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Former student Jessica Jarlvi
to publish debut novel
as seen in Curtis Brown Creative
It’s been an exciting few months for Swedish author Jessica Jarlvi, who studied on one of our online writing courses back in 2015. After being one of the winners of the Montegrappa Prize for First Fiction – awarded to unpublished novelists – in 2016, she then signed a deal with Head of Zeus imprint Aria, and her debut novel 'When I Wake Up' has just been published in ebook form – with a hardback release to follow in September.
Described as a "gripping debut thriller for fans of Paula Hawkins and SJ Watson", 'When I Wake Up' is about Anna, a much-loved teacher and mother of two, who is left savagely beaten and in a coma after an attack. A police investigation is launched and news of the attack sends shock waves through the small Swedish community in which she lives. Anna seemed to have no enemies, so who could possibly have wanted her dead?
Former student Jessica Jarlvi
to publish debut novel
As loved ones wait anxiously by Anna’s bedside, her husband Erik is determined to get to the bottom of it all. But he soon finds himself out of his depth as he begins to uncover his wife’s secret life, and a small town riven with desire, betrayal and jealousy.
As the list of suspects grows longer, it soon becomes clear that one person can reveal the truth. And she’s lying silent in a hospital bed.
Jessica Jarlvi moved from Sweden to the UK to study at the age of 18, and worked in publishing for a number of years before heading to the US, where she edited a magazine. She is now back in the UK, working in marketing and PR. Jessica studied on the Curtis Brown Creative Six-Month Online Novel-Writing Course in 2015, where she worked on When I Wake Up with tutor Nikita Lalwani and her 14 coursemates.
'When I Wake Up' by Jessica Jarlvi is to be published by Aria on 7 September. To purchase an ebook copy, please click here.
As well as expert teaching from published authors, all our three- and six-month novel-writing courses offer dedicated modules on submitting your novel to literary agents – and include sessions on writing a synopsis and preparing a covering letter.