When Kathryn Stockett published her debut novel, it was an unexpected success. The Help sold over 15 million copies worldwide and was translated into 38 different languages. The best-selling book was later made into an equally successful film featuring Viola Davis, Emma Stone, and Octavia Spencer, who won an Academy Award for her role.
However, Stockett did not publish another book for 17 years. Now, she has made a comeback with The Calamity Club, a novel in which she returns to Mississippi to tell the story of a group of underestimated women who rebel against the roles society has assigned to them.
Joining the English Language Broadcast after signing copies at the Madrid Book Fair, Stockett speaks about her new novel, her long absence from publishing, and the weight of expectations afterThe Help. "Instead of just me and the page alone in a room, this time it was me writing with all those readers and critics staring back at me. It was quite daunting; it was paralysing at times," she tells us.
