Chair of the 2024 Fiction Prize, Daisy Goodwin, talks about her career journey, new novel, and advice for aspiring writers.
Please introduce yourself and talk about your career and its biggest challenges / most rewarding moments.
I am now a full time writer, but I started my career in television making documentaries - I made films about Raymond Carver and Kingsley Amis among others. It was easier for me to make films about writers than to write myself. It wasn’t until my forties that I published my first book, a memoir called Silver River. It was by no means a great success, but it broke down my inhibitions about writing. Since then I have published three novels and I wrote the screenplay for the tv series Victoria. The first time you see your name on a book is a very precious thing.
Please tell us about your new novel coming out in 2024.
Diva, My new novel about Maria Callas is being published in March by Head Of Zeus. Callas is a fascinating character and I wanted to write a novel which saw the world through her eyes, from the stage looking out at the audience.
As Chair of judges for the Fiction Prize, what do you hope to see in a piece of fiction writing?
I always hope for something that will surprise and delight me.
What advice would you give other aspiring writers about their writing careers and then more specifically about entering the Fiction Prize?
It takes confidence to write, and I think the best thing any new writer can do is to keep going. Don’t be overly critical when you start, let your subconscious get to work. The best kind of writing is when you get to the end of a day and think I don’t remember writing that. I believe that is a sign that you are getting in touch with something interesting. Of course every writer needs encouragement and support and that is why this prize is so useful. The Judges are looking for talent and potential, not a perfectly finished work, so don’t be nervous about sending in your work. All rewriting I am learning is rewriting.