In the St Hilda's Spotlight - Winnie LI

 

Name:- Winnie Li

Job:- Author and activist

Website - https://www.winniemli.com/

Twitter - @winniemli

Instagram:- @winniemli

Introduction: 

Winnie M Li is a Taiwanese American author and actvisit who writes across a range of media, including fiction, theatre, journalism, and memoir. Her debut novel, Dark Chapter, is a fictional retelling of her real-life stranger rape in Belfast, from both victim and perpetrator perspectives. It won The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize in 2017, was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and shortlisted for The Author’s Club Best First Novel Award.  

Her second novel Complicit was sold in a six-figure pre-empt to Orion Fiction, and later, in a heated five-way auction to Emily Bestler at Atria Books for US rights. It was released in the Summer of 2022 and was The New York Times ‘ monthly book club pick, as well as being on several Best of 2022 lists. 

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

Current book I’m reading: The Red Canoe by Wayne Johnson, a three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee. It’s a beautiful and brutal story of violence, corruption, and justice set on the bleak landscapes of a Native American reservation in Minnesota. 

Current book I’m writing: 

My third novel (working title Mother Road), about three estranged adult siblings who are forced to go on a road trip across post-Covid America to see their ailing mother on the West Coast. Along the way, they confront the strange incident that happened on a previous family road trip when they were children. 

Favourite book:

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Which two characters would you invite to dinner and why? 

Letitia from Lovecraft Country (the book, not the TV series) and June/Offred from The Handmaid’s Tale. They’re both feisty young women who come up with smart and subversive ways to survive in an oppressive society – and to find adventure in the process. 

How do you relax?

A solo hike on my own in nature. That, or lose myself in a good novel! 

Which book do you wish you had written and why? 

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It’s ingenious, and there’s so much to admire in it. The audacity of creating six nested stories set in entirely different time periods and locations, written in entirely different styles. The way he nails every single genre he writes in. The new worlds he creates. And the breadth of terror and wonder and humor in these stories. 

What would you say to your younger self if you were just starting out as a writer.

As long as you still love the act of writing, that’s what matters most. All the other stuff (book deals, promotion, agents & publicists) is icing on the cake. 

How would you describe your latest published book?

Complicit is a mystery set in the world of filmmaking, which follows Sarah, a young woman eager to make her mark behind-the-scenes in Hollywood. Ten years later, when a New York Times journalist approaches her about a notorious male producer, she confronts the truth of her ruined career and reveals the danger and injustice that lurks behind the supposed fun and glamour of moviemaking. 

With Celebrations: innocent parties, guilty pleasures being the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite psychological books and why?

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon 

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier 

These books all probably emphasize the viewpoint of the ‘innocent parties’ in quite menacing settings, but they forge a strong emotional bond between the reader and narrator/protagonist. Oh, and I think they all have some celebration scenes in there, many of which feel very ‘earned’! 

If you were te rewatch a psychological film whiich film would it be and why?

Mulholland Drive. Because it’s David Lynch, and you always get something new from another viewing of a Lynch film. 

Another film I want to shout out is Searching by Aneesh Chaganti, which is a very clever concept, but also very moving, very rooted in family dynamics, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

I’ve heard so many great things about St Hilda’s, but I think the Oxford setting, the intimate atmosphere, and the chance to connect with readers and to hear authors deliver their own lectures on an aspect of storytelling they’re passionate about. It’s a chance to glimpse into each of their minds and see how different authors find inspiration in their creative journeys. 

Complicit by Winnie M Li (Orion Publishing)

You know what it's like. A comment here, a closed door there, turning a blind eye to get ahead. My name is Sarah Lai. You won't have heard of me. A decade ago I was on the cusp of being a big deal. But that was a long time ago. Now, instead of working in Hollywood, I teach students about it. And these are the two most important lessons you need to know about the film industry:1) Those with the money have all the power. 2) Those with the power get whatever they want. Ignore these rules and the whole system will crumble. Stick to the rules and you'll succeed. But at what cost? Ask yourself, what would you have done?

Information about 2023 St Hilda's College Crime Fiction Weekend and how to book tickets can be found here.