Candice Carty-Williams joins me for a spoiler-free discussion of her sophomore novel, People Person. In People Person, Candice writes about serious issues in a light-hearted way that’s full of dry humor. She explores questions of obligation to family — especially family to whom you were not previously close. Plus, Candice shares her book recommendations!

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Highlights

• Candice’s inspiration behind this story and what it was like writing during a lockdown.
• The big differences between Candice’s first version of People Person and the final book.
• How Candice’s own experiences impacted writing the character of Cyril and his 5 children.
• Her decision to portray Cyril as a likable guy, despite him being an absent parent.
• Candice talks about whether she’d consider a follow-up book to People Person.
• What being a ‘people person’ means to Candice, and how she decided on the title.
• How Candice and her publisher decided on the marketing synopsis for People Person.
• Why she said in the Acknowledgments section of People Person that this was a novel she didn’t think she’d be able to finish.

Candice’s Book Recommendations [21:26]

Two OLD Books She Loves

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:47]
• Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:43]

Two NEW Books She Loves

• Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:24]
• Hope and Glory by Jendella Benson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:01]

One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About

• The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest (February 28, 2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:32]

Last 5-Star Book Candice Read

• Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:05]

Other Books Mentioned

• Jaws by Peter Benchley [30:00]
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith [34:52]

About Candice Carty-Williams

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Candice Carty-Williams is a writer and the author of the Sunday Times (London) bestselling Queenie, which was been shortlisted by Goodreads for book of the year in 2019. In 2016, Candice created and launched the Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, the first inclusive ini­tiative of its kind in book publishing. Candice has written for The Guardian, i-D, Vogue, every itera­tion of The Sunday Times (London), Beat magazine, Black Ballad, and more. She will probably always live in South London.