Rosie Anderson

Rosie Anderson was born in the West Midlands and has lived near Birmingham in a small village no one’s ever heard of all her life. Other than reading and writing, one of her greatest pleasures is babysitting four wonderful little girls. She completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature at the University of Leicester and is currently continuing her studies there with a Master’s in Creative Writing. She works part time as a waitress and is looking forward to exploring professions where she may be able to use creative writing.

Rosie loved writing stories and poems as a child. It wasn’t until she started university that she had the opportunity to have her work critiqued by someone other than her mum. She thoroughly enjoyed her Creative Writing modules and during her final year, she was delighted to have been awarded the John Coleman Creative Writing Prize.

Rosie is relatively new to the world of publishing, but she is keen to learn more about the industry. Just a Cat is the first piece of work that has been accepted for publication. Her favourite form to write in is Short Fiction, as she is particularly fond of exploring characterisation through succinct plotlines. She loves to explore everyday situations and experiment with descriptive techniques to create psychologically convincing characters. She does not have a preferred genre but is enjoying challenging herself with a range of different styles and formats.

Q: Do you have a lucky writing talisman? If so, what is it?

A: I have a small toy rabbit my mum sewed me a few years ago to help me pass my A-level Chemistry exam. I failed Chemistry, but I keep the rabbit around for anything I might need luck for anyway. He sits on my desk when I write and I take him to job interviews. I’m sure he helped me pass my driving test (on the fourth attempt).

Q: Is there a book that you keep going back to and how many times have you read it?

A: The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter. Every time I read it I understand and appreciate something else. Most recently, I recognised the allusions to Charles Manson having read The Girls by Emma Cline the year before.

Q: Who is your person of inspiration?

A: My Mum. Sorry – I know that might be cliché. She’s encouraged my creative work since I was a child by listening to my stories and taking part in plays I’d written (even if she was occasionally cast as a magic bogey). She’s the most intelligent and hard-working person I’ve ever met, but she still talks to our cats about the weather. She inspires not only my commitment to writing and trying my best, but also my efforts to behave selflessly and compassionately. If I can make her as proud of me as I am of her, I’ll consider myself extremely successful.