Evie Wyld
Evie Wyld was born in London in 1980 and grew up in Australia as well as South London. She studied creative writing at Bath Spa University and Goldsmiths, University of London.
In 2009, she published her debut novel, »After the Fire, a Still Small Voice«, which won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. It follows the story of Frank, who retreats to his familyʼs beach hut on Australiaʼs east coast. The hut also served as a refuge for his grandfather, who fought in the Korean War, and his father, who was in Vietnam. Spanning all three generations, the novel poignantly tells of transgenerational transmission. The main character of Wyldʼs second novel, »All the Birds, Singing« (2013), is a young woman named Jake Whyte who lives with her dog in an old farmhouse, tending to sheep on an unnamed British island. Every few nights, something or someone slaughters one of the sheep. Are the islanders behind it? Woodland creatures? A legendary beast rumoured to exist? Or do the incidents have to do with Jakeʼs past? Once again playing with different timelines, Wyld leads her readers into the dark past of her protagonist. The novel received several awards, including the Miles Franklin Award and the European Union Prize for Literature. Her third novel, »The Bass Rock« (2020), tells the story of three women: Sarah, accused of witchcraft in the 18th century; Ruth, who marries a widower after World War II and becomes the mother of his sons; and Viv, who mourns her father in the present. Not only does Wyld again work with different timelines, she also makes clear what connects her protagonistsʼ stories across the centuries, and tells of the rage and anger in each womanʼs life. The »New York Times« declared the piece »wondrous and disturbing«, highlighting the qualities of Wyldʼs prose as »observant, melodic, imaginative.«
In 2013, Evie Wyld was named to »Granta« magazineʼs »Best of Young British Novelists« list. She co-owns a small independent bookstore in Peckham, South London, where she also lives.
After the Fire, a Still Small Voice
Jonathan Cape
London, 2009
All The Birds, Singing
Jonathan Cape
London, 2013
Die Frauen
Rowohlt
Hamburg, 2021
[Ü: Tanja Handels]