S13, BONUS EPISODE! How To Fail: Candice Carty-Williams
Mar 23, 2022
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Author Candice Carty-Williams joins Elizabeth Day to discuss her bestselling novel Queenie, being the first Black author to win Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, growing up in South London, rewriting her novel through lockdown, the importance of therapy, setting boundaries, and her upcoming novel People Person and TV adaptation of Queenie.
Candice Carty-Williams discusses the importance of therapy and setting boundaries for self-care and well-being.
She shares her resistance to labels and societal expectations in relationships, emphasizing the importance of chosen family.
Carty-Williams attributes her appreciation for literature and the need for representation to her experience of finding solace in books during a lonely adolescence.
Deep dives
Learning from Failure and the Success of Queenie
Candice Carti Williams discusses her journey from working full-time as a publishing executive to becoming an acclaimed author. She talks about her debut novel, Queenie, which won the 2019 Book of the Year award and explores the representation of Black characters in fiction. Carti Williams shares her motivation to create a realistic and flawed female protagonist in Queenie, challenging the societal expectation for women to be nice. She also discusses the political nature of her work and the personal impact of being a Black British woman in the publishing industry.
The Importance of Therapy and Setting Boundaries
Carti Williams reflects on the importance of therapy in her life, discussing her struggle with anxiety and the impact of her friend's cancer diagnosis. She shares her journey to finding therapy and the challenges she faced due to societal perceptions. The conversation then shifts to the topic of boundaries, both in personal and professional relationships. Carti Williams opens up about her difficulty in saying no and putting herself first, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries for self-care and well-being.
Writing without Labels and Familial Relationships
In this segment, Carti Williams discusses her approach to relationships, both in her personal life and in her writing. She shares her resistance to labels and the societal expectations placed on defining relationships. She emphasizes that connections and the importance of chosen family can go beyond traditional definitions. Carti Williams also reflects on her mother's perception of her career and the familial support she receives, highlighting the freedom it brings her to write authentically.
Overcoming Loneliness and Finding a Voice
As a teenager, the podcast guest experienced loneliness and struggled to find her voice due to a difficult home environment and the absence of nurturing relationships. Despite feeling isolated, she discovered solace in books and libraries, which provided a safe space and introduced her to different perspectives and versions of life. This experience shaped her appreciation for the power of literature and the need for representation of diverse realities. Through therapy, she found healing and the confidence to use her own voice as a writer.
The Influence of Amy Winehouse and the Power of Authenticity
The podcast guest expresses her admiration for Amy Winehouse as both an artist and a person who fearlessly rejected societal expectations. She resonated with Amy's rawness, honesty, and refusal to conform to industry pressures. The guest credits Amy's unapologetic authenticity for inspiring her own determination to be true to herself and challenge societal norms. She discusses the profound impact of Amy's music and recalls a missed opportunity to see her perform live, realizing the importance of seizing moments of inspiration and cherishing the presence of influential artists.
So many people have requested this guest and now I'm beyond thrilled to oblige! Yes, that's right it's author Candice Carty-Williams whose first novel, Queenie, became a publishing sensation. Queenie won the 2019 Book of the Year at the British Book Awards making Carty-Williams the first Black author to do so. Now, her second novel People Person is about to be published, a TV adaptation of Queenie for Channel 4 is in the works and she’s writing an original drama for the BBC. She joins me to talk about growing up in South London, re-writing her novel through lockdown, why she regrets not having therapy sooner and what she's learned about boundaries. Plus: Amy Winehouse. She also opens up about the death of one of her closest friends and what it taught her. And: why readers assuming her books are autobiographical is actually kind of annoying.