Career
His first novel, The Intimates, was a Recommended Title for New Writing North's 2011 Read Regional Campaign. [2] It was described by author Abigail Tarttelin as a 'measured, literary piece of work as hauntingly evocative of its setting and characters as Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize winner Housekeeping.' Culture Magazine were more critical, and called it 'unusually stylised for contemporary fiction.' [7] [8] He was awarded by Newcastle University’s Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts a Flow Engineering Writing commission. [9]
Mankowski's second novel, [10] Letters from Yelena, was described by New Books Magazine as having 'shades of The Red Shoes and The Black Swan.' [11] The novel was given Arts Council funding, allowing Mankowski to be ‘given the rare privilege of behind-the-scenes access to observe the work of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet’ in Saint Petersburg for research purposes’. [12] The choreographer Dora Frankel created a dance based on the book. [13] [14] An excerpt of the novel was used as GCSE training material by Osiris Educational. [10] [15] His third novel, How I Left The National Grid , was written as part of his PhD. His academic research applied the theory of Self-fashioning to the punk movement, re-appropriating it as 'self-design'. [16] The genesis of the book was discussed in a TV interview on the North East Arts and Culture Show. [17] Of the novel, The Huffington Post stated: 'Mankowski captures brilliantly the psychology of fan obsession.' [18] The Glasgow Review Of Books described it as a novel 'about the pitfalls of externally defined identity.' [19] Louder Than War said 'this intriguing novel is more about the pop fan's urge to remember.' The novelist Andrew Crumey commented: 'Already recognised as a major rising talent, Mankowski here establishes himself as a significant voice in British fiction.' [20] [21] In 2015 he also edited the memoir of banking whistle-blower Paul Moore (banking manager), whose evidence about corruption at HBOS bank was presented to the UK House of Commons Treasury Select Committee. [22] An Honest Deceit was a New Writing North Read Regional 2018 title, which lead to a tour of English libraries. [23] [24] The book was re-released on Audible. [25] [26]
"Dead Rock Stars" concerns the wild summer of a teenage boy struggling to get over the death of his sister, a rising star on the nineties Riot Grrrl scene. [27] Ruth Dugdall said it was 'a mesmerising study of grief as well as a coming of age novel.' The Scottish novelist Andrew Crumey said the novel 'powerfully voices the concerns of a generation.' [28] Louder Than War (website) called it 'highly enjoyable fiction that uses alternative pop music as [its] guiding light.' [29]
Mankowski is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Lincoln. [30] For 'Albion's Secret History: Snapshots of England's Pop Rebels and Outsiders' (Collective Ink), Kate Jackson (singer) from The Long Blondes gave an unreleased photo for the front cover of the book' [31] and was interviewed as part of its release in a promotional series that included Gary Numan. [32] PopMatters wrote 'this book is about celebrating the unsung.' [33] Midwest Book Review called it 'an inherently fascinating, iconoclastic, and informative read from cover to cover... "Albion's Secret History" is an original work of impressive research.' [34] Mankowski has interviewed artists such as Will Self, [35] Miki Berenyi of Lush (band) [36] , Gazelle Twin [37] and Jehnny Beth. [38] Mankowski did a TED (conference) talk on his opening of the unseen archive of Kristen Pfaff of Hole (band). [39] [40] Mankowski told No Treble magazine, 'Jason Pfaff offered to share with me his sister’s unopened archive.' [41] A Substack of his Kristen Pfaff biography was published for subscribers in 2024. [42] John Robb (musician) said of it, ‘This book ultimately places Kristen back in the deserved centre of the narrative.’ [42] Excerpts were published by 3:AM Magazine [43] and No Treble magazine, who called it ‘long awaited'. [44] In August 2025 the second volume of it was released. [45]
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