Dinnington: Former vicar pens new career

A retired vicar from Dinnington is among the writers to be published in Restless Minds, a collection of radical and diverse new writing launched in Nottingham next month.
Dinnington vicar turned author Nick JowettDinnington vicar turned author Nick Jowett
Dinnington vicar turned author Nick Jowett

Nick Jowett, who has just completed an MA in Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University, had his short story ‘What is that smell?” selected to showcase in the anthology which will showcase his work alongside writing from lecturers and other published authors.

A former vicar of the Sheffield Diocese, Nick has written plays, parables and hymns for his church ministry.

The retired vicar has also had articles published in newspapers such as The Guardian, The Times and The Church Times. He is currently writing a novel about faith in a corrupt world.

Nick said: “I’ve always enjoyed writing short stories and plays for use in the church, but after I retired as a vicar in 2012, I decided I’d like to learn how to do it properly and signed up for the MA.”

“That course has really helped me with the craft of writing, and I hope to use my retirement for writing short stories and later a novel.”

“Some of them will be about church affairs, but certainly not all of them, and I’d like them to be funny, satirical but also serious pictures of contemporary life.”

Restless Minds contains a diverse selection of writing from people of all ages, with career backgrounds as varied as teaching, banking and poultry-farming.

In the introduction to the book, acclaimed screenwriter William Ivory said: “There comes a point in the practice of any difficult skill when the practitioner understands.”

“They get it. They feel it. They sense they have mastered this hitherto activity and can now make it do what they want. At that point, wonderful things can happen.”

“There is so much in this book which is good- evocative, funny, thought-provoking, challenging and often rather beautiful.”

“Everyone involved in this production should be suitably proud,” he added.

For more information on how to read the anthology or for more information, visit restlessmindswriting.wordpress.com