Jan Carson
@jancarsonwrites.bsky.social
I’m not terrific but I’m competent
All bookings via website www.jancarson.co.uk
All bookings via website www.jancarson.co.uk
I’m always grateful for the support and community of the Irish Studies network around the world. Mindi McCann and her lovely students and colleagues made me feel so welcome at the College of New Jersey. It was great to spend a day with them discussing my work.
November 13, 2025 at 12:46 AM
I’m always grateful for the support and community of the Irish Studies network around the world. Mindi McCann and her lovely students and colleagues made me feel so welcome at the College of New Jersey. It was great to spend a day with them discussing my work.
Teaching at the College of New Jersey today where it’s unbelievably cold and blustery but also really beautiful
November 11, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Teaching at the College of New Jersey today where it’s unbelievably cold and blustery but also really beautiful
Trenton, New Jersey - where the carpets are clearly possessed and the hotel locked me out so I had to bang on the front door until two tiny nuns let me in.
November 11, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Trenton, New Jersey - where the carpets are clearly possessed and the hotel locked me out so I had to bang on the front door until two tiny nuns let me in.
I’ve been in Stonington for a week now and I have to say I could get used to this - the writing time, the reading time, the stunning scenery slapping me in the face, every time I stick my head out the door.
November 9, 2025 at 1:30 AM
I’ve been in Stonington for a week now and I have to say I could get used to this - the writing time, the reading time, the stunning scenery slapping me in the face, every time I stick my head out the door.
Anyone else have this issue with DMs? Granted they’re two years old and I’ve worn the life out of them but I didn’t think they’d just split like this.
November 8, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Anyone else have this issue with DMs? Granted they’re two years old and I’ve worn the life out of them but I didn’t think they’d just split like this.
…always a tavern
November 8, 2025 at 2:01 AM
…always a tavern
Immediately considers changing name…
November 6, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Immediately considers changing name…
Delighted to reveal the beautiful cover of my next novel, Few and Far Between designed by the brilliant Irene Martinez Costa. Proofs are arriving next week. Preorders open now. Can’t believe I sat down 20 years ago to have a stab at writing a short story and now I have nine books in the world.
November 6, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Delighted to reveal the beautiful cover of my next novel, Few and Far Between designed by the brilliant Irene Martinez Costa. Proofs are arriving next week. Preorders open now. Can’t believe I sat down 20 years ago to have a stab at writing a short story and now I have nine books in the world.
Touché Walter Mosley. Today was not the day to read this.
November 6, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Touché Walter Mosley. Today was not the day to read this.
I think the last person who bought paperclips from the village store did so before I was born.
November 5, 2025 at 3:34 PM
I think the last person who bought paperclips from the village store did so before I was born.
Sending sympathy from the other side of the Atlantic where I’ve just completed a mad dash round the village in search of paperclips to try and coerce this mad mess of a draft into something that makes some kind of sense
November 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Sending sympathy from the other side of the Atlantic where I’ve just completed a mad dash round the village in search of paperclips to try and coerce this mad mess of a draft into something that makes some kind of sense
One of these things is a nightmarishly complicated puzzle, the other is a 1,000 piece jigsaw of France.
When your novel isn’t working, sometimes you have to cut it up into hundreds of pieces and put it back together a different way.
When your novel isn’t working, sometimes you have to cut it up into hundreds of pieces and put it back together a different way.
November 5, 2025 at 12:42 AM
One of these things is a nightmarishly complicated puzzle, the other is a 1,000 piece jigsaw of France.
When your novel isn’t working, sometimes you have to cut it up into hundreds of pieces and put it back together a different way.
When your novel isn’t working, sometimes you have to cut it up into hundreds of pieces and put it back together a different way.
Huge thanks to Bergin for these beautiful photos taken in the James Merrill apartment yesterday. It’s an honour to be the James Merrill house writer in residence for November here in Stonington. If you see me wandering round the place please say hello.
November 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Huge thanks to Bergin for these beautiful photos taken in the James Merrill apartment yesterday. It’s an honour to be the James Merrill house writer in residence for November here in Stonington. If you see me wandering round the place please say hello.
