Rebels and Runaways: E. Lockhart, Emily Barr and S.K. Wright in conversation

Female characters in literature are all too often victimised or vilified, something that has only become more frequent with the rise of grip-lit. But what if there were more than one side to every story – and more than one side to every young woman?

Join three masters of suspense, E. Lockhart, Emily Barr and S.K. Wright as they discuss the emergence of this genre in YA, the need for nuance in female characterization, and how these narratives present not only a license to thrill but are key to exploring the darker corners of human experience, family, and societal issues.

E. Lockhart is the author of the unforgettable bestseller We Were Liars and now Genuine Fraud, a suspenseful new psychological thriller following the story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. Genuine Fraud will soon be a major motion picture produced by stars of HBO series Girls, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner. 

S.K. Wright is an award-winning author who has previously published novels for both teenagers and adults under her real name, Sam Mills. Sam studied English at Oxford and now works in publishing and lives in London. It Ends With You is her debut book under the name S.K. Wright: a chilling, modern thriller inspired by Making a Murderer, that asks readers to play detective on a disturbing high school murder case that will confront and consume on every level.

Emily Barr’s first YA thriller The One Memory Of Flora Banks has been sold into 26 languages and was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize. Her second YA thriller The Truth and Lies of Ella Black, which takes place in the sun-soaked favelas of Rio de Janeiro, was published in 2018. Her next novel The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods will publish in May 2019. Emily lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.

This event will be chaired by Sanne Vliegenthart, known to many via her Twitter and YouTube channel, @booksandquills.  

Join us for what promises to be a fantastic evening of discussion.