Interview: Yvvette Edwards, Man Booker Prize longlister

A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards has been longlisted for the Man Booker prize

DB: Congratulations on making the cut for the Man Booker Prize 2011 longlist, what was your initial reaction to the news?

YE: My agent phoned me with the news I’d been longlisted. She had to repeat it twice before I registered what she was saying. Afterwards, I went online and checked the Man Booker website myself to be certain she was correct. I think ‘stunned elation’ might come somewhat close to my initial reaction.

DB: Many former winners and shortlisters were omitted from this year’s longlist, why do you think A Cupboard Full of Coats made such an impact on the judges?

YE: I like to think my book breaks new ground. It addresses contemporary issues head on, in a style that is authentic, engaging and accessible. It cuts through the hype to reveal just how raw, savage and yet moving life can be. It’s impossible for me to speak on behalf of the judges, but I hope some or all of these factors are responsible for any impact my novel may have had on them.

DB: Which of the other nominations/nominees do you most admire?

YE: I have enormous respect for all the nominees and their books. I went on holiday about 12 hours after the longlist was announced, which has, unfortunately, delayed the start of my Booker Longlist Reading Marathon. But I expect to have read them all by 6 September [when the shortlist is to be announced – Ed].

DB: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

YE: Be true to yourself. Write what you know and what you would like to read yourself. Read everything you can get your hands on and work hard when you’re reading to identify what you didn’t like, what you loved and the reasons why. And most importantly, persevere. Books on the bookshop shelves are evidence of persistence, not genius.

DB: Insightful descriptions of character traits and the way we interact stand out vividly in your début novel. Are they something you have noticed and been interested in from a young age, or have your past career experiences developed these observational skills?

YE: I have serious difficulty letting go of things that trouble me, or actions I don’t understand. Why people are motivated to act in particular ways is a nerdy obsession I dwell on, even tiny things. It’s a kind of voyeurism that I think I’ve always been into. All the jobs I’ve done have involved vast amounts of public contact, often with people in difficult circumstances, and they’ve always talked to me and I’ve listened. I think my listening skills are good. That has played a large part in helping me to craft believable characters, in creating credible small detail and nuances that might otherwise pass by unobserved.

DB: Hackney is a London borough which boasts great cultural diversity, if you were to write the novel again would you include more of Hackney’s different communities and people?

YE: After a false start, with a larger more diverse cast, and virtual anarchy on my pages, I started writing this novel again, reducing my characters to just those who had an integral role in the story, and it worked. This novel is complete and as it should be. If I had the opportunity to write this book again, I would not make any changes to my cast.

DB: Characters in A Cupboard Full of Coats openly uphold a number of racial stereotypes, what role do you think stereotypes play in reality? Are they ever a positive aspect of our society and the way we view each other?

YE: If I uphold a number of racial stereotypes, I challenge them also. Both Jinx and her mother owned their home outright with ‘not a drop of mortgage on it, not a drop’. Jinx at 30 is financially secure, and ostensibly middle-classed. Red is a thoroughly decent black man, who has elected single parenthood, and is carrying out his responsibilities admirably. Berris is the perpetrator of domestic violence, but domestic violence is a universal issue, one that is not confined to the Afro-Caribbean community. Nor is the issue of being in a family unit where you have a single parent attempting to forge a relationship with a new partner, or other members of the family with new step-parents and step-children. This is a common feature of contemporary family life in England that is evidenced from the royal family downwards. Racial stereotypes may be good for sweeping statements or the odd joke, but otherwise, are definitely unhelpful.

DB: How do you think East London has changed in your lifetime? Is it currently changing for the better?

YE: I think the East End is more diverse than when I was growing up and more accepting of other cultures and difference. You can enjoy world cuisine at hundreds of restaurants featuring food from all four corners of the globe. Or music or dance, shows, films and plays. There is no end of opportunity in the East End for those who seek cultural enlightenment. The other thing that’s changed is the ‘youth speak’ which has, over the decades, morphed into a universal language. Sometimes, you hear a young person talking and it’s impossible to guess their colour or culture from listening alone. I think that is positive and a true sign of the disintegration of barriers.

DB: What ideas, characters and stories are now coming to the fore where your future works are concerned?

YE: I am at heart a Hackney girl, so the location of my next book will be inside the borough again. My next novel will be a group of young cousins who experience a life changing summer on an estate in Hackney where I spent much time when I was growing up. I’m really excited about the prospect of writing it.

A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards is published by Oneworld Publications, ISBN 9781851687978. The Man Booker shortlist of six books is to be announced on 6 September.