JENNIFER KERSLAKE

A former literary editor, Kerslake is currently a senior manager at Curtis Brown’s writing school. Her own work of fiction, Tin Man, is the winning entry of our 2021 short-story competition, and in this issue, we publish the sharply observed exploration of loss and fortitude, set in her childhood home county of Devon.

Your perfect summer read ‘An intimate and immersive page-turner. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo was heaven.’ Your fantasy holiday companion ‘My husband. We managed to get married last summer between lockdowns but are yet to take our honeymoon…’ A book you wish you’d written ‘Madame Zero by Sarah Hall. An astonishing collection of otherworldly stories. I wish I had her audacity and skill.’

True wellbeing is… ‘a good night’s sleep.’