Issue
13.01.15
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Concrete online Scan for all the latest news, sports and society blogs
Former UEA student wins Costa first novel prize
The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper
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>> Elizabeth is Missing was partly written at UEA.
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Geri Scott: responding to Charlie Hebdo
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Cuba: Myles Earle’s Caribbean dream
>> Judges praise “outstanding” debut. >> Novel is also in the running for Book of the Year. Geri Scott Editor-in-Chief Emma Healey’s debut novel Elizabeth is Missing, some of which was written during her time as a UEA student, has been named best first novel at the Costa Book Awards. The book, which prompted a fierce bidding war between nine publishers last year, has been showered with praise since its publication in June 2014. Healey began writing Elizabeth is Missing at the age of 22 and completed it after five years of researching and writing. During this time she also completed a postgraduate creative writing course at UEA and also worked as a web administrator for the university. On hearing the news, Healey said: “My editor called me when I was at home and I was sitting on the stairs ... I just shook a lot. It is amazing ... I feel like I say everything is amazing since the book was sold, but just because I’m repetitive it doesn’t mean it’s not true. It’s incredible, I still can’t quite believe it”. Despite this prestigious award and having been writing stories from the age of 15, Healey jokes that the start of her writing career wasn’t the smoothest: she left school with five GCSEs, including a C in English Literature. However,
Emma Healey: UEA graduate and award-winning writer Photo: Martin Figura she continued writing to try and make sense of the struggle with dementia, a condition from which her grandmother suffers and which was the direct inspiration for Elizabeth is Missing. Judges for the Costa prize said: “This outstanding debut novel gripped us from the very first page – once you start reading you won’t be able to stop. Not only is it gripping, but it shows incredible flair and unusual skill. A very special book”. Elizabeth is Missing is one of five category winners and is in brilliant company to compete for the title of Costa Book of the Year. Also in
the running are Helen MacDonald and Ali Smith, two writers who will be speaking at this spring’s UEA Literary Festival. MacDonald, who won the Costa biography award for her memoir H is for Hawk will be visiting UEA on 25th February 2015, whereas Smith, who has been awarded the Costa novel award for How to be Both, will be speaking on 18th March. You can find more information and the full programme of the 2015 Spring Literary Festival at www.uea.ac.uk/litfest. Healey is now working on a second novel. The Costa Book of the Year will be announced on 27th January 2015.
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Azealia, Azalea and cultural appropriation
Student union lobbies university over mental health pledge Dan Falvey News editor In an open letter sent to UEA’s Vice Chancellor, David Richardson, the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) has condemned the university for their consistent failure to tackle the issue of mental health. The letter, sent at the end of last semester by UUEAS Welfare, Community & Diversity Officer Holly Staynor, claims that “a litany of excuses, process issues, committees and interminable bureaucracy characterise the university’s collective response” to the issue so far. UUEAS has lobbied UEA to sign the Time to Change pledge, which commits
the university institution to developing policies and procedures to challenge the preconceptions that surrounds mental health. The Time to Change campaign aims to support people with mental health issues and combat stigma against mental illness. It was launched in 2009 and has seen vast amounts of support in its relatively short history. UUEAS signed the pledge in May of last year. In the open letter, the union says that the university’s decision not to sign the pledge is “completely unacceptable”. The letter’s author, Holly Staynor, said: “We’ve been lobbying the university for months on the issues facing students with mental health problems, but all we get is excuses. It’s time for the new VC to stamp his authority on the university over this vital issue
and ensure that students get the support and help they need”. Responding to the union’s criticism, a UEA spokesperson stated that: “The proposal to sign the ‘Time to Change’ pledge was brought to the UEA Equality and Diversity Committee and was very positively received. The decision was made in principle that the University would support the initiative to support the elimination of mental health stigma and discrimination. “Since this meeting, the Committee has been awaiting an example plan from the union to explore what commitment the pledge requires and how we can work coherently with them, with a view to create a university plan of
action”. One in four people will suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lives.
“It’s time for the new VC to stamp his authority on the university over this vital issue” Holly Staynor, UUEAS Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer