Jenny Valentine

Jenny Valentine moved house every 2 years when she was growing up. She has just moved house again, probably not for the last time. She worked in a wholefood shop in Primrose Hill for 15 years where she met many extraordinary people and sold more organic loaves than there are words in her first novel.

She has also worked as a teaching assistant and a jewellery maker. She studied English Literature at Goldsmiths College, which almost put her off reading but not quite.

Jenny is married to a singer/songwriter and has two children.

Photo credit: Alex Valentine

Dig deep enough and you'll find that everyone has something to hide!

Number 33 Georgiana Street, London, houses many people and yet it seems home to none. To runaway Sam it's a place to disappear; to Bohemia, it's another blip between crises, as her mum ricochets off the latest boyfriend; Old Isobel acts like she owns the place, even though it actually belongs to Steve in the basement, who's always looking to squeeze in yet another tenant.

Life is a kind of ordered chaos. Like ants, the tennants scurry about their business, crossing paths, following their own tracks, no questions asked. But it doesn't take much to upset the balance.

Praise for The Ant Colony

"[Jenny Valentine] has a magical narrative voice that instantly engages, and her tale is riveting... Valentine writes so beautifully and so convincingly that you're instantly swept into the mystery of these people's lives."
Amanda Craig for The Times

"Valentine has produced a deeply humane story that is both witty and entertaining... It is charmingly written."
The Telegraph

"This is a fine piece of slice-of-life fiction, warm but not cosy, neatly structured and credible."
FT Weekend

“The Ant Colony has all the markings of another award-winner…as Sam and Bohemia’s lives collide and a picture of their histories and circumstances emerges… Valentine’s observation and language is both unexpected and refreshing”
The Sunday Times

“It is very funny… As you read Valentine’s books, you realise that in the simple and broad strokes she uses you can find the whole gamut of human emotions… It has a very raw emotional honesty about it that is tempered past heartbreak by a vivid imagination and wonderful sense of humour. It’s about coming to terms with ourselves and about learning that mistakes, however critical, don’t have to blight entire lives… The ragtag assortments of misfits at 33 Georgiana Street… are absolutely unforgettable… Completely gorgeous, utterly charming, funny, sweet, sad, and underneath it all, very, very real”
The Bookbag