Introducing the Jane Fallon Scholarship winner
BY Katie Smart
8th Aug 2019
We are thrilled to announce that Clare Milling has been awarded the Jane Fallon Scholarship. Clare will join our 6-month online novel-writing course, taught by Lisa O’Donnell, this September. We received over 140 applications, and competition was high! We are immensely grateful to everyone who applied and were overwhelmed by the quality of writing. We would also like to thank Jane Fallon for her generosity and her support of aspiring authors. Clare had this to say about her novel-in-progress: ‘Sea Born is the story of Morgen, a fisherman's daughter in 18th C. Cornwall and what happens when a smuggler decides that her family's quiet cove is the perfect place to run goods into the country. It is a story about a young woman trapped by circumstance, but it's also about how the landscape shapes our language, traditions and beliefs. The dramatic Cornish coastline is such a rich source of inspiration. The more I delved into the history and mythology of the region, the more I realised that I wanted to use the Sea as a character in its own right, giving it a god-like power that shapes the events in the book.’ We were instantly impressed by Clare’s gripping historical tale. Sea Born grabs the reader right from its stormy, windswept opening page. Her writing is drenched in atmosphere and we’re excited to see how her novel develops. Jane Fallon said: 'I'm delighted for Clare. The Curtis Brown Creative courses are an incredible opportunity for unpublished authors, and I have no doubt they'll be able to help her make the most of her undoubted talent.' Clare told us: ‘Having taken two of the short courses I know what an amazingly supportive and inspiring environment CBC have created for fledgling authors to explore, take risks and find their voice. My writing improved so much over each of those courses. The challenge of the weekly tasks and feedback from fellow participants was invaluable. When the courses came to an end I found it really hard to keep the momentum going, so when I heard about the Jane Fallon Scholarship I leapt at the chance. Even though I persuaded myself that I had nothing to lose, it still took quite a bit of courage to send in the application. I have to say a huge thank you to Jane Fallon for her generous offer of funding which made this opportunity possible for me. The next six months will be about prioritising my writing and getting that first draft completed. I recently found the original idea for Sea Born scribbled in an old journal from 25 years ago, so I'm really looking forward to being able to write "The End".' Read this blog: Jane Fallon and her agent Jonny Geller talk about all things books and the author-agent relationshipCurtis Brown Creative are committed to finding talented writers and helping them to get the best out of their novels. We are keen to promote diversity in our student groups and to find talented writers through the provision of scholarships and bursaries. Keep an eye on our scholarships page to find out when new novel-writing bursaries become open for application.