Interview with Dorothy Koomson

I have been in awe of your work for a couple of years now, with publications each year, barely any fanfare, and then I notice them high up on the Sunday Times best sellers list. You are, I believe, the UK's top selling black author. That is really tremendous, well done. 

Thank you. Very kind of you to say that.

Your most recent book, The Woman he Loved Before, describes a much grittier and challenging social theme than has been in your books in the past, can you tell us why you decided to take up this particular topic?

One of the best things about being a writer is having the chance to immerse myself in exploring emotionally difficult or challenging subjects. My other books – to some extent – deal with difficult subjects. Marshmallows For Breakfast, for example, dealt with alcoholism, and Goodnight, Beautiful dealt with mental illness. But with The Woman He Loved Before, as with The Ice Cream Girls, there is also the ‘whodunnit?’ element. Originally, when I came up with the idea, I wanted to write about a woman who feels second-best in her marriage and how, when she has a traumatic experience she is forced to re-evaluate her whole life. As I planned out the story, the idea of telling the first wife’s story grew. This also involved unravelling what was going on in the first wife’s life that effected her husband so deeply that he found it hard to get over her. When I hit upon her big secret, I knew I’d found one of the core elements of the book. I find, when I’m writing, as soon as I find one of the core elements, the story pretty much reveals itself to me.

What has been the reaction to the book?

I’m very lucky in that the response to the book has been very positive. I wasn’t sure how it would be received, to be honest. You never know – you can only ever write the best book you can at that time and hope that people like and understand it. That’s one of the hardest things about being a writer, not knowing how people will respond to your book.

Your work is very much driven by the role and ambitions of women, their careers, and  friendships, as well as the search for love, what inspired you to focus on this genre?

I love writing about relationships and families. Relationships are what life is about, don’t you think? I find human interactions so fascinating, I enjoy reading about them and I adore writing about them. When I write a book I start with the basic premise of the relationships in the book and the plot grows from there.

Your recent books unfold their stories from the perspectives of different characters, how do maintain the voices and characters in this format? 

With the books told from different perspectives, I write one character’s story first, then the other’s story. With The Ice Cream Girls, I started writing Poppy’s story first, but I couldn’t get into it so I wrote Serena’s story. Then I wrote Poppy. I remember as I was writing Serena’s story – being her, almost – I kept thinking, ‘Poppy’s a cow!’. Then when I was writing Poppy, I was constantly going, ‘I really hate Serena.’ After I’ve written each character’s story, I then put them together.

How do you go about researching the themes in your books?

By talking to people, reading books, reading people’s published diaries. It’s simple but time-consuming, labour-intensive and very interesting.

Your books are phenomenally popular, you have a very faithful following, what surprises you most about your readers?

The thing that surprises me most is how honest and generous readers are. They often contact me to say thank you for writing a book and many, many readers email me to tell me about their experiences and how much a certain storyline in my books has helped them. Being able to help someone with something you write is a great feeling.

With a book published each year - how do you manage your time? 

If I’m not actively writing when a book comes out, I’m usually reading and researching and working through the next story. I manage my time like this: I wake up, mentally go over my ‘to do’ list at the top of which is usually ‘write next book’ and by the time I go to bed I find I’ve only done the things that people have nagged me for the most. In between that I squeeze in research or writing scenes that have popped into my head. The nearer I get to deadline, the more writing I try to squeeze into the day, which usually spills over into night. When deadline looms I will cancel virtually everything else and concentrate – night and day – on finishing, then editing and rewriting the book.

Which one of your books has given you the most satisfaction? 

I take satisfaction from all my books because they’re finished. If I didn’t get some sort of pleasure from at least that, then there’d be no point in writing. I do it because I love it. My favourite book is The Cupid Effect, simply because it was the first to be ‘out there’ in bookshops and the first book that allowed me to call myself a published writer. Basically, my first-born.

What kind of career did you have before you became a full-time author?

I was a journalist, editor and sub-editor right up until I started writing my fifth novel, Goodnight, Beautiful. I lived in Australia and worked on a magazine for two years, and it was when I was made redundant from that job that I decided to make the leap of faith when I returned to England and become a full-time novelist. It’s pretty daunting, and I wouldn’t necessarily advise anyone else to do it because you need to keep a roof over your head and pay your bills.

What is your ideal/ most perfect writing environment?

Having worked full-time for so long while writing fiction in the evenings, I find it easy to write pretty much anywhere. When I used to commute to work I would write with pen and paper on the train. If I needed the perfect environment before I could put pen to paper or finger to keyboard I’d never get anything done.

What books did you enjoy as a child/teenager?

I loved all sorts of books and stories growing up. Everything from fairytales, Judy Blume, Jackie Collins to graphic novels, science fiction and Maya Angelou. I still do love to read from as wide a range as possible. Although I avoid horror because I like to sleep at night!

What book do you wish you had written?

There are so many great books out there, I’m not sure I can pick just one. I would love to have written a Judge Dredd graphic novel, though.

What are you working on now? 

At the moment I’m researching and planning my next novel, which I’m yet to find the core theme of so there isn’t very much to tell. I am working on a screenplay but that’s just for fun. I like to challenge myself and do new things. I don’t have much time to do much of anything at the moment so progress is quite slow.

Did you study writing?

Courses work for some people because they not only give them tools to write but they also make them disciplined in making sure they write regularly. I’m pretty disciplined – I’ve had to be – and almost everything I’ve learned about writing and writing techniques I’ve learned from reading. Reading – a huge range of different types of books - is the best thing anyone who wants to write can do. You learn what works, what doesn’t work, what is and isn’t being published. Those are all the things you need as a writer as well as a good plot and a unique writing style.

What would you say to encourage new writers?

The advice I always give to people is to write a story because you love it, you believe in it and you want to tell it. It’s easy to be tempted to write for money, or because you think you can do better than another author, or because you think a certain genre of book will sell. If that sort of thing motivates you, that’s great but they won’t be very comforting when you start receiving rejections. Writing a story you believe in will help keep you going when no one seems interested and will also feel all the more sweet when it’s published.

Do you have mentors?

I don’t really have mentors, I’ve had many people who’ve encouraged me along the way. These include people I used to work with, my agent and my editor, other authors. Basically, people who respect you enough to be honest but positive about your writing. That’s why you shouldn’t necessarily give whatever you’re writing to too many people. You can get derailed and disheartened by their comments.  

Do you have a book that changed your life?

Probably The Garden Gang stories by Jayne Fisher. She started writing and illustrating them when she was nine back in the late seventies. I remember thinking that if someone my age could write books, then so could I. I wrote my first book at 13, although I was in my mid-thirties when I got a publishing deal.

Do you have any events coming up in the London area?

There may be a couple later in the year, but they’re to be confirmed.

Suggest a book that you think the Black Reading Group should read. 

The Family by Buchi Emecheta. It’s the tale of a Jamaican family who have immigrated to the UK, told mainly through the eyes of the mother and daughter of the family. The book deals with some pretty disturbing subjects in a careful and sensitive way. It’s fantastic, as are most of Emecheta’s stories.

Where in London do you think is the most romantic place for someone to propose?

On Waterloo Bridge, at sunset. When the Sun is going down, you can stand there and see all the other bridges in London . . . it’s a stunning backdrop to what should be a special moment.

What question should I have asked you and what is the answer?

What’s your favourite colour?

Red.

• Dorothy will be in conversation and signing books at Eastbourne Library on Thursday 12 May 7pm for 7.30pm - more information here.  
• Dorothy's website: www.dorothykoomson.co.uk
• An edited version of this interview will be published in Lime magazine in July.