Welcome to Wild Writing with Sanjida
Hi there,
I’m Sanjida. I’m an award-winning writer. So far I’ve had twelve books published - four psychological thrillers, plus two short thriller stories in anthologies (as Sanjida Kay), and four non-fiction books and four novels (as Sanjida O’Connell).
I’ve spent almost twenty years working as a journalist, writing newspaper and magazine feature articles on science and nature for most of our UK newspapers and some magazines, as well as being a columnist for BBC Wildlife, The Times and The Independent. I’m represented by the C&W Agency.
“Gripping, entertaining and entirely on the side of the angels.” The Times
Why ‘Wild’ Writing?
As well as book recommendations, reviews, and behind-the-scenes updates about my writing life, I’ll also be talking about how to write, often thrillers and crime fiction (wildly scary but completely compelling writing!).
I’m also serialising my book, Wilderness, about growing up dual heritage, my search for identity and what it means to belong. This story is interwoven with our rewilding project, helping nature recover in a small forgotten fragment of rural Somerset.
If you’ve read this far, thank you - and I hope you’ll join me on my Wild Writing journey!
Why Charge?
Writing for a living is precarious and people don’t often value how much time and craft it takes to write an article let alone a novel. Only 2-3 % of all writers are able to make a living solely from their books. So charging a small amount (I’m starting with a monthly fee equating to one and a bit cups of coffee since I for one like to be fully caffeinated), which will help me keep writing, keeping writing books for you and will, I hope, help me be useful, informative and entertaining.
“Gripping and totally unpredictable.” Daily Mail
Here’s what you’ll get if you come on board:
Free Subscribers:
One or two free short newsletters a month, delivered directly to your inbox or Substack app every other Sunday. Usually one will be a Behind the Scenes post - a backstage pass to what it’s like to be a writer, and will include book events, book news, book launches and book recommendations, and one might be a Wilderness Note, on the wildlife where we live and how we’re helping nature to recover.
Posts like these:
“A triumph as an-edge-of seat whodunit and a psychologically perceptive study of the impact of grief, loss and alienation. Excellent.” The Irish Independent
Paid Subscribers £6 a month / £40 a year
This is where you’ll have more access to me, and articles on how to write and hopefully, some inspiration. You’ll be able to read work before anyone else, as well as being part of a community of like-minded readers and writers.
Four newsletters a month delivered directly to your inbox every week. This will The Process, about the craft of writing, and my nature memoir, Wilderness (you can opt in or out of The Process or Wilderness, if writing, or conversely, nature writing are not to your taste). Now and again we’ll have a Q&A with another writer, and a podcast, recordings of readings from my books.
Behind the scenes: Full access to my writing life, extracts from the books I’m currently writing and recommendations for what to read.
Complete access, giving you the ability to comment on anything, talk to me and our community.
Invitations to The Coffee House, where we’ll get together and write online for an hour every so often.
In addition, as a paid subscriber, you have two more benefits.
You can come and stay with us in our bespoke writing retreat, a guest suite at Wild Pinebeck. It’s bookable via Airbnb and is available at the weekend. As a paid subscriber, you receive a 10% discount, as well as early check in, late out, a free organic breakfast box and the opportunity to meet up with me for coffee and cake to talk about your writing, also 10% discount on my normal mentorship rate.
You’ll receive posts like these ones:
This is the first chapter of Wilderness:
Founding Member £100 a year
This is your gold star backstage pass, and entitles you to all of the above, plus
one 45 min virtual meeting with me to talk about your writing (worth £200).
a signed copy of one of my books.
10 % off a weekend stay at our writing retreat plus early check in and late check out, free organic breakfast box (accommodates up to 2 plus a child) in the heart of the Mendips in Somerset and in the midst of our rewilding project, Wild Pinebeck. Book via Airbnb, but let me know in advance so I can give you the discount.
If all of that sounds good, then please sign up!
I can’t wait to meet you, and thank you for supporting my writing.
Sanjida x
I’m on Instagram here, you can buy my thrillers here, my books here, or check out my website here.
