De Montfort University (DMU) alumnus, Tim Ewins, has recently had his debut novel 'We Are Animals' published through Lightning Books. Described as a funny and heart-warming book, it charts the stories of various characters and animals across decades and continents.
Tim studied Performing Arts and English Literature at DMU from 2004 to 2007, stating his initial interest arose from the modern nature of the programme on offer which blended live art and contemporary dance, in addition to the vibrancy of the city-based campus in Leicester.
Discussing his studies and career progression after graduating from DMU, Tim said: "I always loved performing, but it wasn't until I started studying at university that I came to truly appreciate the behind the scenes work that goes into productions. The modules I took during my degree gave me the chance to write performances as well as take part in them and this made me recognise my passion for writing, so I was well served by the joint honours nature of my course.
"I grew up in Clevedon and although I do love it, it was only a small town. Moving to Leicester was a big change but it offered me the opportunity to be in the midst of so much creativity and to get involved in all the things going on around me.
"I had the chance to take part in stand up comedy routines at the Haymarket Theatre as part of a company called Dirty Pyjamas, which was an incredible experience. I later had a conversation with my director at the time, Dan Clarke, who suggested I go and perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. I went up there without a show planned so it was something of a gamble, but it allowed me to meet and work with a lot of new people.
"When I left university I divided my time between stand-up comedy and also working as a financial planner. Stand-up was my passion and I think I was fairly good at it, I worked with comedians such as Rod Gilbert and Jason Manford at times in their careers and took part in events like the On Blackheath Festival. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to support me alone, so it was necessary to have a day job alongside it, but I had an amazing time over the ten years I was involved in live comedy.
"My job as a finanical planner initially came from temporary work in London whilst I was looking for a job in social work, but I found I had the aptitude for it and decided to stay in the finanical services industry. Today I work for Churchill Wealth Management in Bristol alongside my budding career as a novelist.
"A few years ago I made the decision to stop touring and settle down, that gave me the time to focus on my writing properly and I began work on We Are Animals. I'd spent a year travelling around the world which inspired a lot of the locations in the book, although it took me four years in total to finish my draft. I eventually sent it on to dozens of agents and publishers until eventually I received interest from the independent publisher Lightning Books.
"Currently We Are Animals is only available in e-book format but it is due to be released in paperback in the coming months. I'm delighted to have a contract for my second book, titled 'Tiny Pieces of Enid' and from the success of my debut, this will be straight to paperback on release in the second half of 2021. I am hoping to have the chance to write several more books over the coming five years, so keep an eye out!
"If I were to offer advice to students and graduates, going into creative endeavours, I would say perseverance and enthusiasm will take you a long way. With stand-up comedy and live performance, it's important to just take part in as many gigs and events as possible to find out what in your act works and what doesn't.
"Take advice where you can find it, join creative communities and see what methodology is best for you. Get your work out there and send it to people, I had to experience a lot of rejections before I found success, but each one of them helped me to learn and grow."
Tim's book 'We Are Animals' is available here.
Posted on Thursday 17 September 2020