Accrington Web - View Single Post - Jeanette Winterston

Atarah · 09-05-2004, 22:15

Jeanette was born 27th August 1959 in Manchester. She was brought up in Water Street, Accrington and adopted by Constance and John William Winterson, who were strict Christians. By the time she was eight years old she was writing and preaching sermons!

She went to Accrington High School for Girls. At the age of 16 she fell in love with another woman and left home after falling out with her parents.

She had many jobs to begin with, including driving an ice cream van, she was a porter in a phychiatric hospital and preparing corpses in an undertakers parlour. She had only ever heard of two universities - Oxford and Cambridge. She actually went down to Oxford,managed to get an interview and asked outright could she go there! They smiled at her and said, come back in 12 months time when you have passed your 'A' levels! She did! She went to St Catherine's College at Oxford University, obtaining a BA in English in 1981. She then moved to London and worked in publishing. She is known for many works, her main one being "Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit" which she began writing at the age of 23. It was a true but comic account of growing up with a religious background with serious issues re identity, sexuality and relationships. It won a Whitbread First Novel Award in 1985. It was turned into a drama on BBC TV in 1990 and won an award.

Another of our famous people, not always known about.

09-05-2004, 22:15	#1
Atarah Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: ACCRINGTON Posts: 2,358 Liked: 95 times Rep Power: 11531	Jeanette Winterston - famous novelist Jeanette was born 27th August 1959 in Manchester. She was brought up in Water Street, Accrington and adopted by Constance and John William Winterson, who were strict Christians. By the time she was eight years old she was writing and preaching sermons! She went to Accrington High School for Girls. At the age of 16 she fell in love with another woman and left home after falling out with her parents. She had many jobs to begin with, including driving an ice cream van, she was a porter in a phychiatric hospital and preparing corpses in an undertakers parlour. She had only ever heard of two universities - Oxford and Cambridge. She actually went down to Oxford,managed to get an interview and asked outright could she go there! They smiled at her and said, come back in 12 months time when you have passed your 'A' levels! She did! She went to St Catherine's College at Oxford University, obtaining a BA in English in 1981. She then moved to London and worked in publishing. She is known for many works, her main one being "Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit" which she began writing at the age of 23. It was a true but comic account of growing up with a religious background with serious issues re identity, sexuality and relationships. It won a Whitbread First Novel Award in 1985. It was turned into a drama on BBC TV in 1990 and won an award. Another of our famous people, not always known about.