What’s the first book you remember reading as a child? Anne Of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

What was the book you read that made you decide to be a writer? Ditto Anne Of Green Gables; I couldn’t believe a collection of words could move me so profoundly. Since then, I’ve always hoped my words might move someone in the same way.  

What’s your favourite first line in a book? ‘Sth, I know that woman,’ from Jazz by Toni Morrison. The confidence and clarity required to begin a book with such a sonic direct address: I’ve always been in awe.  

Which debut publication had the most profound effect on you? Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. These stories are breathlessly beautiful and gave me permission to write my own women-centered tales rooted in my indigenous cultural upbringing. 

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up on a writing day? I love to make coffee then read a short story to ground my work for the day. At the time of this writing, I’m rereading stories from Black Tickets by Jayne Anne Phillips. 

What’s the first thing you do when you’ve stopped writing for the day? Hug my dog and cat (if she’ll let me). 

In a parallel universe where you’re the tyrant leader of a dystopian civilisation, what’s the first book you’d burn? Honestly don’t know if I can bring myself to burn a book!  

What’s the first piece of advice you’d offer to an aspiring novelist? First and foremost, take pleasure in your work. Criticism and rejection are inevitable parts of the publication process, so it’s crucial to find joy in the work and in the writing process so as to persevere and write the story only you can write. 

Every Drop Is A Man’s Nightmare is out now published by Bloomsbury.