Joolz is a writer, poet, spoken-word performer, tattooist, illustrative and fine artist, band manager and insomniac. Her first novel, Stone Baby, won the 1998 Crime Writers’ Association New Crime Writer of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey Memorial Dagger. Her novel, Billie Morgan (2004), was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger in the Library Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her most recent novels are ‘The Curious Mystery Of Miss Lydia Larking & The Widow Marvell’ (Ignite Books 2011)and 'Wild Thing' (Ignite Books 2011).
Joolz also works in the music industry as a recording artist and performer and is an illustrative artist for bands such as New Model Army, Ricky Warwick’s Slingblade & Utopian Love Revival. Her touring exhibition, One Family, One Tribe – The Art and Artefacts of New Model Army, is a collection of her 30 years of art works for that legendary cult rock band. Her photographic exhibition/installation, Bradford – True North, was shown at Bradford University in 2006, and she curated a hugely successful and highly controversial exhibition on elective body modification – The Body Carnival - for Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Gallery. Joolz was Artistic Director of Illuminate’s Radical Bronte Festival in 2006, and was designated a Cultural Revolutionary in the North of England for her contribution to the region’s Arts. Joolz is well-known for her work in prisons and with marginalized young people.
Joolz has performed her work all over the world, played innumerable rock, art and literature festivals, been featured on inumerable television programmes and broadcasts on BBC Radio 1, Radio 4 and local and community radio. She lives in Bradford.
Works:
Collections of poetry and short stories:
Mad, Bad, & Dangerous To Know, (Virgin Books, 1986)
Emotional Terrorism, (Bloodaxe Books, 1990)
The Pride of Lions, (Bloodaxe Books, (1994)
Errors of the Spirit, (Flambard Press 2000)
Pray For Us Sinners, (Comma Press, 2005)
Novels:
Stone Baby, (HarperCollins, 2000)
Corazon, (HarperCollins, 2001)
Billie Morgan, (Serpent’s Tail, 2004)
Borrowed Light, (Serpent’s Tail, 2006)
The Curious Mystery Of Miss Lydia Larkin & The Widow Marvell (Ignite Books 2011)
Wild Thing (Ignite Books 2011)
Select Discography:
Love is Sweet Romance (EMI, EP with music by New Model Army)
Bad, Mad & Dangerous to Know (EMI, EP with music by New Model Army)
Hex (EMI, 1990; music by New Model Army)
Weird Sister (Intercord Records, 1991; music by Justin Sullivan)
Joolz 1983-1985 (Abstract Records, 1993; compilation of Abstract Records material with music by Jah Wobble, Justin Sullivan and other musicians, collecting her first audio recordings)
True North (Wooltown Records, 1995 or 1997, music by Justin Sullivan)
Red Sky Coven, Volumes 1&2 (1999, live collective recording of Red Sky Coven, with Joolz on some of the tracks)
Red Sky Coven, Volume 3
Spirit Stories (poetry set to music by Justin Sullivan) Attack Attack Records: 2008
Audio Books
Stone Baby (2000) – won the US Earphone award for best spoken book.
Billie Morgan (2005)
The Accidental (written by Ali Smith; audio recording by Joolz Denby)
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