Beginner’s Pluck: Jenny Mustard

“My parents encouraged storytelling; they’d ask us about our day, and I started writing small pieces.”

Sat, 14 Oct, 2023 - 21:00

Sue Leonard

As a child living in Sweden, Jenny’s family moved around a lot. It created a habit that’s continued since she left university.

“I lived in London, then went back to Sweden; then to Berlin, then back to London. We’ve been here for the past four years."

She always loved books.

“My parents encouraged storytelling; they’d ask us about our day, and I started writing small pieces.”

A passionate animal lover, Jenny planned to work in animal welfare, maybe through politics or an NGO, but she found it disheartening. “I’m too sensitive. It broke me,” she says.

In London, she worked in clothes and book shops, while becoming an influencer. She now runs a joint influencer business with her partner, who was formerly in film and TV production. Ten years on, they’ve been successful enough to buy and renovate a flat.

Her writing started with essays. “But I’m most happy when I’m writing fiction.”

She gained courage and confidence when she completed her first manuscript. “It got quite far with an agent, before Covid, but I realised it was the wrong genre for me.”

She started writing Okay Days in August 2020, completing a good first draft in eight weeks. “I’d planned it well, and it felt urgent. Planning, for me, is really freeing. It unlocks my creativity.”

Who is Jenny Mustard?

Place of birth: The middle of Sweden.

Education: School in Stockholm from age 14. University in Sweden, Biology.

Home: London.

Family: Partner David. Relatives in Sweden.

The day job: Influencer using YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and a podcast.

In another life: Animal Welfare.

Favourite writers: Rachel Cusk; Virginia Woolf; Raven Leilani; Sigrid Nunez; Anton Chekov; Jamaica Kincaid; Annie Ernaux; Naoise Dolan; Wendy Erskine.

Second book: “My second draft is with my agent, Peter Strauss.”

Top tip: "Listen to your confident side and mute self-doubt.”