Hello! I’m Nicola, a South African native, with Nordic roots, who has been dividing my time between London and my homeland since the year 2000. My diaries, maintained since I was twelve, served as my entry into the world of writing. 

J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace moved me with its emotional power. Published in 1999, it inspired my first novel, influenced by my experiences during the Apartheid era. 

I bombed the Writer’s Bureau’s online creative writing course in my early days in London. My tutor criticised my novel concept, based on real events leading to my departure. A tad imprudent back then; not sure much has changed… 

In 2008, I wrote Goodbye Danny, a memoir under the pseudonym Cressida Pride. An editor praised it and said I had a chance of getting an agent or publisher. But I received fifteen rejections. One agent offered feedback, suggesting I switch from diary style to novel style. I resubmitted six months later and received twelve more rejections. My manuscript gathered dust in a drawer. I had reached a dead end. 

While working in corporate, I delved into photography, art and writing. In 2015, I took a bold step and left the office life to pursue my passion full-time. My work, BeanOn Photography, later renamed Nicola Ann Art, showcases the beauty of travel, architecture, and the world of dentistry, with abstract art experimentation. 

Driven by nature and the human spirit, I embark on self-inspired projects to capture life’s essence. My adventures take me off the beaten path through Africa, sailing uncharted waters, and into the pages of Sailing Today magazine. 

Inspired by an introductory creative life writing course at the University of Cambridge, I revisited my unfinished novel, Goodbye Danny, and transformed it into Girl in the Pickle Jar, a cautionary tale for young adults.

Expanding my horizons, I took on an art tutor, kickboxing lessons, and volunteered at Age UK Camden and as a Special Constable with London’s Metropolitan Police. All my experiences enrich my storytelling.

For my birthday in April 2023, I published Girl in the Pickle Jar, my debut novel which tackles toxic culture, discrimination, and abuse. The sequel is in its final draft. And the in-progress trilogy features a surprise narrator.

Two more trilogies are near completion.

November 2023, I published No Bull Help Yourself, a non-fiction book with a heartfelt and amusing message for young adults and parents.

I uncovered my trove of diaries from Durban and plan to transform at least ten of the thirty-three volumes into genre-bending novels.

I’m co-hosting my first online course on self-publishing and AI tools, and in October 2023 started an undergraduate creative writing course at The University of Cambridge, a significant step toward a full-fledged degree.

From a diary-keeper to a self-published author, I’ve learned the power of resilience and belief in writing. My word-mission is to sow seeds of empathy, equality, and evolution in readers’ hearts.