Abigail Dean on quitting the day job, writer’s block and going from page to screen

A bidding war, a screen adaptation by the director who made “Chernobyl” - and now, a place on the bestseller lists. What a whirlwind few months it has been for Abigail Dean and her debut novel, Girl A, which documents the aftermath of the horrific abuse the narrator, Lex (aka ‘Girl A’) endured at the hand of her father. Obviously, I was thrilled to interview her - the book is unbelievably gripping, and Abigail herself has a fascinating story, having worked as a lawyer for her 20s before deciding to pursue her literary ambitions. She’s now back to working in law again, while also writing, and I loved hearing about how doing those two different things helps her process - as well as how she cures writer’s block and how on earth she went from unknown to wildly successful author so quickly. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Buy the book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/girl-a/abigail-dean/2928377050276 Twitter: @aliceazania / @abigailsdean Edited by Chelsey Moore

Om Podcasten

The Sunday Salon is a podcast celebrating brilliant books and the women who write them, hosted by journalist Alice-Azania Jarvis. Each week she chats to an inspiring female author about her work, her career, how she writes, what she reads and everything in between. This is not some academic textual analysis – it’s about finding the stories behind the stories. Tune in each Sunday to hear from guests including Isabel Allende, Jessie Burton, Holly Bourne, Diana Evans, Elizabeth Day, Nimco Ali and Sophie Kinsella. Edited by Chelsey Moore.