Amy Twigg’s Shelf Life
Amy Twigg is a writer, born and raised in Kent. Her debut novel Spoilt Creatures won the BPA Pitch Prize and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition. It was acquired by Tinder Press as one of their lead fiction titles. In 2024 she was chosen as one of the Observer's Best New Novelists.
How and where are you?
I’m currently sat at my desk, trying to write, but my dog keeps reminding me he hasn’t eaten in at least an hour. His name is Dexter and he recently suffered an injury, so I’m finding it very hard not to indulge him.
What are you reading at the moment?
I was a judge for this year’s Nota Bene Prize so I’ve had to do a lot of reading for that. In my spare time I’ve been trying to get through this year’s Booker shortlist - I recently finished Stone Yard Devotional and thought it was excellent. I’ve also been lucky enough to read some brilliant 2025 debuts, including The Lamb by Lucy Rose, and I’m about to begin This Immaculate Body by Emma Van Straaten.
And, of course, watching or listening to, or otherwise consuming?
Would you judge me if I said I’ve been listening to a lot of Oasis? I didn’t manage to get tickets for the reunion (not bitter, move on) so Live at Knebworth has been on repeat. I’ve also been rewatching a lot of good stuff in the run-up to Halloween: The Haunting of Hill House, The Exorcist, Hocus Pocus.
What did you read as a child?
For some reason my school library had a copy of The Silence of the Lambs which I took out, thinking it was something very different. In hindsight, it explains a lot of things about me.
Which books and/or writers have inspired and influenced you, and what have you learnt from them?
Ian McEwan was probably the first author I read who I wanted to be like; he writes so cleanly. More recently, Evie Wyld, Samanta Schweblin and Mariana Enriquez, who tackle the uncanny beautifully.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever received?
I try my best not to read reviews - people can be cruel and I am a fragile thing. But there’s one review that always makes me laugh, which said, “‘Spoilt Creatures’ is not a novel that I particularly admire.” Speak your truth.
Tell us a little about your creative process
Slow and ruthless. With Spoilt Creatures I’d write a complete draft and then delete it. I did that three times before landing on the final draft. You can’t be afraid to kill your darlings, and with each draft I was circling closer to what I actually wanted to write. Unfortunately I also write quite slowly, so my process isn’t particularly time effective.
How has your experience of the publishing industry been?
I can’t fault my publishing team, I love my editor and trust her to get the best out of my writing. Once you realise how subjective prizes and lists are, you learn to relax a bit. My best advice to emerging writers is to find your people: start a WhatsApp group where you can celebrate and commiserate.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Show up on time.
What are you working on right now?
I’m currently in the trenches of Book 2, which is taking up most of my time, and cooking up a couple of anthologies.