‘Writing is Like a Muscle’ Oyinkan Braithwaite’s First Draft

Author of My Sister the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite, got the inspiration for her novel while reading about the black widow spider: ‘I learnt that the female spider is slightly larger than the male; and after mating, she will often eat him. It got me thinking about a woman who recklessly took the lives of men.’

First Draft is our interview column, featuring authors and other prominent figures on books, reading, and writing.

Our questions are italicized.

What were the scariest books you grew up reading?

I didn’t read scary books when I was young, and I hardly read them now. Though I suppose it depends on what one classes as ‘scary’; but if we are referring to the horror genre, I generally steer clear. As a young reader...

 

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