Newenden resident Ellen Hannavy-Cousen has written her first novel, Of No Consequence, and it was published by The Book Guild in January. It is on sale at WH Smith and Waterstones, or can be ordered online from Amazon.
Ellen was an English teacher for many years. Her varied career included working in both the public and private sectors, and being head of English and head of year. She took enormous pleasure in stimulating an interest in poetry and prose, and loved to think outside the box so that set texts came alive to her students and became something to which they could relate. The experience of working in various secondary schools in London, East Sussex and Kent gave Ellen the germ of the subject matter for the novel – the powerless and unheard voice of the child.
Ellen tackles grim issues which lie hidden under the surface of the apparently civilised society in which we live, such as people smuggling, slavery, drug abuse, prostitution and under age sex. In her teaching career she had met girls in care who had fallen through the net, being moved from one foster home to another through no fault of their own. She learnt that there were many young girls living with their own tragic stories of abuse and when Ellen volunteered for Victim Support, she discovered even more about the dreadful lives of vulnerable young men and women, and the extent of slavery within our society.
While working in schools and bringing up her own two children, Ellen only had time to dabble in writing. She would note down ideas for plots but it’s only since she gave up full time work that she’s had time to write. She loves the process and time flies when she’s at her desk. Ideas come thick and fast and she has to enforce strict editing on herself. Her novel is very cleverly plotted and it came as a surprise to discover that Ellen allows the characters to develop in her head and the plot emerges unpremeditated. As a keen runner, she uses that time to allow the characters to live in her imagination and to let the twists and turns of the plot develop.
Of No Consequence is set mainly in Hastings from where the central character, Joanna, escapes by bus to Cranenden. Though the story is fictitious it is easy to recognise landmarks in the locality that give the story an authentic base. Joanna’s stay in the village is intensely lonely and her interactions with others happen elsewhere. The story would make a powerful film or TV series and the issues exposed would make a thought provoking article on a radio programme such as Woman’s Hour. She’s hoping that she’ll be able to promote her book at literary festivals and that it will be picked up by book groups around the country.
Ellen uncovers painful truths in our society which need to be understood and remedied. But at the core of her book is a belief in the natural integrity of mankind and the redemptive powers of kindness. We look forward to the sequel which is already developing organically in Ellen’s febrile imagination.
Image Credits: Image by permission of Ellen Hannavy-Cousen , Ellen Hannavy-Cousen .