Isolationcast #21: Kit de Waal on literary snobbery and why coming to writing late made her a better author

The Sunday Salon with Alice-Azania Jarvis

My guest this week is someone I have wanted to interview for absolutely ages. Ever since her debut novel My Name is Leon was published in 2016, Kit de Waal has been one of the most thoughtful and interesting voices in the industry. Having crowdfunded and edited an anthology of working class memoir, Common People, she has spoken frequently of the need for the publishing world to become more diverse. In response to the pandemic, she co-founded The Big Book Weekend, a virtual festival in May.
Now she has published a collection of short stories, Supporting Cast, which revisits some of the characters from her previous works. We spoke about all of this and more - including how she became an author in her 50s, why coming to publishing late made her a better writer, and why we should all be less snobby about audiobooks. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Twitter: @aliceazania / @KitdeWaal

Instagram: @aliceazania /
@kitdewaal

Buy the book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/supporting-cast/kit-de-waal/9780241973424

Edited by Chelsey Moore