Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Barcelona Residency 2024
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is the Sunday Times Bestselling author of the Future Worlds Prize winning debut novel, The Principle of Moments, published in January 2024, by Gollancz. As an author of Nigerian, Jamaican, and British-Australian heritage, her work primarily focuses on people who live at the intersection of identities, whether that’s here on Earth, or in far away galaxies of her own creation. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter.
Find out more about Esmie on her Website and Instagram.
She was awarded a writing residency in Barcelona, which she completed in 2024 as part of a yearly exchange of writers, cultures, and ideas between Exeter and Barcelona UNESCO Cities of Literature. Read more about the residency exchange programme here >>
What did you find the most interesting about your time on the residency?
The most interesting aspect of my time at the residency was the feeling of being simultaneously very immersed in a different culture, but also quite isolated. As someone who requires a fair bit of isolation to get meaningful writing done, I was in heaven. So I was not isolated in a bad sense but essentially given a room of my own to just write, without any of the usual social expectations and pressures of life. I was also able to venture into the city whenever I liked, which was hugely inspirational. I was surprised and delighted by just how much of the city and its monuments bled into the work I was doing at the time.
What were your greatest challenges?
The greatest challenge I faced whilst on the residency was feeling like I had ‘made the most of it’. Obviously, it is totally impossible to quantify or prove if I did or not. But in the end, I think I can say I did. I wrote many works. I explored the city, and the surrounding areas – which I would not have been able to do if not for the generosity of Dolores, the kind woman who looks after the villa, and her daughter. I tried new food, went on long walks, visited parks, churches and cafés... Honestly, the residency was not challenging for me, but one of the best months I have spent in years!
What surprised you the most about the city you were a resident in?
I had thought I would be staying in central Barcelona, so to be in the rural area that surrounds it was a lovely surprise. I hadn’t expected to go for a hike through the hills just to get my weekly shopping, and it was a really welcome break from my busy city routine in London. But the city itself was only a twenty-minute train ride away, so I could get there very quickly.
What was something you learned during your residency? And what are you most grateful for now that your residency has ended?
I am most grateful for the time it gave me, uninterrupted weeks of silence and solitude that allowed my work and capacity for work to compound – in the sense that I can get exponentially more work done in two uninterrupted weeks of writing than in two hours, or two days. I learned to be unapologetic about taking time to write, to not feel guilty for switching off my emails. It’s all right if my admin is imperfect as long as my writing practice is top notch. I had to make decisions about what I prioritized, and it forced me to confront many problems. For example, what I wanted my days to look like when I returned home, the discipline I would have to learn if that was to be possible, and also the money I would have to make.
Interview questions and answers taken from Taking a closer look at residency programmes Q&A with Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Judith Rossell and Mìodrag Kojadínović by Rachel Bulman and Du Lei from the MA Publishing Course at University of Exeter. Read the full piece as part of the UNESCO Cities of Literature publication from the MA Publishing 2024-2025 cohort here >>
