On what’s next for her

 

Darling was written in a fury of, a fire, day by day: total immersion for 8 months, non-stop. I’d wake up at 5 and I’d go to bed late and I was just really in a fever about it. To sustain me for a novel I have to be pretty fired up. With Darling I really had something to say. I’ll have a bit more of a sedate approach to the next one and see how things develop, let things mulch down a bit longer.

 

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Book recommendations

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[Rachel studied French and English at university, and reads in French] I was very powerfully affected by L’Étranger, I thought that was fantastic. How have you made me feel this, you’ve stunned me and startled me and made me feel uncomfortable. I felt this exquisite discomfort, I thought who is this character, I feel so engaged with them and yet I should hate them.

 

Michael Donkor’s Hold, which is a beautiful book about Ghanaian housemaids

 

The Future Popes of Ireland by Darragh Martin