Will Ashon

Will Ashon
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Leicester, England
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)Journalist, record label executive, novelist
LabelsBig Dada
WebsiteBig Dada Recordings

Will Ashon (born 1969) is an English writer and novelist, former music journalist and founder of the Big Dada imprint of Ninja Tune records.[1]

Ashon was educated at Countesthorpe Community College and Balliol College, Oxford.[1] In the mid-1990s he worked as a music journalist specialising in hip hop for publications including Trace, Muzik and Hip Hop Connection.[2] In 1997 he started the record label Big Dada in conjunction with Ninja Tune, signing and releasing albums by artists including Roots Manuva, Diplo, Speech Debelle and Wiley.[2]

His works of fiction include three novels titled Clear Water (2006),[3] The Heritage (2008)[4] and The Passengers (2022)[5] (all published by Faber and Faber). Strange Labyrinth, a non-fictional exploration of Epping Forest, was published in 2017,[6] and a collection of dialogues titled Not Far from the Junction, published by London independent publisher Open Pen.[7] He left Big Dada in February 2014.[8] In 2019 he returned to the subject of hip hop and released a "genre defying"[9] book about the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album entitled Chamber Music: Enter the Wu-Tang (in 36 Pieces).[10]

  1. ^ a b Marianne Brace (15 February 2008). "Will Ashon: a thoroughly modern novelist". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Well Deep release page". Big Dada website.
  3. ^ Hawes, James (22 July 2006). "Review: Clear Water by Will Ashon". the Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  4. ^ Ashon, Will (2008). The Heritage. Faber & Faber. ISBN 9780571231041.
  5. ^ "The Passengers by Will Ashon review – voices of a nation". the Guardian. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Strange Labyrinth - Granta Books". Granta Books. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  7. ^ London, Open Pen (21 May 2020). "Not Far From The Junction". Open Pen. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Will Ashon on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  9. ^ "'Genre-defying' second book from Ashon to Granta | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  10. ^ Ashon, Will (November 2018). Chamber Music: Enter the Wu-Tang (in 36 Pieces). Granta Books. ISBN 9781783784035.