Lizzie Damilola Blackburn on romantic comedies and writing the character you couldn't find

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn's debut novel Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? tells the story of 31 yr old British-Nigerian Yinka, who is feeling the pressure to settle down. When she finds out her ex-boyfriend is bringing his new fiance to her cousins wedding, she decides to go on a mission to find herself a plus one for the big day. Lizzie and Penny chat about how Yinka started life in a short story and how Lizzie felt characters like Yinka were missing from mainstream women's fiction. After the story won a prize, Lizzie decided to write her into a novel. Lizzie is passionate about representation in fiction and about writing religion in a way that feels true to her. She also discusses the importance of writing about colourism and body image for dark skinned black women and creating nuance and humour these complex issues.

Links

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? - Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Hope and Glory - Jendella Benson

The Christie Affair - Nina De Gramont

You can find Lizzie on twitter @DamilolaLizzie