Fifteen Years in the Making: Read Our Q&A with Jojo Moyes, Author of Someone Else’s Shoes

Briefly tell us about your book.

Someone Else’s Shoes is the story of two very different women in their forties who accidentally swap gym bags at a crisis point in both their lives – and the impact on them of literally having to walk in someone else’s shoes. It’s lighter and funnier than my previous books, but hopefully still with some grit underneath

What inspired the idea behind this book?

The book started life as a very short story I wrote fifteen years ago about a downtrodden woman who picks up the wrong bag. I had been asked to expand it by production companies over the years, but it was only when I wondered what had happened to the woman whose bag was taken that I realised I had the idea for a book.

If I looked at your internet history, what would it reveal about you?

Hah! Mostly that I am a sucker for a rescue dog story. I think the algorithm of social media now shows me almost nothing else. Last Sunday my best friend pretty much staged an intervention because I was making myself cry watching sad rescue dog videos.

Does the creative process get easier for you with each book?

No – every book feels like an entirely new thing, and every time I start a story I have no idea how I did it last time. The main advantage now is that I have tricks and tools in my mental kitbag to get me over the various humps that arrive with each book.

What are you hoping the reader will take away from reading your book?

I wrote this book because, like pretty much everyone, I had had a really tough few years and I found I wanted to read or watch things that made me laugh or feel uplifted. That’s what I’ve tried to do with this story, so I hope they see the value of their friendships and mostly just feel a bit happier than when they started it.

Buy a copy of Someone Else’s Shoes here.