This month I met with Harry Ashton-Key, my friend from university, and we talked about science, wonder, burnout, and somewhat unlikely, small, green heroes…
Tell us a bit about yourself – where are you from and what do you do?
I spent my childhood mostly growing up in Winchester. My childhood was briefly interrupted for four years when I went to Oxford to get a physics degree. Fortunately, the interruption was seemingly only temporary and I have since returned to being in a state of near-constant childlike wonder about the world. With that in mind it is perhaps no surprise that now, in my mid-twenties, I am a PhD student. I am researching the ocean’s response to climate change at the University of Southampton. I am not a writer by training or profession but I enjoy writing very much and in terms of how I identify, I consider it of equal importance to being a scientist.
Where did your love of words come from?
I’ve always liked words, but I’d say I’ve only come to love words relatively recently.
My love of words grew out of a need to create, but also, crucially, a need for escape. It started just after my first term of university. Physics is not the easiest subject, and compared to my peers I wasn’t very good at it. I spent a lot of time feeling confused and a lot of time feeling inadequate. More and more of my life was revolving around physics and work. I was tunnel visioning and not very happy. My naïve solution? Work harder.
Obviously working harder can’t fix the problem of burnout. The real fix was quite unexpected and came when my friend group organised a secret Santa for the end of term. Whether by chance or providence (I don’t remember which) I decided the only appropriate gift I could give was a handwritten parody of “A night before Christmas,” featuring all my friends in the most absurdly whimsical and flimsy narrative. It was a blast to write – featuring fire alarms, the Spanish inquisition, and of course (in keeping with the festive season) Satan…
While writing the poem did not resolve my issue that physics is hard, it did go quite a way in making me feel less burnt out and less narrowly focused. Writing this silly poem was so unfathomably exciting to me. It was so different and so freeing compared to the rigidity of physics. I was using a part of my brain that had been long neglected, spending my evenings rolling through rhymes and structuring stanzas with unadulterated delight. And, when the Secret Santa happened and my poem was read out, seeing the positive reaction my friends had to my (at the time anonymous) words demonstrated to me that not only can I enjoy and benefit from writing, but other people can enjoy and benefit from it too.
After that experience, I started incorporating more and more writing into my free time and have found it to be both a wonderful de-stressor and also the perfect lens through which to channel my emotions.
What made you join 26? And how long have you been a member?
I joined 26 in June of 2024. I have the privilege of being friends with Max, 26’s editor, and one evening we were chatting – as you tend to do with friends. At one point we discussed my writing hobby and feeling somewhat disconnected from the creative world, what with being a scientist, and he brought up this writing group and encouraged me to consider joining it. Evidently, I did join and I am glad I did.
Have you been involved in any 26 projects?
I’ve been involved with several of the monthly mini-projects, the latest one I contributed to being from December. I always find them a fun creative exercise. I have not yet braved to join a more substantial project; however, the ongoing Memento Mori project does pique my interest. It has got me thinking about death in a more active way than I tend to and once I’ve formed some more concrete thoughts, it is very likely I will want to participate.
What’s your ideal scenario for writing? (A coffee shop? Quiet retreat? With or without music? What do you do to get yourself in the right frame of mind?)
I think my ideal writing scenario is very mood dependent. In an ideal world, I would have a quiet study that smells of well-loved books and where I can write alone. I’d have a writing desk and a plush armchair and reams of paper strewn everywhere. But we don’t live in an ideal world. And in reality, I’m often in my bed or on the sofa writing in the middle of the night. There is also something strangely productive to me about a long train journey or a flight. Some of my favourite writing I have done trapped in the confines of a high speed metal cylinder. There’s a certain tranquillity (screaming babies notwithstanding) to these journeys – especially if there’s no internet. A rare slice of time to be alone with your thoughts with minimal (screaming babies notwithstanding) distraction.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am writing a story about two children exploring a fantasy solar system. It’s an exploration in themes of childhood friendship and loss. I’ve been writing this story on and off for two and a half years now, which is longer than I was expecting it to take, particularly as it isn’t a very long story. The unfortunate truth is my attention has been diffused between too many priorities in my life and I’ve not been able to write as often as I’d like. I think this is a fairly common occurrence for hobbyist writers. I don’t mind this project taking time though, and I don’t even mind if the end result isn’t very good. I write partly just for the sake of writing and for my own pleasure and content myself with the knowledge that eventually, one day, the story will be done.
Could you tell us about a piece of writing you’re particularly proud of?
When I was an undergraduate I wrote an epic rhyming poem about a pea who, in a 9,000 word tale, undergoes an elaborate journey from a kitchen to the ocean in a quest to find his self-worth. I have written plenty of other smaller works, but “The Lonely Pea,” as I called it, is definitely my most substantial creative achievement. Everyone who I’ve performed it to said they enjoyed it. I haven’t tried to get it published anywhere but it is something I am interested in getting out and sharing with the wider world when the moment feels right.
Where do you get your inspiration?
There are a number of ways I find inspiration. I come up with a number of my ideas by doodling on scrap paper and seeing what forms take shape. That’s how I came up with the pea – I drew a circle with eyes getting chased by a chicken and the rest of the story followed naturally. Other inspiration for me can come from a simple phrase or idea. A friend told me a story of someone who had rats in her attic and it blew my mind, conceptually, because I always imagine rats and ground dwelling or subterranean. I then got fixated on the idea of rats possibly being above me (and falling down onto me). I thought about it so much that I wrote a poem about it, creatively titled, “Rats in her Attic.” When all else fails, I find a walk through nature does wonders for the imagination. But I have to remember to bring a pad of paper. There’s nothing as annoying as coming up with an interesting idea only to forget it before you get home.