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Creative Writing lecturer wins BAFTA Children’s Award

Dr Joanna Nadin, MA Creative Writing Lecturer at Bath Spa University, is celebrating after the CBBC adaptation of her book, Joe All Alone, scooped a prestigious BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Drama.

Joe All Alone follows the life of Joe Holt, a 13-year-old boy who is left at home alone in Peckham after his mum suddenly decides to up and leave and fly to Spain with her boyfriend, Dean. What begins as an adventure for Joe unfolds into a dark story of desperate measures as the money runs out and Dean’s thuggish mates close in.

Explaining what sparked her idea for the book, Joanna said: “It started with a small boy I’d glimpsed on a street, his sleeping bag on his back like a nylon snail. From that came pages of notes about a boy called Tom, who eventually turned into Joe.”

Talking about the award-winning moment, she continued: “Joe became the star of a book, and then a real boy again, who appeared in a TV series, which has now won its very own BAFTA. I’m still reeling from the ridiculousness and brilliance of it and would like to thank all those involved in making this happen.”

As well as lecturing on the MA Creative Writing course at Bath Spa, Joanna has written more than 70 award-winning books for children and adults, and currently works with Sir Chris Hoy on the Flying Fergus series. She can often be found conducting literary events and will soon be chairing the Weston Literary Festival event titled ‘Murder, Mayhem and Mystery – What does it take to design a murder?’ on Friday 22 February 2019, also featuring Bath Spa Creative Writing Lecturer CJ Skuse.

All Creative Writing courses at Bath Spa University, from undergraduate to postgraduate, are designed to recruit excellent students who form an exciting and mutually supportive community of writers. Our highly-regarded courses are taught by acclaimed authors including Professors Naomi Alderman, Tessa Hadley and Kate Pullinger.

Earlier this year, Bath Spa University Creative Writing lecturers and authors, Professor David Almond and Professor Julia Green, and MA Writing for Young People alumni Emma Carroll, Maria Farrer, Gill Lewis and Rowena House were all nominated for the prestigious Carnegie Medal 2019, a British literary award that annually recognises one outstanding new book for children or young adults. Rowena’s debut novel, The Goose Road, was also named as one of the Telegraph’s best books of 2018.

Interested in studying an MA in Creative Writing?

The MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is designed to help students write a novel, collection of poems, collection of stories or work of non-fiction. Weekly workshops are taught by a strong team of published writers, and there are regular visits by literary agents, publishers, magazine editors and broadcasters, as well as other writers. Notable MA Creative Writing alumni include Nathan Filer and Emily Koch.

Visit the MA Creative Writing course page to find out more.

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