Ruby Gaffney: 'I love the idea of helping writers at the earliest stages of their career, even if only in a small way'
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
21st Mar 2024
We’re delighted to welcome a new team member to Curtis Brown Creative! Ruby Gaffney has joined us as Team Assistant after previously working at HarperCollins and the Children’s Literacy Charity.
Read on to find out more about Ruby, her love of books and what she's looking forward to most about her new role...
You’ve joined the CBC team after a six-month internship working within the educational division at HarperCollins. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and your passion for books?
At HarperCollins I met some lovely, hard-working people, improved my editorial skills, and learned how a book goes to print, which seemed like a very elusive process before I started the internship. I previously studied English Literature at both undergrad and masters’ level. I also had a few fun roles in education and schools, including supporting young readers for the Children’s Literacy Charity. I already spend most of my free time reading books, so I’m delighted to now be working with them, too!
Do you remember the first book that made you fall in love with reading?
I’ve always loved reading. In primary school, I was obsessed enough to write fanfiction about Harry Potter, Warrior Cats, Malory Towers, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. When I was twelve I read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – my first ‘grown-up’ book, though ironically I first discovered it via Jacqueline Wilson. That book completely changed the way I thought about reading and the kinds of books I wanted to read. Looking back, I think it showed me that fiction was a place where the greyer, knottier moments in our relationships and private thoughts could be thoroughly examined from every angle. It also started a lifelong love of coming-of-age stories and fictional diaries.
Who is your favourite fictional character?
A tough question! Anyone who knows me well can attest to my obsession with Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels. I love them so much that I wrote a 15,000-word Masters’ dissertation on them, and on an average day I probably have about 15,000 further words to say about them if you let me rant uninterrupted. The series has a huge, vivid cast of characters, but I’d obviously have to pick Lenù and Lila as my two all-time favourites. Both resonate as completely real people for me!
We’re only a few months into 2024, but what has been the best book you’ve read so far this year?
I loved Jamel Brinkley’s Witness. It’s a flawless short story collection (in my opinion), set in New York City. I listened to the audiobook then immediately bought a physical copy, which is testament to how much I enjoyed it – and to the skills of the audiobook narrator, Greg Lockett. Eloghosa Osunde’s Vagabonds! was also a great read. (Can you tell I rinsed out my HarperCollins staff discount?)
What are you most looking forward to about your new role here at CBC?
I love the idea of helping writers at the earliest stages of their career, even if only in a small way. In my first week at CBC we’ve already had great publication and prize longlisting news from former students. I imagine these moments will feel even more rewarding when I can remember the author at the very beginning of their journey, when their book was just a first draft or an idea. I’m also excited to join the brilliant CBC team – I have a lot to learn from them!
If you're part of our writing community, you'll be hearing a lot more from Ruby! She will be popping up on the Learn platform and is the first port of call for student queries. We hope you'll join us in giving her a very warm welcome to the team.