Stories of humanity & connection: Jenni Fagan on The Delusions

In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, award-winning writer Jenni Fagan shares the process of writing her latest novel, The Delusions – a story of profound human connection, on an unprecedented scale.

Jenni Fagan won the Gordon Burn Prize for her memoir, Ootlin, which was also longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. Her debut novel, The Panopticon, saw her selected as a Granta Best Young British Novelist, and her second novel, The Sunlight Pilgrims, gained her Scottish Author of the Year. Jenni has been listed for the Encore Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes, the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Sunday Times Short Story Award, and the Pushcart Prize. She is a Doctor of Philosophy, a member of Liberty, and a Royal Society of Literature Fellow.

She sat down with NCW’s Peggy Hughes to reflect on the novel’s complex themes, including death and the afterlife, delusion and self-confrontation, and the enduring importance of connection, love, and humanity. They also touch on the ‘absolute freedom’ of writing fiction, experimenting with different styles and genres, and how an initial idea can evolve into a vivid, fully realised story.