J.A. Mensah
J.A. Mensah is a writer of prose and theatre and a Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at the University of York. Castles from Cobwebs, her first novel, won the inaugural NorthBound Book Award (for a full length work of literary fiction or non-fiction by writers based in the North of England) in 2019. It was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2021 and nominated for the 35th annual Chambรฉry Festival du Premier Roman (2022).
Her plays have focused on human rights narratives and the testimonies of survivors. Her work has appeared in several collections, including Test Signal, an anthology of the best contemporary northern writing, published by Bloomsbury in 2021.
Read J.A. Mensah’s interview with New Writing North here.
Read an extract
LONGLISTED: Desmond Elliot Prize 2021 WINNER: NorthBound Book Award 2019 Iโd always known that I was Brown. Black was different though; it came announced. Black came with expectations, of rhythm and other things that might trip me up. Imani is a foundling. Rescued as a baby and raised by nuns on a remote Northumbrian island, she grows up with an ever-increasing feeling of displacement. Full of questions, Imani turns to her shadow, Amarie, and her friend, Harold. When Harold canโt find the answers, she puts it down to what the nuns call her โgreater purposeโ. At nineteen, Imani answers a phone call that will change her life: she is being called to Accra after the sudden death of her biological mother. Past, present, faith and reality are spun together in this enthralling debut. Following her transition from innocence to understanding, Imani’s experience illuminates the stories we all tell to make ourselves whole.
Prizes and awards
DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE: Longlisted
NORTHBOUND BOOK AWARD: Winner
CHAMBรRY FIRST NOVEL AWARD: Longlisted
REVIEWS OF Castles from Cobwebs
โMensahโs prose is gorgeous and lyrical, conjuring crystalline images โฆ Strong women abound โฆ Mensahโs storytelling skills make for an atmospheric, poignant, and bold novel that explores uncharted territory.โ FOREWORD REVIEWS
'A strong debut.' THE FEMINIST NOOK
'Offers a unique blend of magical realism and social commentary โ the past and the present intermingle with colonial history, displacement and family ties to form a rich narrative tapestry.' RESHMA RUI, WORDS OF COLOUR
'Striking โฆ a memorable read that shines a light on important social issues whilst telling a beautiful story of hope, friendship and self-discovery.' BETH BARKER, NRTH LASS
'Mensah doesnโt shy away from tough subjects โฆ a well-crafted debut โฆ an extraordinary literary talent and โฆ a thoroughly recommended read.' EMMA YATES-BRADLEY, NORTHERN SOUL
'Lyrical and magical โฆ a powerful and very readable novel.' LOUISE MASKILL, INDIE BOOK NETWORK
'[An] extraordinary debut โฆ changes with every reading, like the sea, deep and light, or the flicker of spidersilk โฆ a book to be cherished and shared.' VAHNI CAPILDEO
'A compelling exploration of memory, race, mothers and the fractured self.' JESSICA ANDREWS
'From start to finish, I was spellbound โฆ I absolutely love this book.' YVONNE BATTLE-FELTON
โReal, powerful, and unique.โ CHITRA RAMASWAMY NorthBound Book Award Judge
