Jean Fullerton is the “Queen of the East End Saga”, the author of several best-selling sagas set in the working-class area of London where she was born and raised. She arrived on Lanzarote in early August with her husband Kelvin, who is the locum rector for the St Laurence Anglican Parish until the end of September, and she will be giving a talk in Puerto del Carmen on 19th September.
How did you start writing, Jean?
I was a 48-year-old district nurse in London when the NHS started offering stress management courses. I think they decided that was cheaper than hiring more nurses. But I was feeling stressed, so I went along, and one of the counsellors recommended doing things you enjoy, but have left aside. I’ve always been a massive reader, so I thought “Why don’t I give writing a go?” it wasn’t easy – I’m dyslexic for a start, but I soon realised that this was what I wanted to do.
Was it easy to get published?
No. Back then I submitted paper manuscripts, and they kept coming back with rejection letters. I was writing all sorts of stuff, about pirates, Vikings, medieval times. Then I joined a writing association and my novel No Cure For Love, about a Victorian romance between a singer and a doctor, won an important prize. After that I got an agent and a publisher.
What is your working day as a writer?
100,000 words don’t write themselves, so I try and put at least three hours a day aside. No emails, no social media. I’ll usually put around 1,500 words down a day. It’s important for me to write consistently, day after day, so everything stays fresh in my mind. If I leave it, it’s harder to get back into the story.
Do you start out with a plot, or make it up as you go?
I write commercial fiction, so I start with a synopsis that I’ve agreed with my agent. I’ve got freedom within that, and things sometimes change. But I’m aware that, as a commercial fiction writer, I can’t just write what I want to write; I also have to think about what my readers want.
Why are you concentrating on the East End in World War Two?
World War Two is massive, there was so much going on, so much material to write about. And I’m from the East End myself, so I know the area and remember many of the places from childhood. I do a lot of research, but I often wish I’d asked my granny more about those times. Sagas are very popular now. Catherine Cookson was the first to write about working class women in this way, then later came Barbara Taylor Bradford and many others. I’m not the only one to write about the East End, but I like to think that, being born and raised there, I bring authenticity to my books.
Do you get much feedback from your readers?
Yes, I answer every email, and meet a lot of them at talks that I give. It’s always a thrill to find people who’ve read and enjoyed your books.
How are you finding Lanzarote?
It’s fascinating. I was a little shocked by all that black stuff (the lava fields near Yaiza), but we’re getting out and about, and the little villages are gorgeous, nothing like the ones you see in Spain.
Jean will be giving a talk about her books and work at the Fondeadero Centre in Puerto del Carmen’s old Town on Saturday, 19th September at 7.30pm. Tickets are available for €5 at the Bookswops in PDC and Playa Blanca, or on the door.
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