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My guest today is the award winning author, screenwriter and poet Jenni Fagan. Jenni has written four novels, several poetry collections and been named Scottish novelist of the year.
18 months or so ago Jenni and I met in a suitably spooky basement in Edinburgh’s old town to talk about her incredible, harrowing memoir about growing up in care, Ootlin.
An ootlin, according to Jenni, is ‘someone who creates their story without first seeking permission to do so’. And you’ll soon see why that couldn’t be more apt.
Then, life happened; publication of the book was delayed and the interview never ran. Scroll forward to a month or so ago when Ootlin was long listed for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction (we’ll find out tomorrow whether it’s been shortlisted. I would put money on it). Then a few days later Jenni and Ootlin won the prestigious Gordon Burn Prize. And I decided to raid the archives and listen again. What I heard was a moving conversation about building a life when society has dumped you on the scrapheap before birth. And then some.
As you’ll hear, Jenni and I spoke candidly about her childhood growing up in 29 different homes, preserving the shining girl inside when life is only interested in snuffing her out, how she became Jenni with an i, her cultural mothers, surfing her way through her 50s and her obsession with property renovation.
I really think this conversation, and this book, are ones you will never forget.
CW: I’ve got to warn you, there is some tough stuff in here including references to sexual abuse and suicidal ideation.
Listen to the full episode here:
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