Beginner’s pluck: Full-time writer Hattie Williams

'Bitter Sweet' is fast-paced novel that deals with grief, past trauma, and relationship power play

Hattie Williams: 'I was a library nerd, who loved music, art, and the youth theatre.' . Picture: Phil Sharp

Hattie has always adored the arts.

“I was creative as a child,” she says. “I was a library nerd, who loved music, art, and the youth theatre.”

Hattie joined various different bands and toured Europe for eight or nine years.

“There wasn’t much money in it. I worked in call centres and shops.”

She moved to London, temping in admin jobs, and ended up in Pan McMillan.

“I loved publishing. They created a job for me with an ideal team.”

For two years, I was a publicity assistant for children’s books. I worked hard and had lots of ideas.

She moved around various publishing companies for 12 years, but left during covid and became the director of Iceland Noir — a literary festival of darkness.

“During my two years there I had my baby, and we lived in Iceland for three months.”

Hattie wrote her first draft in seven weeks, and agent Juliette Mushens sold it within six months of her starting it.

“It’s now sold to 12 territories.”

Who is Hattie Williams?

Date/ place of birth: 1984/ London. “I lived in Crouch End until I was eight. And then in West Sussex.”

Education: Angmering School; Brighton Institute of Modern Music. “But only briefly. Mum died in 2003, and my world upended.”

Home: East London.

Family: Partner, and daughter, Astrid Snow, aged three.

The day job: Full-time writer.

In another life: “I would have loved to have been a doctor, but I was never any good at science.”

Favourite writers: Sally Rooney; Max Porter; Lauren Groff; Ali Smith, Marian Keyes; Coco Mellors.

Second book: Beginning Middle End. “It follows a couple’s relationship from the ages of 17 to 25. I delivered it in January and am now halfway through my third novel.”

Top tip: Be consistent. “If you can write 700 words a day, the ideas will come.”

Website: www.hattiewilliams.com.

Instagram: @hattiewilliamswrites.

The debut

Bitter Sweet

Orion, €19.99

A publicity assistant, Charlie always idolised writer Richard Aveling. When she falls into an affair with the much older, married man, she’s soon obsessed. 

Can she deal with the secrecy, and the inevitable fallout?

This fast-paced novel deals with grief, past trauma, and relationship power play.

The verdict: Effervescent and compulsive. I read it in one sitting.