Words At Large

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Sadie Jones used to dread being asked what she did for a living. In fact, she spent the better part of a decade trying to avoid the question at dinner parties. But, with the publication of her first novel this year, her career took a turn for the better. Being nominated for Britain's prestigious Orange Prize for fiction didn't hurt. Nor did a flood of good reviews. And when the novel found its way onto the summer reading list of an influential literary TV show in London, Sadie Jones hit paydirt.

The Outcast (Knopf) is set post-war England. It's the story of 19-year-old Lewis Aldridge who is just getting out of jail. His return triggers the upheaval not just of his family, but also of his community: a buttoned-down suburbia where life is supposed to be neat and tidy, and appearances matter more than reality.

Sadie Jones spoke with Joan Leishman, guest host of The Sunday Edition, from the CBC studio in London. Jones describes her 10 years in the "trenches" of screenwriting and why she feels she became more creative when she became a mother.

First aired September 7, 2008 on The Sunday Edition. [runs 18:34]

Coming up
Calling all writers: The 2008 CBC Literary Awards competition is open for submissions in poetry, short fiction and creative non-fiction. Entries must be received by November 1, 2008. Go to the official site for details.