Journalist Spotlight: Angela Clarke, Confessions of a Fashionista
From an anonymous column in the MailOnline to a tell-all book that is a bestseller on Amazon, Angela Clarke’s Confessions of a Fashionista, has blown the lid on the ‘glittering yet deranged world of fashion,’ winning her international acclaim and more recently the The Young Stationers’ Prize 2015 for the ‘one woman powerhouse’ she is.
In this interview, Angela spoke to us about what it feels like to be an award-winning novelist, her next novel – Follow Me, the genetic degenerative connective-tissue disorder she lives with and the Twitter community she loves and laughs with.
Congratulations on winning the Young Stationers’ Prize 2015! How does it feel? Thank you: my reaction has moved from shock to delight, to a deep gratitude for the honour. It’s genuinely thrilling! I’ve never even been nominated for anything before. When I was nine I wanted to enter a pumpkin carving contest, but I didn’t have a pumpkin, so I carved a carrot into a caterpillar with two sparklers as antennae. I don’t think caterpillars even have antennae. I placed sixth in the competition. Only six people entered. This is much, much better.
What prompted you to write Confessions of a Fashionista: the Good, the Bad and the Botox? I’d always made my non-fashion friends laugh with stories from my life in the crazy and fun fashion industry – I was very lucky as an ordinary girl to find myself in such an extraordinary world! It felt natural to share those stories with readers of the MailOnline, in my anonymous column Confessions of a Fashionista, and then with a wider audience of readers with the memoir. It was fun to tattle on the self-obsessed fashion divas and their fillet-steak-eating, Business Class seat frequent flyer, chauffer-driven dogs! But I also wanted people to know about the army of well-balanced hardworking talented creatives, producers, agents, and others who make the £21 billion UK fashion industry, which is the largest employer of all the creative industries in this country, the great success it is.
It was fun to tattle on the self-obsessed fashion divas and their fillet-steak-eating, Business Class seat frequent flyer, chauffer-driven dogs
Did anyone you tattled about, ever get back to you? Ha! Like every time you write about real life some people were convinced they were a character in the book, when they weren’t. And those who were a character in the book often didn’t recognise themselves. I’ve been very lucky that the response in general has been positive. I’m yet to wake up and find a bloody horse hair clutch bag in my bed.
Describe a day in your life? I write plays – my debut The Legacy enjoyed a sell out critically acclaimed first run at The Hope Theatre in June this year. I also write books, columns, the odd bit of journalism, and work as a reader for The Literary Consultancy critiquing manuscripts, so my days are quite varied! If I’m not attending meetings with theatres, producers, directors, or editors in London I can usually be found in my study at home working on my latest project. Right now I’m doing my edits on my first novel Follow Me, which will be published by Avon later this year. Regardless of where I am or what I’m working on, each day starts with physio to help manage the degenerative connective tissue disorder I have: EDS III. In addition to this I visit the physio clinic two to three times a week – they keep me walking, typing, and working! I’d be lost without them.
How do you use social media to write, research and distribute content? Twitter is an incredible tool to find ideas, articles, books, art projects, and all kinds of other things I would never normally come across. It’s also great for judging the zeitgeist. I think it’s amazing how in a relatively short space of time – about ten years – Twitter, Facebook and other platforms have become a daily part of millions of people’s lives. There’s an estimated 15 million Twitter users in the UK: that’s a lot of people you might never have come across before! I’ve been able to connect with others who have the same health condition as me, which is a great support when I’m stuck at home because I’m in pain or my legs aren’t working.
I think it’s amazing how in a relatively short space of time – about ten years – Twitter, Facebook and other platforms have become a daily part of millions of people’s lives
In terms of reaching an audience, Twitter in particular is vital – so many of my Amazon reviews for Confessions of a Fashionista mention people buying the book because they follow me on Twitter. Similarly people I’ve met online have come to see my play, talks, events, tuned into radio shows I’ve appeared on, the lot: it’s very supportive. I’ve made so many wonderful friends. But, as with all things there is a dark side: technology is developing so fast I believe we haven’t yet developed comprehensive social norms for how to utilise it, hence trolling, doxxing, and other undesirable behaviours. It’s that mix of good and bad that inspired me to write Follow Me, which imagines a murderer who tweets. Crime is often said to hold up a mirror to society, and I felt that today our society is online. For many, community is found and enjoyed on social media.
How do you work with PRs? What can do better in working with you? I’ve been lucky to work with excellent PRs for my books: they’re great at focusing on what is newsy and appealing to an audience, as well as coming up with some fantastic audience engagement ideas involving social media. I think that’s a real growth area: how to successfully harness the power of social media. I’ve never experienced it first hand, but we’ve all witnessed ill-conceived, disastrous (and unintentionally hilarious) online communications or Q&A stunts on Twitter. Big corporate companies seem to be particularly bad at misjudging or underestimating how informed today’s generation are. Transparency is key: with so many having a voice online you cannot pull the wool over consumers’ eyes.
Will there be a sequel to the book? A film? I’m moving into crime fiction, and as above, Follow Me will be published by Avon later this year. I’ve also been in talks with various theatres about transferring The Legacy. I think, or rather I hope, I can write a book and a play per year and have just enough time to sleep. Though a film sounds fun too…
Take 5:
Who inspires you? I have lots of literary and playwright heroes, but often those that inspire me the most are those I’m close to. People like journalist Daisy Buchanan, and authors Eva Woods, Claire McGowan and Sarah Day – I know how hard these guys work, and how great their work is, and their encouragement and support always spurs me on.
What is your latest (biggest) confession of a fashionista? That I’ve thrown most of my wardrobe out! After years of drowning in shoes and clothes I’ve adopted Project 333, which encourages you to restrict your wardrobe to thirty-three items, making seasonal changes as required every three months. I have used this as justification for buying a number of new designer purchases: if I’m going to wear them all the time it’s totally a cost saving. Ahem.
Would you go forward or back in time? Forward – it’s a cliché but a ship that sails backwards never sees the sunrise. I’ve been so lucky to do and be part of so many wonderful experiences just think what new adventures lie ahead!
Do you have any surprising hobbies or interests? As Lawrence Kasdan said, being a writer is like having homework for the rest of your life. There are always so many amazing books to read, films to see, galleries to visit, shows to see, and people to get drunk with, I haven’t found time to cultivate a weird hobby. I shall add it to my to-do list.
Who would play you in a film? Lena Dunham. Though she’s way cooler than I’ll ever be.
You can follow Angela on Twitter @TheAngelaClarke and find updates about her forthcoming work on www.AngelaClarke.co.uk
* Source for fashion industry statistics: British Fashion Council Value of Fashion Report 2010
Photo Credit: Tim Wheeler
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