Local writer explores a new chapter for Dudley housing estate

Rob said: “The Wrenna is a novella that focuses on a small estate in Dudley (Wren's Nest - my home for six years) and with particular attention to what happens when our homes face upheaval and threat.

“The Wrenna is a misunderstood place, and one with a bad reputation. Despite its past troubles with violence and antisocial behaviour, in my experience it's a place that prides itself on a sense of community, on solidarity and family. My work attempts to capture that atmosphere in its light and shade.

“All of the streets on the estate are named after flowers, trees and bushes, and this seemed to be a really lovely link with the way families, memories, friendships and ways of being spread out and root themselves to locales. The poetic aspect this is heightened by plant folklore, which weaves its way into the different scenes of the novella and adds that important element of menace to the story and its setting.

“I also think Wren's Nest is a fascinating and quintessentially Black Country space that deserves more attention. Part of the UNESCO Black Country Geopark, it's where the Dudley Bug was pulled from the ground, and houses amazing geological wonders. This is then layered with the site’s industrial heritage - mine shafts, caverns and bell pits. And yet, it's a protected nature reserve full of lush flora and fauna. All of this, sat in the middle of a Dudley Council Estate. This web of place-identity was too rich to ignore.”