We chat with the amazing Alicia Elliott, whose book And Then She Fell has been longlisted for the 2024 Womens Prize for Fiction!
A&U: Hey Alicia! Thanks for chatting with us. What's it like being on the Women's Prize longlist?
AE: Surreal. I still can't believe that a book like mine, which is so very Haudenosaunee, is being celebrated at that level. I'm just incredibly grateful. Every time I think about it, I immediately tear up.
A&U: What was the inspiration for your novel?
AE: So many things! Of course, my own Haudenousaunee culture, including the story of Sky Woman, our condolence ceremony, our Thanksgiving Address, and how we've been written about and perceived by the academy. But also, my own experiences of teenage motherhood and, later, of mania and psychosis. I wanted to lean into the horror, tension and anxiety of early motherhood, while also offering a radical vision of hope for those who have serious mental illnesses and felt despair considering what their diagnosis means for their future.
A&U: What do you think will surprise readers most about And Then She Fell?
AE: *SPOILER* Probably the narrative/perspective/time/place shift that happens after they hit what initially seems like the climax of the book, which is about two thirds of the way in.
A&U: What's your favourite Women's Prize novel? (From past winners)
AE: On Beauty by Zadie Smith. Everything she writes is incredible: inquisitive, intelligent, inspired. This one, in particular, stuck with me, as I loved how it really questioned the academy and the assumptions it makes, and that we make about it. I continually get lost in her prose, her characterizations, how she uses plot to interrogate the issues of our time.
A&U: What are your top 3 favourite female authors (or books written by female writers)?
AE: Eden Robinson, Sheila Heti, and Heather O'Neill.
These three authors are ones who I would follow anywhere. Each of them have such a distinctive point of view and writing style, and there is a sense of wonder and magic that underlies their work that makes each book they write absolutely sparkle, forcing you to do a sort of literary double take as you further consider their implications.
Check out the full Women's Prize for Fiction list here!
And Then She Fell
By Alicia Elliott
And Then She Fell is an unflinching and fiercely witty debut novel of Indigenous life, womanhood and mental health, heralding the arrival of an important and urgent new voice in genre-bending fiction.