Anna Reynolds

Anna Reynolds is the author of over fifteen nationally/internationally produced stage plays including the award winning Jordan, the opera Push and dance/text piece SoulPlay. She is a published novelist, prize-winning short story and stage writer, and is an editor at online writing community WriteWords. She is one of the judges for the International Playwriting Competition, assesses scripts for Playwrights Studio, mentors and edits for Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and has been a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow since 2005, currently at the University of Westminster. She has created and curated arts projects that combine text, spoken word, visual art, film and other media.

Credentials

Anna Reynolds in 60 seconds

When did you start writing?

1990 somewhere in east London.

What do you love about short stories?

They can be devoured at one sitting.

Do you write in other forms?

Stage, opera, dance.

What distracts you from writing?

Painting walls, so I can write on them. Family.

Outside of writing, what are your other passions?

Discovering vintage sweets. Swimming.

What is your favourite book?

Story: A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O Connor. Book: East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

Who are your favourite writers?

Steinbeck, for his compassion, Hilary Mantel, for such compulsive bringing-to-life of historical characters and Jackie Kay, for her heartbreaking, slyly funny stories.

Where is your dream location?

San Francisco. Or north Norfolk.

What one item would you put into Room 101?

Phrases such as, Lets park that thought... Thinking outside of the box...

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Listen to Hilary Mantel's advice to writers. She talks a lot of sense.