New2theScene
Parklife
Lucy Nichol
Parklife
Synopsis
It’s 1996. Emma’s been rejected by the man she loves and sacked from the job she hates but desperately needs. Feeling like she’s hit a new low, she finds herself serving ice-cream and phoney smiles at the local park.
Best mate Dave’s loved up, and her dad’s finally emerging from years of unemployment and a deep depression. Everyone’s life is on the up while Emma’s plummeting towards rock bottom.
Every day she gives a free ‘99 to the lonely old man who sits on the park bench and reminds herself that life could be much worse.
But soon, even sprinkles and monkey’s blood can’t hide the truth. She’s in deep trouble and losing sight of the edge. Who will help her up when she falls?
This is the follow up to The Twenty Seven Club (which was described by Stylist Magazine as ‘a moving exploration of mental health, music myths and why love can help us through’). Parklife can also be read as a standalone tale.
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About the author
Lucy Nichol
Lucy is a writer with a passion for mental health awareness, music, comedy and nostalgia. Her first work of fiction, a dark comedy called The Twenty Seven Club, explores music fandom, mental health and media sensationalism. Her second novel, Parklife (the sequel to The Twenty Seven Club), delves into addiction, recovery, friendship and hope, and is set against a backdrop of Northern life and 90s Brit Pop. Lucy’s third novel, a romcom (to be announced soon!), will be published in summer 2023 by Harper North.
In March 2022, The Twenty Seven Club was adapted for the stage by Lucy’s husband, actor and director Chris Connel, for Live Theatre’s Elevator Festival.
Lucy has also written two non-fiction books - Snowflake (published by Welbeck in Jan 2023) and A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes – Naming and Shaming Mental Health Stigmas (Trigger, 2018).
Lucy has written extensively in the media, her words appearing in The Independent, The I Paper, NME, Red Magazine, Metro, Den of Geek, Huff Post and many more. She is also a former columnist with Sarah Millican’s Standard Issue magazine. She is passionate about challenging mental health stigma - particularly addiction stigma - and has worked with a wide range of mental health charities including: Recovery Connections, Mind, Time to Change, Student Minds, Action on Postpartum Psychosis, Road to Recovery Trust, St Andrew’s Healthcare and Newcastle United Foundation.
She has also worked on behalf of Mind and Recovery Connections, providing script advice for TV soaps and dramas regarding mental health (including addiction) portrayals.
She is, unfortunately, a bit of an expert when it comes to living with anxiety, and speaks openly about growing up with panic attacks and health anxiety.
