We’ve loved having Chloe Timms appearing at our events for years, and have thoroughly enjoyed watching her develop and grow as a writer and speaker. Now, we’re so proud to have seen her take centre stage in her own event at Margate Bookie.
We catch up for a chat with Chloe about her chat with Susannah Wise at our June lit fest
What’s Life as a Debut Author all about?
Life as a Debut Author covers everything you might want to know about becoming a traditionally published author. My first novel The Seawomen is published in June with Hodder Studio, so I was able to give my story on how I turned an idea into a 300 page novel and how I got my book deal. It was a candid chat about the ups and downs, with lots of writing tips and advice. It was a really insightful chat for aspiring writers and I was happy to answer any questions. Even if they had no ambitions to write and just love reading, I hope people found hearing about how it all works fascinating.
How did this event idea come about?
Being a local, I’ve been to Margate Bookie several times and it gets better and better every year. I’ve also had the pleasure of reading at the event when I was still editing my novel, and now my novel is being published, it feels like we’ve come full circle. The Bookie has been there every step of the way.
This year, I also launched a podcast called Confessions of a Debut Novelist interviewing fellow debut authors about their journey and it’s been a great success. I thought it would be fun to bring that idea to the Bookie and share my story.
Who were you chatting with?
I was chatting with the brilliant author and actor Susannah Wise. I met Susannah on the Faber Academy writing course, and from the moment I read her work, I was so impressed. Her first novel, This Fragile Earth is a fantastic near-future story about a mother and son escaping London as technology shuts down and society crumbles. Her latest novel, out in July, called Okay Then That’s Great is a funny and bonkers novel about a woman who starts seeing visions of her long-dead twin sister. Susannah is a thoughtful interviewer and good friend, so it was a great conversation.
How did it go?