Ross Raisin
Encyclopedia
Ross Raisin is a British novelist. He was born in Keighley
in Yorkshire
, and after attending Bradford Grammar School
he studied English at King's College London
, which was followed by a period as a trainee wine bar manager and a postgraduate degree in creative writing at Goldsmith's College.
Raisin's debut novel
God's Own Country (titled Out Backward in North America) was published in 2008. It was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award
and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
, and won a Betty Trask Award
. The novel focuses on Sam Marsdyke, a disturbed adolescent living in a harsh rural environment, and follows his journey from isolated oddity to outright insanity. Thomas Meaney in The Washington Post
compared the novel favorably to Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange
, and said "Out Backward more convincingly registers the internal logic of unredeemable delinquency." Writing in The Guardian
Justine Jordan described the novel as "an absorbing read", which marked Raisin out as "a young writer to watch". In April 2009 the book won Raisin the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award
. He is currently a writer-in-residence for the charity First Story
.
Raisin has worked as a waiter, dishwasher and barman.
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and after attending Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...
he studied English at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, which was followed by a period as a trainee wine bar manager and a postgraduate degree in creative writing at Goldsmith's College.
Raisin's debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
God's Own Country (titled Out Backward in North America) was published in 2008. It was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award
Guardian First Book Award
Guardian First Book Award, issued before 1999 as Guardian Fiction Prize or Guardian Fiction Award, is awarded to new writing in fiction and non-fiction.-History:...
and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of literature by an author from the Commonwealth aged 35 or under, written in English and published in the United Kingdom...
, and won a Betty Trask Award
Betty Trask Award
The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. The awards were established in 1984 by the Society of Authors, at the bequest of the late Betty Trask, a reclusive author of over thirty romance novels...
. The novel focuses on Sam Marsdyke, a disturbed adolescent living in a harsh rural environment, and follows his journey from isolated oddity to outright insanity. Thomas Meaney in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
compared the novel favorably to Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
, and said "Out Backward more convincingly registers the internal logic of unredeemable delinquency." Writing in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Justine Jordan described the novel as "an absorbing read", which marked Raisin out as "a young writer to watch". In April 2009 the book won Raisin the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award
Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award
The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award is a literary prize awarded to a British author under the age of 35 for a published work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry...
. He is currently a writer-in-residence for the charity First Story
First Story
First Story is a literary charity. It was founded in 2007 by Katie Waldegrave and the writer William Fiennes to improve literacy and foster creativity in young people through creative writing...
.
Raisin has worked as a waiter, dishwasher and barman.