Comedian, author and producer Justine Sless has returned to her hometown of Sunderland from Australia to launch her third book, Before I Sing You This Song. Published with North East independent publishers Crear Publishing, the novel has been a decade in the making and marks a homecoming for the writer, both literary and literal.
A Story Rooted in Sunderland and Bobby Thompson
Set in Sunderland in 1978, the novel draws inspiration from local comedy legend Bobby ‘The Little Waster’ Thompson. Justine said of him: “some would say he’s like royalty.” Extracts from Thompson’s original material are woven throughout the story, used with the blessing of his family.
His son, Keith Thompson, who passed away last year, said of the book: “As the son of Bobby Thompson, the Little Waster, I was fortunate enough to read the book prior to its release. Being just a daft Geordie myself, I found it a most engaging read. Justine has captured the moment and is quite clearly a gifted author.”
The heart of the book is Elsie Bishop, a Hendon-born woman whose diaries and newspaper cuttings form the backbone of the narrative. Elsie is an ordinary woman with extraordinary ambition: to perform stand-up comedy at a time when women were permitted to sing in working men’s clubs but not to tell jokes.
Praise for the Novel
Jen Bowden, host of the Northern Voices Podcast, said of the book: “Before I Sing You This Song is a gorgeously funny novel that doesn’t shy away from the difficult truths of life. Elsie is a sparkling heroine whose wit and humour pull us deep into the vibrant heart of working-class northern life. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry but you’ll never regret a second spent reading this delightful book.”
Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater and Milk Teeth, added: “Justine’s work explores social class, gender and northern identity in the 1970s through one woman’s determination to forge a path for herself. In a time of increasing polarisation, it is more necessary than ever to hear the stories of places like Sunderland.”
Through Elsie’s story, Before I Sing You This Song examines class, gender and misogyny with warmth, wit and unflinching honesty, while being meticulously researched and written in the authentic pitmatic dialect Bobby was well-known for.
From Idea to Publication
What started from meeting old school friends in Melbourne and watching The Little Waster a decade ago sparked a long and dedicated writing process that evolved from its initial idea, which woke Justine in the middle of the night. She said: “The more I wrote the story about Bobby, the more I knew it had to be about a woman.”
She added: “What’s been gorgeous is the people who have stayed in contact over the decade.” This group includes Keith, Bobby’s son, who kept in touch and believed in the project until his passing last year, as well as Jen from Northern Voices Podcast and Justine’s writers group, whose support over the last five years helped the novel pass its draft.
Alongside her writing and performing career, which has spanned the last 20 years, Justine teaches stand-up comedy and creative writing in schools, workplaces and libraries, with a particular focus on people at risk of homelessness and those living with complex mental health conditions. Despite leaving school having struggled academically and later being diagnosed as dyslexic, Justine completed a master’s by research in creative writing, published two previous books and performed numerous one-woman shows.
She said: “It’s about surrounding yourself with a great team. Writing and performing is never a solo pursuit.”
Launch Events and School Visit
Justine launched the book as part of the North East Indie Book Festival before attending numerous events across Sunderland. She also plans to visit her old school, Southmoor Academy, to show students what can be achieved, saying she wants to tell them: “If I can do it, then so can you.”
Justine will also be donating copies of her book to her former school to encourage pupils to tell their own stories. While her other two books seemed to come easily, Before I Sing You This Song has been waiting for the perfect time to step into the spotlight and the right audience to do it for. Now Justine’s story is ready to be shared with the world, along with its message, which she described as a “deep dive into self belief and when the time is right.”
Justine has said that although she has made her home on the other side of the world, Before I Sing You This Song is proof that you can take the girl out of Sunderland, but you can’t take Sunderland out of the girl.
