Briefly tell us about your book.
The Truth About Her tells the story of Suzy Hamilton, a journalist who writes an expose with unforeseen and devastating consequences. It is an exploration of stories, guilt, atonement and motherhood, and a love letter to mothering. And hopefully a bit funny too!
If I looked at your internet history, what would it reveal about you?
That I am a weather-obsessed dork who is trying to work out how to garden and looking to buy a new door knob. Also that I really like reading book reviews.
Tell us about your background and what led you to writing this book.
I am a newspaper journalist who has always written fiction on the sly. Strangely enough I think having a baby led me to writing this book – it inspired me and also reminded me of my mortality. But having a small child was otherwise extremely unhelpful to the writing process!!
What’s some great advice you’ve received that has helped you as a writer?
Don’t romanticise the writing process, and remember editing is easier than writing – so just get something down. Guard your time selfishly and turn off the internet.
Who are some of your favourite authors? Or favourite books?
In contemporary fiction, I will read anything by Anne Enright, Elizabeth Strout, Helen Garner, Otessa Moshfegh, Jennifer Offill and Ann Patchett. Also Ismail Kadare and Michael Ondaatje. In terms of classics, I believe Jane Eyre to be the best novel of all time, with the best heroine. I also love Eliot, Tolstoy, Nabokov and Turgenev.
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