City Lit catches up with Stacy Ashworth, one of the winners of this year's Malorie Blackman Scholarship for Unheard Voices. We find out more about her writing experiences, winning the scholarship and her ambitions.
Tell us a little bit more about yourself and your writing background?
I am the mother of two daughters away at University and I’m excited to be joining them with my own studies. I’m Canadian but my husband and I have lived in England most of our adult lives. I’ve always considered myself a writer but never had the confidence to pursue it as a career. Then, as my disease got worse, I was desperate to raise money for medical treatment. As a teenager, I was diagnosed with MS, but in my 30s I was told no, it’s not MS, it’s lupus. In my 40s I was told no, it’s not actually lupus. I currently have no diagnosis other than CNS demyelination. In my frantic googling on how to make money, I discovered self-publishing on Kindle. I became a best-selling romance author and raised the money necessary, but due to the years of medical hoop jumping and issues with medical care during Covid, I can no longer functionally move below my neck.
What role does writing play in your life, and why is it important to you?
Aside from my family, writing is the most important thing in my life. From stories to poetry to blogging, I’ve been writing in one form or another for as long as I can remember. Now writing is the only activity I can actively do, everything else is passive, such as watching television, or done for me. Imagine if you were only able to do one thing in your life; how lucky am I that it’s the thing I love most? It also represents the only possibility of me financially contributing to the eye-watering costs of my care.
Who are your favourite writers and what stories have inspired you?
I’m a diehard Margaret Atwood fan, ever since we studied The Handmaid’s Tale back in high school in the 80s. I’ve always been slightly obsessed by Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse Five has probably inspired me more than any other novel because it tells such a personal and heavy story in an innovative and enjoyable way. I’m also a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid and I aspire to make my readers feel the happiness I feel when I’m reading one of her books.
What made you decide to study at City Lit?
As someone who now wants a career in traditional publishing I know I have to improve my craft, but my condition means I’m largely housebound and City Lit offers a huge amount of amazing online creative writing courses.
What courses have you studied at City Lit and why?
I took a course on writing magazine articles in the 90s. I’m very excited to get re-started with my studies!
What made you decide to apply for the Malorie Blackman scholarship?
I face so many barriers from so many directions that I often feel like I’m supposed to stay home and give up, but I don’t want to be invisible. So, when I learned of the scholarship I eagerly applied as I need all the help, I can get to have a voice, I never actually thought I would be chosen.
What do you hope to achieve through the scholarship scheme?
The tools to get a publishing deal, followed by a worldwide bestseller and a Netflix deal. Lofty dreams aside, I believe in my current WIP because I want to demystify what it’s like to be severely disabled and for people to understand that we are every bit as human as they are and that we still have lives worth living — all while telling a great feel-good story that readers will love. But to do that I need to improve my craft and I’m eager to learn everything I can from the teachers at City Lit.
Study at City Lit
Learn to write stories, articles, and poetry in the same college where big names in literature such as Malorie Blackman and Andrea Levy have trained.
