The write stuff: New columnists join The Hull Story
By Simon Bristow & Rick Lyon
We are delighted to welcome two new columnists to The Hull Story, complementing our excellent team of guest writers.
They are journalist and PR consultant Phil Ascough, and former diplomat Paul Knott, who will be contributing exclusive monthly articles and features alongside our existing columnists Vicky Foster and Russ Litten.
Our refreshed series, which will be published every Saturday, starts tomorrow with the launch of Phil’s column, Chewing the Fat.This will feature a different guest each month interviewed over lunch at one of Hull’s many fine restaurants or eateries.
Paul will be our first foreign correspondent, writing about international affairs and politics from his base in Switzerland. Paul’s column, The Accidental Diplomat, will launch on June 4 and bring a welcome European perspective to issues of the day.
Russ’s regular music column, The Crow’s Nest, will next be published on June 11, with Vicky’s column, This Place, exploring Hull and East Yorkshire, scheduled for its next outing on June 18.
Here’s a bit of background on all four:
Phil Ascough
Phil is in his sixth decade as a journalist, having started as a reporter on the Doncaster Gazette in the 1970s. Since then he’s had two spells with the Hull Daily Mail, notably as business editor in the 1990s, and also worked for the Yorkshire Post, the Royal Gazette in Bermuda, the BBC and the Press Association. A freelance author, journalist and PR consultant since 2009, he has written six books and contributed articles for print and online about business, sport and culture.
Paul Knott
Paul is a Hull-born former diplomat who served in a variety of overseas postings during an eventful 20-year career with the Foreign Office. He now writes about international affairs and politics, contributing to Al Jazeera, The New European, and BBC radio among others.
Vicky Foster
Vicky is an award-winning writer, performer, and poet who has broadcast extensively across the BBC. She has published two collections of writing and is currently working on her first novel whilst studying for a PhD in English and Creative Writing. She won The Society of Authors’ Imison Award at the 2020 BBC Audio Drama Awards for her Radio 4 play Bathwater, and her Radio 4 documentary, Can I Talk About Heroes? was reviewed in the national media.
Russ Litten
Russ is the author of the novels Scream If You Want To Go Faster, Swear Down, and Kingdom, and is currently working on his fourth. He has also written the short story collection We Know What We Are, and a volume of poetry, I Can See The Lights.
Russ has collaborated on spoken word / electronica recordings and performance as part of Cobby & Litten and Oddfellows Union, as well as his work as the solo artist Deckie Learner. He plays bass in and writes lyrics for Hull band Oceaneers.
Russ spent ten years as a Writer In Residence at prisons in the North of England.