books
‘Failure was my thing’: Women’s prize winner Virginia Evans on her long journey to success
The American author received ‘thousands of rejections’ over two decades before finally hitting gold with her first published novel
TL;DR
- Virginia Evans, winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction, is a debut American novelist whose book 'The Correspondent' has become a bestseller.
- Evans wrote the novel over nine months in 2020 during the pandemic, entirely in letters, inspired by Helene Hanff's '84 Charing Cross Road' and John Williams's 'Stoner'.
- Despite facing thousands of rejections over 20 years and holding down 'paycheck jobs,' Evans persevered, writing for two hours daily since she was 19.
- The novel's themes of grief and disappointment are deeply personal, influenced by the death of friends' children and her own experiences.
- A film adaptation of 'The Correspondent' is in development, with Jane Fonda cast as the main character, and Evans will serve as a producer and have a cameo.
- Evans believes the novel's hopeful message and themes of forgiveness and redemption are key to its success and resonate with readers.