel Prize and The Waverton Good Read.
Nicola has since published a second critically-acclaimed novel, Starfishing, and a novella The Okinawa Dragon. She is currently developing a film script for The Killing Jar with co-writer and director Deborah Haywood.
Students on the college’s BTEC Diploma in Creative Media Production (film and TV) will benefit from Nicola’s writing experience during their scriptwriting class on 31 March and will be finding out more about her life at university and subsequent success.
Media tutor Michael Rhodes said: “Nicola’s visit will provide our media students with a great opportunity to meet with a professional from the media industry.
“Getting advice and experience from the professionals enables our learners to become more involved and confident in a range of film and television projects on their courses."
