Brandon Taylor, author of the novel Real Life, joins me from Iowa this week. At the end of a whirlwind year in which his debut was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Brandon talks about how he emerged as a novelist from an illiterate family; why he objects to the idea that it's easy for black writers to write black characters; and why 'It's only a draft' can be a game-changing thought.

Support the podcast and independent bookshops by buying Real Life or other books by guests of In Writing here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/in-writing 

And read Brandon's excellent essay on empathy at Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/there-is-no-secret-to-writing-about-people-who-do-not-look-like-you/