An interview with Pip Williams

Pip Williams was born in London, grew up in Sydney, and now lives in the Adelaide Hills. She is the author of One Italian Summer, a memoir of her family’s travels in search of the good life, which was published by Affirm Press to wide acclaim. Her first novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, based on her original research in the Oxford English Dictionary archives, was published in 2020 and became an international bestseller. The Bookbinder of Jericho is her second novel and again combines her talent for historical research and storytelling. If you could go anywhere tomorrow, where would it be, and why? The future – to see if we do better, or worse. What’s your idea of hell? A party I can’t leave. What do you consider the most specious virtue? Morality, when it takes the high ground. What’s your favourite film? My life as a Dog and A Single Man. I’m also partial to anything made by Taika Waititi or Wes Anderson. And your favourite book? Two spring to mind: The Other Side of You by Sally Vickers, and The Hours, by Michael Cunningham. Name the three people with whom you would most like to dine. Vanessa Bell, Vera Nabokov, Catherine Dickens. Which word do you most dislike, and which one would you like to see back in public usage? There are plenty of words I dislike (words that denigrate and silence), and I’m not fond of ‘housewife’. I’d like to resurrect ‘Satisdiction’ – I discovered it in the first edition of the OED. Already obsolete in 1914, it means having said enough. Who is your favourite author? Not a fair question. It changes all the time but I have a few authors I return to with confidence – Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Winman, Emily St John Mandel, Sebastian Barry, Rabih Alameddine, William Maxwell, Dr Seuss. And your favourite literary hero or heroine? Trixie Belden. Which quality do you most admire in a writer? Curiosity, uncertainty, compassion. Which book influenced you most in your youth? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, and the Trixie Belden mysteries. Name an early literary idol or influence whom you no longer admire – or vice versa. Marion Zimmer Bradley – I read the Mists of Avalon in my late teens and loved the feminist retelling of the Arthurian legend. I will always love that book, but I have no admiration for the author. Do you have a favourite podcast? The First Time Podcast, with Kate Mildenhall and Katherine Collette. They combine friendly banter with excellent author interviews and useful industry insights. I love it. What, if anything, impedes your writing? My upcoming book tour will keep me away from the story for a while. But in general, I have trouble writing when I’m alone in a room especially set up for writing – I need the buzz of a café. The feeling of community and the white noise of life helps me write. What qualities do you look for in critics, and which ones do you enjoy reading? I think a good critic tries to understand what a book wants to be; what the author intended and how well that intent is realised. They keep the audience for the book in mind, and they reflect on the influence of their own personal taste and experience, though they do not deny these things. I enjoy reading reviews from Tegan Bennett-Daylight, Jason Steger, Jane Sullivan. How do you find working with editors? Published books are a team effort and I love working with editors. My principal editor, for all my books, has been Ruby Ashby-Orr, at Affirm Press. She takes the time to know what a book wants to be, then she advocates for it. If I stray from the intent, become lazy or inarticulate, Ruby lets me know and she’ll work with me to make the book better. What do you think of writers’ festivals? I’ve been attending writer’s festivals as a reader for twenty years because I love the unscripted conversations between writers and readers, and the sharing of ideas. As a writer, I have only attended a few festivals in person (the Covid-19 factor). The opportunity to meet other writers and connect with readers was wonderful. I’m looking forward to the year ahead – it is filled with festivals! Are artists valued in our society? A loaded question. Artists are taken for granted in the sense that every one of us consumes the products of artistic endeavour, though few of us consciously acknowledge the value artists contribute to our lives. The past decade has been difficult for artists, and Covid shone a spotlight on the disdain government can have for the arts. That’s changing, I think. But we still have a way to go before artists are considered essential to a healthy community and adequately supported to do what they are good at. What are you working on now? I have two ideas vying for attention – one is historical fiction, again based in Oxford but a different era. Another is more contemporary and closer to home – I think it might win the race to the page.

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