Abi Daré: ‘I find joy in helping writers recognise their strengths’
BY Maya Fernandes
24th Mar 2026
In this interview Abi Daré, award-winning and internationally bestselling author, shares her writing journey and advice for new writers.
'I love seeing budding writers discover their own voices and trust the stories they want to tell. I want to inspire confidence, nurture creativity and remind writers that they have something important to say.'
We spoke to Abi about her approach to character development, the authors who have inspired her and what she loves most about working with aspiring authors.
Your novels explore the power of voice, identity and the pursuit of dreams against all odds. How has your relationship with literature evolved over time, and have these themes always been at the heart of what inspires you to write?
When I first fell in love with literature, I was a reader searching for stories that reflected my world and fed my curiosity. Today, as a writer, I am in awe of the liberation that comes with using my own voice and imagination to do the same. For me, writing is a lens through which I explore the complexities of human nature, specifically how hope and determination can emerge from the most difficult circumstances. I believe that dreams give us hope, and hope is the very essence of being alive.
Both The Girl with the Louding Voice and And So I Roar feature the spirited teenager Adunni. How did you approach developing her character? Did her voice come to you fully formed, or did it develop as you wrote?
Adunni’s voice arrived semi-formed, inspired by the girls who worked in my childhood home, but it was not yet fully realised. To find her rhythm, I borrowed the nascent vocabulary of my daughter, then a toddler growing into English. As I wrote, I learned to trust Adunni more; I took the risk of being an unpublished author and simply let her speak. I even invented words because they felt true to her specific perspective. It was a delicious challenge to build a world out of the sounds she chose. Writing her required some serious unlearning because I had to set aside my pride, my education and my own certainties to make room for her discoveries, until she became as real to me as any human.
Many readers are deeply moved by Adunni’s resilience. How do you strike a balance between portraying difficult truths and keeping a sense of hope and light in your storytelling?
When I write, I am always mindful of the full spectrum of human experience, for life is rarely only joy or only grief. Even in the darkest moments, there can be flashes of laughter, resilience or unexpected tenderness; I have seen people in intense grief suddenly burst into laughter at a memory and then return to mourning, and it is that very rhythm of human emotion that informs how I tell stories. In my work, I try to preserve that balance, portraying difficult truths honestly while looking for the light and the moments of hope that exist within them. Readers respond to that because they recognise it from life: joy and sorrow often coexist, and it is those moments of brightness, however small, that make stories feel real and ultimately sustaining. I want readers to finish a book feeling moved and alive, seeing that even in hardship, life contains space for hope, laughter and unexpected beauty.
Your books explore many different kinds of relationships – family bonds, friendships and complex dynamics of power. What draws you to exploring these human connections? And how do you make them feel so layered and authentic on the page?
I’ve always been fascinated by human relationships because they reveal so much about who we are, how we navigate the world, and how we survive or thrive. Family, friendships and the dynamics of power shape people in many ways and I am drawn to exploring those layers as honestly as I can. To do this, I prioritise observation and listening: the small gestures, the words spoken and unspoken, and the contradictions that make people real. I also draw from what I’ve seen and experienced in my own life, and I try to enter the perspective of my characters fully, letting their choices, voices and reactions lead the narrative. Relationships are about the ordinary tenderness and messiness of life; I try to ensure my characters carry all of that; which I hope is what creates the layered authenticity readers respond to.
Are there particular authors or books that have helped you to find confidence or direction in your own voice as a writer?
Several authors have influenced how I approach voice and storytelling. Alice Walker’s The Colour Purple gave me the audacity to write in an unusual voice and to attempt a particular kind of teenage narrator. Khaled Hosseini showed me how to write about rural women in poverty with dignity and tenderness, using prose that moves slowly yet remains utterly unputdownable. I also admire Caleb Azuma Nelson, Natasha Brown, Claire Keegan, Elizabeth Strout, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for the depth they bring to character and narrative; I am inspired by the brevity and or the lushness of their sentences. For tenderness, messiness, humour and the quirks of human nature, I often turn to Oyinkan Braithwaite, Liane Moriarty and the wonderful Jojo Moyes. Their work reminds me that even in complicated, emotional stories, there is space for levity, wit and the small moments of joy that make characters feel real.
We’re so excited that you’ll be teaching on our upcoming Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in London. What do you find most rewarding about supporting budding writers?
I love seeing budding writers discover their own voices and trust the stories they want to tell. Writing can be such a vulnerable and challenging process; being there to guide someone, offer feedback and witness their growth is incredibly fulfilling.
I find joy in helping writers recognise their strengths, experiment boldly and navigate the tricky parts of craft without losing their unique perspective. I want to inspire confidence, nurture creativity and remind writers that they have something important to say. I say this because I was there once, and in a way, I am still there. With each new novel comes a peculiar sense of budding: a fresh vulnerability that requires me to trust the process all over again.
Finally, could you share your top three tips for writers who are at the start of their writing journey?
- Write: I have never seen an unfinished novel hit the bestseller lists or grace the shelves of a bookshop. You need to physically sit down and write. Do it in your own voice; it is the most powerful tool you have, and it cannot be replicated.
- Know your why: Define a clear vision for why you are writing this specific book. I always spend time defining mine and reminding myself of it when things get tough. When the journey becomes difficult, your “why” will be the anchor that keeps you committed to the story.
- Trust yourself, but stay humble: Trust the whole of you – your voice, your story and your ability to deliver. However, you must also be humble enough to listen to those who give you constructive feedback. Growth is what happens between your initial vision and the insights of a trusted reader.
Abi Daré is an award-winning novelist, international keynote speaker, writing coach and educator. Her debut novel The Girl with the Louding Voice was shortlisted for several awards including the Desmond Elliott Prize and The British Book Awards (Debut). The novel was a New York Times bestseller, A Today Show Book Club pick, a BBC Radio 4 Book Club Pick and has been translated into well over a dozen languages. Abi's latest novel And So I Roar was published in August 2024 and won the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize.
We're delighted that Abi is a tutor on our upcoming Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in London. Applications close this weekend.
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