‘Women writers aren’t credited with the same powers of intellect as men’

As our judging panel prepare to begin their search for this year’s Stories Competition winner, we catch up with two of the judges, best-selling authors Monica Ali and Beth O’Leary

Monica Ali and Beth O’Leary

ES Composite

Lotte Jeffs

28 March 2023

Monica Ali

The Ali family moved from Bangladesh to Bolton in the Sixties, when Monica was three. Racism was rife, and as her mother was white and her father Indian, Monica also experienced prejudice from the Indian community.

This lack of “belonging” — the theme of our Stories Competition this year — has influenced much of her work.

After studying at Oxford University and working for a time in publishing, Ali took time off to raise her son, and during this hiatus from office life began writing. Her first novel, Brick Lane, was hugely well received and shortlisted for the Man Booker, and in 2007 was turned into a major film.

Her books have been translated into over 26 languages. Love Marriage, her fifth novel and her first for 10 years, was published last year and became an instant bestseller.

Have you ever stopped writing a book half way through because it wasn’t working or do you power through?

I’ve never abandoned a book half way through, but I’ve had ideas for books, begun them and then quit. In the early stages if it doesn’t ‘take’ then for me there’s no point soldiering on. If everything I read, or hear or see, starts to become filtered through the lens of the book, then that’s the point of no return. It’s a bit like if you buy a red car then suddenly you start to notice all the red cars on the road. That doesn’t mean it’s plain sailing from then on. There are many moments of doubt, of crisis, but it’s possible to power through them.

Being a writer can be quite solitary - how do you create a sense of community around what you do?

It is solitary! That’s the writing life, and you have to be able to deal with it. But I don’t feel lonely when I’m writing. I’m immersed in the world of my characters and that’s never a lonely place to be.

What goes through your head the night before your novel is put out into the world?

It’s so stressful because of course you have absolutely no control over what happens. The only saving grace is that I’ve always written exactly what I want, in the way that I want, rather than trying to ‘build an audience’. I keep telling myself that my job is to write with as much honesty and integrity as I can muster, and that I shouldn’t worry about the rest. The second part is much easier said than done!

Do you think women writers are expected to reveal more about their personal life and inspiration for a book than male writers are?

Yes, I think that’s probably still the case. And for writers of colour I think that’s heightened further. You’re expected to write about issues concerning ethnicity or identity, and if you stray from that it confuses people. You’re not credited with the same powers of intellect and imagination as white male writers.

Do you always know how a book is going to finish when you start it?

I always have an idea of how it’s going to end. And it always changes by the time I get to the end. But having an ending in mind is very helpful, it’s a signal that this book is real, it’s going to get written, you’re going to keep going.

Do you have any routines or rituals that help you write?

I always make copious notes in longhand in hardback A5 notebooks, which I put away when I start to write on my laptop. Whenever I get stuck, I take the dog out for a walk. That helps. Also, I read my work out loud to her. She’s a really good listener.

Beth O’Leary

Beth wrote her first novel The Flatshare while commuting from her home in Winchester to work in London. It went on to sell over a million copies when it was published in 2019. Her brand of romantic comedy has proved an instant hit with readers and she’s since written a book a year. Her fifth novel, The Wake Up Call, will be out in September. She talks pre-publication nerves and knowing if an idea is “the one”.

What comes to mind for you when you think of the theme of this writing competition ‘belonging’?

I love this theme. When I think of belonging, I think of home, peace, authenticity — I think of the feeling I get when I’m with my husband and child, or when I’m writing. Times and places when I am most truly myself. But I am looking forward to seeing the different directions our entrants take this theme, and all the different things belonging can mean.

What advice do you have for writers entering our competition

Hold nothing back and don’t question your instincts—your gut knows what the story needs. Try not to think about what the judges might want to see, and instead focus on the tale you want to tell. I can’t wait to read, see or hear your story.

Where, other than in books, do you find great stories?

There are great stories everywhere, truly. Just ask someone how they met their partner and you’ll likely hear one.

Have you ever stopped writing a book half way through because it wasn’t working or do you power through?

I have lost count of the number of books I’ve abandoned midway over the years! Though I have become a little better at telling earlier in the process when an idea isn’t "the one", so it doesn’t happen as often now. Powering through just isn’t really possible, though, if a book isn’t working. It becomes… typing, not writing.

What goes through your head the night before your novel is put out into the world?

It is a unique mix of torture and joy, publishing a novel — I am desperately excited for readers to meet my characters and simultaneously terrifiedat the thought of sending that story out into the world. In reality, publication day isn’t as much of a one-day phenomenon as you might think: the book goes out to early readers and reviewers in an advance copy form, so getting your book out there is a more gradual process than it seems.

Have you ever written a first draft you are pleased with?

Ha! No. My first drafts are so messy— by the end, it’s a different story from the one I started with, so I’m never pleased with the beginning. But writing a first draft is such a joy —it’s my favourite part of the writing process. I launch in headfirst and give myself the luxury of not caring if it’s any good. I just write.

Do you enjoy the editing process?

I find being edited quite exciting, because it brings other creatives in to the solitary writing process, and it’s such a relief to share the story with someone else by that point.

How do you know if your idea for a book is good or not?

I get a fizz, a buzz, a giddy sensation. I want to tell everybody about the idea and at the same time I want to hold it tightly to myself. It is a lovely feeling, having an exciting new idea. One of my favourite things in life.

There’s still time for you to enter

Feeling inspired? It’s not too late for you to enter The Evening Standard Stories Competition. Explore the theme of belonging In 1,000 words or fewer, written as prose, as a script for any medium or performed in a two-minute audio or video. There is no fee to enter. Judges will select one overall winner and two runners-up. The winners will have their stories published on eveningstandard.ca, win a creative course at City Lit and receive a year’s mentorship in their chosen field by management and production company, 42.

⬤ Entries close on April 12 2023 at 11.59pm. For more information and to enter go to: stories.standard.co.uk/competition

MORE ABOUT

Stories Festival

Monica Ali

Authors

‘Women writers aren’t credited with the same powers of intellect as men’

Monica Ali

Read More

Beth O’Leary