Amy Stuart is the #1 bestselling author of three novels: Still Mine, Still Water, and Still Here. Her latest book, A Death at the Party was released in March 2023. Shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel Award and winner of the 2011 Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition, Amy is the founder of Writerscape, an online community for hopeful and emerging writers. Amy lives in Toronto with her husband and their three sons.
Want to keep up on all things Amy, then check out her website or follower her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Read our review of A Death at the Party here.
Photo credit: Joey Stuart
What does your writing space look like?
I am so lucky to have a gorgeous office off the living room in my house. It’s full of plants — over Covid, I definitely turned into a plant lady — and a beautiful wooden desk someone made for me. I have an old typewriter that was in my dad’s office when I was growing up, and lots of pictures on the wall. My only complaint is that my office doesn’t have a door, so I face a fair amount of interruption if my family is home!
If you could spend a day with another popular author (living or dead), who would you choose and why?
Definitely Alice Munro. I’d have so many questions for her about her process. How does she come up with her stories? What’s her writing process? How does she deal with the loneliness of writing? What’s her favourite writing snack?
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
I wish I had a better way to celebrate. Mostly, I just feel a lot of relief. We usually go out for a nice dinner and get cupcakes. My big celebrations are actually my book launch events around the time of publication. I have a big party with dancing and invite all my friends and family!
Is there something you do/have while writing that helps your process? (Music, snacks, etc.)
I listen to music… I have playlists on the go at all times and am always curating them. Otherwise, it’s all about feeling cozy for me. I have so many blankets, but my favourite is an old one knitted by my grandmother. I keep it over my legs while I work at my desk. In the winter, I’ll throw in a hot water bottle too, and I’m always wearing my favourite slippers.
What book are you currently reading?
I just finished Son of Elsewhere by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, which I LOVED. It’s a collection of memoir essays about his experience immigrating from Sudan to Canada. I’m also reading Daisy Jones and the Six in anticipation of the TV series.
