Abigail Tarttelin

In her spare time she reviews books for the Huffington Post and blogs about her adventures on youtube. Abby’s first novel, FLICK, published 2011, was dubbed a ‘slow burn cult classic’ to be by GQ.

Her sophomore novel, GOLDEN BOY, published May 2013, has been praised and embraced by critics and readers. Featured in British Vogue, US Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan and Glamour, Golden Boy has also been hailed as ‘A poignant, brave and important book’ by bestselling author SJ Watson.Born in Grimsby, England, on October 13th 1987, Abby is a compulsive creative. Growing up, she wrote a ton of songs (some good, some meh), produced homemade zines, paintings and books. The last one she made with a stapler and A4 was the first draft of novel Flick.

Abby performed onstage as a teenager as Katharina in Taming of The Shrew, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Alison in Look Back In Anger, Gail in Teechers, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and, a particular favourite, Dr Sensible in Gargling with Jelly, amongst about 25 others, including a lead role with the National Youth Theatre at The Lowry.

In 2006, Abby attended the brilliant New York Film Academy at La Fémis, the National French Film School, in Paris, working on well over 20 short films, with artists including Nomadness Tribe Leader Evita Robinson, New York photographer and video artist Theresa Hong and design studio Dissident Display of Washington DC.

At 19, Abby moved to London to attend University, leaving after a month to be a degree-less rebel instead. From 2007 Abby has worked in feature films, music videos, short films and adverts as an actress. In 2009, Moviescope Magazine heralded her as a One To Watch, citing her work in British independent film.

Abby began writing for screen for production company Living Spirit, and also started reviewing books for the Huffington Post. Since 2010 Abby has written for, and worked as Books Editor for Phoenix Magazine.

Flick, Abby’s first novel, was published in April 2011, but the publisher went out of business six months later. Luckily, Abby was in the process of writing Golden Boy, a book that she and agent Jo Unwin took to the London Book Fair in 2012. Happily, it was sold to numerous countries and to lovely editors and publishers. Follow Abby’s story from here on in at the Sketchbook blog.