Thoroughly enjoyed “Miss Pym’s Day Out” on the IPlayer. More than enough provincial vicars and jumble sale loving spinsters to satisfy even the most hardcore Barbara Pym fan #MyYearWithBP
November 1, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Thoroughly enjoyed “Miss Pym’s Day Out” on the IPlayer. More than enough provincial vicars and jumble sale loving spinsters to satisfy even the most hardcore Barbara Pym fan #MyYearWithBP
There were some absolute standout reads in October. Here are the nine books which stayed with me long after I put them down.
October 31, 2025 at 11:08 PM
There were some absolute standout reads in October. Here are the nine books which stayed with me long after I put them down.
Home to a much anticipated proof of #TheWomanInTheWater Henrietta McKervey’s new novel which takes a sideways look at one of the subplots in du Maurier’s Rebecca. Publishing March 2026. Very very excited to dive in.
October 31, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Home to a much anticipated proof of #TheWomanInTheWater Henrietta McKervey’s new novel which takes a sideways look at one of the subplots in du Maurier’s Rebecca. Publishing March 2026. Very very excited to dive in.
Always nice to swing by Foyles and see they have more of my books than the last time I looked
October 30, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Always nice to swing by Foyles and see they have more of my books than the last time I looked
By happy coincidence, I found myself in Agatha Christie’s old stomping ground this morning so I thought I’d track down her first London house on Cresswell Place. It was a lot cuter than I’d anticipated.
October 30, 2025 at 2:15 PM
By happy coincidence, I found myself in Agatha Christie’s old stomping ground this morning so I thought I’d track down her first London house on Cresswell Place. It was a lot cuter than I’d anticipated.
Are they never going to leave Harper Lee alonev
October 30, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Are they never going to leave Harper Lee alonev
First time in the big BBC to record Front Row and I was so excited, a nice man gave me an impromptu tour of the whole building. Even got to peak into the studio where Radio 1 was going out live though I’m so old I haven’t a clue which presenters I was looking at.
October 29, 2025 at 8:42 PM
First time in the big BBC to record Front Row and I was so excited, a nice man gave me an impromptu tour of the whole building. Even got to peak into the studio where Radio 1 was going out live though I’m so old I haven’t a clue which presenters I was looking at.
I can’t believe this is my penultimate Shirley Jackson or the year. It’s a collection of odds and sods, non-fiction and recently refound shorts. It’s a bit patchy in places but the good parts, especially the humorous tales of domestic life are top notch #MyYearWithSJ
October 28, 2025 at 10:49 PM
I can’t believe this is my penultimate Shirley Jackson or the year. It’s a collection of odds and sods, non-fiction and recently refound shorts. It’s a bit patchy in places but the good parts, especially the humorous tales of domestic life are top notch #MyYearWithSJ
Exciting news. I’m at Penguin HQ this week recording an audiobook of #TheRaptures Soon you’ll be able to hear the good folk of Ballylack sounding the way they sound in my head.
October 27, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Exciting news. I’m at Penguin HQ this week recording an audiobook of #TheRaptures Soon you’ll be able to hear the good folk of Ballylack sounding the way they sound in my head.
Had the nicest day with my @stingingfly.bsky.social writers @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social talking, laughing and furiously critiquing some great short stories. What an amazing bunch of folk.
October 25, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Had the nicest day with my @stingingfly.bsky.social writers @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social talking, laughing and furiously critiquing some great short stories. What an amazing bunch of folk.
I’ve got a wee essay in today’s Irish Times about my recent visit to the Isle of Man to follow in Agatha Christie’s footsteps. Big thanks to Mary Minihan for commissioning it.
October 25, 2025 at 10:35 AM
I’ve got a wee essay in today’s Irish Times about my recent visit to the Isle of Man to follow in Agatha Christie’s footsteps. Big thanks to Mary Minihan for commissioning it.
Congratulations to all the amazing writers especially winning writer Lynda McCarthy, 2nd prize winner Angela Finn and 3rd prize winner Ian Feighery. We also had beautiful music from David Kitt to soundtrack our chats.
October 24, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Congratulations to all the amazing writers especially winning writer Lynda McCarthy, 2nd prize winner Angela Finn and 3rd prize winner Ian Feighery. We also had beautiful music from David Kitt to soundtrack our chats.