Northern dialect fiction finds international co-agent team for County Durham author Jen Bowden
A trilogy featuring rarely used Pitmatic dialect has been snapped up by co-agent team, Clare Coombes of The Liverpool Literary Agency in the UK and Brendan Fredericks of BFredericksPR in Australia.
Journalist, editor and writer, Jen Bowden, is originally from Wingate, County Durham (the pit village that her novel setting is based on). She chose to work with an international team for this series to increase representation and diversity of North of England stories and settings.
Jen Bowden commented: “Pitmatic dialect seldom makes it into published fiction, Ben Myers’s Pig Iron is the only title that I’m aware of that’s currently in the market. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t others writing in this dialect. Similar titles include Pig Iron, Ajay Close's Trust, Jennie Godfrey’s The List of Suspicious Things and Andrew McMillan's Pity – think Brassed Off meets Billy Elliot with a solid dose of Northern humour and spirit.
“To have the backing of not one, but two, dynamic, passionate and knowledgeable agents is beyond anything I could have asked for. Brendan and Clare have a fantastic amount of expertise between them and their unique situation of being on opposite sides of the world shows that Northern stories can resonate with readers internationally. I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that my writing is safe in their hands and can't wait to work with them both as these projects develop.”
Clare Coombes said: “I loved Jen’s book from the first read, especially the northern, working-class pit village dialect (Pitmatic) in the dialogue. Voices like this from the north of England need more representation in fiction, particularly around the time of the 40th anniversary of the 80s miners’ strike being this year and 2025.”
Brendan Fredericks said: "When I first read One for Sorrow, I connected with it in a way that was deep and affecting. Clare and I share a similar ethos as small literary and PR agencies, focusing on amplifying marginalised voices. Jen's novels are simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, the Northern setting and dialect creating such an authentic and evocative sense of place. The characters really resonated with me and I'm sure will do the same with readers across the globe!"
About the series
One for Sorrow, the first book of the trilogy, takes us to 1973 where the residents of the fictional North East pit village of Blackton are already struggling with the weight of knowing the pit is both life-giving and life-taking. After a devastating explosion burdens the village with more tragedy, brother and sister Dan and Sarah Bradley, and miner Joe Bernard must pull together with their community and do everything they can to bear their collective grief. The second novel, Two for Joy, formed the creative component of Jen’s PhD and follows the same characters through the turmoil of the 84/85 miners' strike. The third, Three for a Girl, explores how community has moved online, and is set around the time of Brexit and the result of the Hillsborough Inquiry.
About the author
Jen’s podcast – Northern Voices – explores Northern writers (published and unpublished), publishing and stories. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from Curtin University, researching how the use of Northern working-class dialect in contemporary fiction might affect the UK book industry's response to that work. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, the Scotsman, the List and, recently, The Bookseller, among others. She also hosts the Readers & Writers Podcast for Arts Margaret River. You can find Jen on Instagram and Twitter @jenbowden12
Contact details
Clare Coombes
The Liverpool Literary Agency
clare@liverpool-literary.agency
BFredericksPR
Literary Agency | Publicity | Author Management
Author Jen Bowden