How do we, as readers, detect new and emerging talent in writing? We can look at book sales or book prizes but young writers don’t necessarily gain huge commercial success or awards early on in their careers. One list that has proved almost oracular in the last 40 years has been established by the venerable literary magazine Granta and that's the list of Best Young British Novelists.

My guest today, Olivia Sudjic, is a young British writer, who was included on the latest lists published this year. She has now published two novels as well as an extended essay on the art & process of writing. Her first novel, “Sympathy” was published in 2017 and is a tale of obsession & connection in our ever-creeping technological age. This was followed by “Exposure”, an essay published in 2018, which allowed her to look back and reflect on this momentous step of writing and how that had impacted her. It was a great look into the mindset, approach and perception of a young female writer in today’s world. This was then followed by another novel, “Asylum Road” in 2021, about the voyages of a young woman in the UK who is in a relationship on the brink.

I was excited to speak to Olivia to learn about her journey as a writer, her inspirations, her voice and of course her recommendations.

Books mentioned throughout the episode:


Favourite book I’ve never heard of: “Confessions of a Justified Sinner”, by James Hogg. (1824)
The best book Olivia read in the last 12 months: “My Phantoms” by Gwendoline Riley (2021)
The book that she’s embarrassed not to have read: “The Golden Notebook” by Doris Lessing (1962)
The book that she would take to a desert island: “Super-Infinite” by Katherine Rundell (2022)
The book that changed her mind: “The End of the Story” by Lydia Davis (1995)


Find Olivia:
Instagram: @olivia.sudjic
Buy Asylum Road: https://amzn.eu/d/hiAKTJI

Follow me ⁠⁠⁠@litwithcharles⁠⁠⁠ for more book reviews and recommendations!