In this episode of the CMR Podcast, Esther Zitterl (PhD researcher in Black British literature and the Windrush legacy, School of English, University of St Andrews) speaks with novelist Dr Ashley Hickson-Lovence about his 2026 novella About to Fall Apart (Faber).
Told in verse across three days, the book follows Aidy — a man of mixed Irish-Caribbean heritage living in a village on the Irish border — as he tries to finish a short story, stay close to his children, and search for a mother he has never known.
Their conversation moves fluidly between form and feeling, exploring the creative possibilities of writing in verse, the influence of music and rhythm, and the intersections of place, identity, and migration. From Belleek to Grenada, the episode traces resonances between Black British writing and the textures of rural Ireland, offering a rich and thoughtful reflection on voice, belonging, and literary form.