Sarah Perry on why Essex girls rule the world

When Sarah Perry would tell people she was an Essex Girl, her remarks would be met with a knowing smirk. Why? That question is at the heart of this book, which pinpoints what it is that makes an Essex girl (not white high-heels - but a chutzpah and convention-defying radicalism). Perry - the author of three wildly successful novels, After Me Comes the Flood, The Essex Serpent, and Melmoth - then delves into the lives of famous Essex Girls, from TOWIE star Gemma Collins to the abolitionist Anne Knight. I loved talking to her about this, as well as about her ‘late’ start in writing, managing her work with chronic pain, her phenomenal successful novels and her strict Baptist upbringing. By the book here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/essex-girls/sarah-perry/9781788167451 Twitter: / @aliceazania Instagram: @sarah_grace_perry / @aliceazania 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.