Meet the fresher who published a novel before starting his English Degree

Conner Owen is something special. Just shy of his 19th birthday, he’s published a novel, achieved a 100 per cent A* in A-Level English Literature and gone through some pretty rough times. Conner doesn’t like to be defined by his condition, Asperger’s Syndrome, but by his achievements. And they’re pretty awesome.

Obviously your love of writing is why you chose your degree, but what are you looking forward to this year?

I’m really excited to be joining some of the societies. I’m quite keen to dive into something I’ve always loved which is art, from Anime/Manga to possibly making my own art movie project. I also love meeting new people, and Cardiff is so different from where I grew up.

What’s your favourite place in Cardiff?

I love ice-skating down Planet Ice with my partner, I’m not very good and she skates rings around me but it’s great fun. Other than that, St David’s shopping centre, the parks and half the pubs (I’m from Newport so any pub that doesn’t get bricked is automatically good). Also the few Union nights I get dragged out to by my partner.

So if your book turns you into a millionaire, are the lucky single ladies of Cardiff going to be cashing in?

Haha no, I have a partner, and I’m a very very happy man with her. I’m afraid the ladies are going to have to hunt elsewhere.

Describe yourself in one adjective?

Fantasamazalingerific.

Obviously alcohol is an important part of freshers, but how fast can you down a pint?

It’s tragic, I can’t very well at all. I’ll beat you at shots but with a pint of cider I’m slower than Gary down the bookies picking his horses.

Would you consider yourself a flaneur?

Something like that, but not observing from a distance – wait that sounds creepy doesnt it – I mean I look for people I really like and focus on them, to learn their weaknesses for my inevitable pursuit of world domination.

What’s your most embarrassing moment on a night out?

That actually happened here in Cardiff, me and my partner were on our way back from Live Lounge, and when we got in the taxi apparently I turned to her and said “I’m not supposed to be in a taxi with you, you’re not my girlfriend”. Luckily she just laughed it off, as well as my apparent showing off in the bathroom once we got home.

So had you and your partner been together long? Surely that was a pretty new thing?

No. We’ve been together for nearly three years, and this was seven months ago. Not my finest moment.

You can buy EVA by Conner Owen on Amazon Kindle.