Welcome to Keep it in the Family
I’m Anna: writer, mentor, coach and creative writing teacher. I am an award-winning writer with over 30 years experience in the publishing industry.
I write fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. All my books have been inspired by my family, whether it’s a humorous book about a little vampire who has no confidence to my memoir about my mum to my current project which fictionalises characters and settings from my life.
Why Subscribe?
I’ll share my experiences as an editor, writer and coach, demystifying the writing and editing process
I’ll post extracts from my fiction and non-fiction
Paid subscribers will receive writing prompts and mini workshops
I will post regular Q&As with other authors who inspire me
About me…
I worked as an editor in-house for seven years for Macmillan and HarperCollins before going freelance. In 2010 I became a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa university on the MA and undergraduate programmes. In 2015 I moved to Cornwall and became a Royal Literary Fund Fellow and a coach for the London Writers’ Salon.
I’ve written over 60 books, short stories and poems for children and adults. My picture book Grandpa and the Kingfisher was shortlisted for the prestigious Wainwright Nature Prize and has been translated into seven languages. My memoir A Place for Everything: my mother, autism and me has been reviewed as “a seminal work in this area” by Professor Tony Attwood, an expert on autism in women. My current project is a novel based on the stories I discovered about our house when we moved to Cornwall.
Reviews and Testimonials
“[A Place for Everything] is a brilliant, searing account and I defy anyone not to be gripped by it” - Sally Magnusson, BBC Radio Scotland
“[A Place for Everything] is a vividly told and profoundly affecting memoir” - The Bookseller
“[A Story of the Seasons] is a beautiful celebration of nature - Wilson's narrative strikes a perfect balance between educational and engaging” - booksb4bedtime
“Anna’s feedback enabled me to look at my manuscript with fresh eyes. Working with her improved my writing enormously” - Kita Mitchell - author of the Grandma Dangerous books
“This went way beyond my expectations of a short course. Anna was fantastic. The session content and materials were brilliant. I wish it could have been longer!” - Student at City University, London
“I had done courses before but this one with Anna seemed to be better at getting to the nuts and bolts of storytelling-in terms of structure, perspective, tense etc. It overcame a problem I have had with writing advice for many years - the primacy of character in driving plot. The exercises forced me to admit that it is much richer (and more fun) to let your characters lead.” - Writer, Arvon Foundation
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I’m excited to connect with readers so please do let me know what you think about my newsletter and ask me any questions in the comments or on Notes.
