If I hadn’t already been a massive fan of Nicola Dinan, I would have become one after this! I was beyond excited to get to speak to Nicola at Surrey New Writers Festival and was extremely grateful that she was able to take some time after our panel to tell me more about her incredible debut novel Bellies (2023), about capitalism and queerness, about food and affection, and so much more. Find Nicola and the podcast on Instagram: @nicoladinan and @queerlitpodcast.

Thank you to the amazing Sharlene Teo for creating this space and for inviting me to be a part of it!  

References:
Nicola Dinan’s Bellies (2023)
Disappoint Me (forthcoming in 2025)
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
Homo Sapiens Podcast
James Baldwin’s Another Country
Francis Bacon  

Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:

1.      Bellies is a love story told from the perspective of both lovers. What would you imagine this entails for the plot? What do we learn that we would not learn from a ‘one-sided’ love story?
2.      In the episode, we speak quite a bit about ways of living together. How do you think queerness, class and nationality affect expectations of how, where and with whom we may want to live?
3.      Nicola comments on questions about Bellies no longer being exclusively about transition. Why do you think this is?
4.      Is food connected to affection in your mind? Why or why not?