Art is good for mental health? Not when you’re a novelist in poverty

‘There’s no annual leave, no sick leave and you can be dismissed if your agent happens to think you’re not earning them enough money.’ Photograph: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy

Access to the arts might be good for mental health (The Guardian view on living more creatively: a daily dose of art, 9 January), but the conditions in which most artists have to produce their work does nothing to improve their own.

I’m a novelist, and I was paid £1,000 and £500 respectively for my last two books. The latter was shortlisted for an international literary award. That’s £1,500 earned in 10 years. Before turning to writing full-time, I worked in other areas: in local government, and as a teacher and academic.