In anticipation of her new novel, Queenie Is Working on It, Candice Carty-Williams answered a few questions for The Nerd Daily about one of the most memorable characters in recent contemporary fiction.
This sequel finds Queenie, now in her 30s, navigating new life challenges alongside some of the same old struggles. Keep reading to learn how Carty-Williams has grown in her writing alongside Queenie, as well as what writers have inspired her to infuse humor in her work. Plus, find out if we are likely to hear more from Queenie in the future or if her story ends here!
Queenie is back and I could not be more excited! She is one of my absolute favorite characters. If you could sum her up in five words or less, how would you describe Queenie?
Curious. Kind. Impulsive. Needy. Unserious.
Okay, that’s rather hard and she’s got a lot going on, so let’s use more words. Tell readers a bit about what has happened in Queenie’s life since we saw her last and what we can expect from her in your new novel Queenie Is Working on It.
Okay, SO. We’re back with Queenie eight years after we first met her – some might say it should have been ten years after, just to round things off a bit, but I felt like this time, at 33 years old, was the right time. Mainly because it’s where she’s at the biggest crossroads she’s ever faced, and I wanted her still to be in her early thirties when she arrives there. What readers can expect from this sequel is more. Of everything, really. More thoughts, definitely more feelings, bigger friendships, bigger fall-outs, more sex? The only thing there is less of is men. But where there are men in this novel, there are men. But there are mainly women. And family. Family is my favourite dynamic to write.
What did the process of writing this sequel look like compared to writing Queenie? Did you always plan to write more than one book about her?
Absolutely I did, but like I said, I wanted to bring her back when I could suitably put her in freefall, and for good reason. And this time, I actually planned the novel out. When I wrote the first novel, I was in my twenties and I was working so much out about the world through my writing of her. This time, I’ve been around the block a lot. I’ve done some things. Seen some things. I’m a lot more measured (I would like to think). And I knew exactly what I wanted to say, and what I wanted Queenie to feel. If the first novel was Queenie’s odyssey to look at herself in the mirror and know who she is, this is her journey of accepting herself as she is, by herself. It was a lot harder to write than the first one, if we look at it from a technical point of view. We both had to dig a lot deeper.
Queenie was also adapted for television in 2024 with you on board as both a writer and executive producer. How was that experience similar and/or different to writing the novels?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; writing for TV is like boot camp. When you’re in it, it feels kind of endless, and then suddenly, you’re on set and it’s happening (and actually, you’re still writing). For QTV, I was the showrunner, which meant I was working holistically to make sure everything felt true to the essence of Queenie from the hair on her head to the curtains in Grandma’s house. But that also means going from writing sex scenes to making sure you’re in the room with an intimacy coordinator and the actor performing them to make sure they feel comfortable. It’s a different way of working and certainly a more collaborative way of doing things, and that was the best part of it for me. It felt very surreal to go from writing in my bedroom to writing in the corner of Queenie’s set-room.
One of the things I love most about your writing is how you tackle serious, true-to-life issues …. and then, I’ll turn the page and you have me laughing out loud. What are some of your favorite books or authors that also infuse humor into everyday experiences?
Thank you, that’s very kind of you! One of my favourite writers of this style has to be Nora Ephron. I remember reading Heartburn when I was in my early twenties and being blown away by how outrageously funny one (neurotic) person could be. But I also love anything written by Issa Rae. I’m not sure I would have had the thought to write Queenie if Awkward Black Girl hadn’t existed.
Do you think we’ve seen the last of Queenie, or are there perhaps more stories left to share (whether on the page or onscreen)?
Queenie will be back. I still have too much to say, and she will always be my favourite person to do it through. As long as I am curious about the world, Queenie will be too.
Fill in the blank: If you liked _______________, you will love Queenie Is Working on It.
Luster by Raven Leilani meets Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid PLUS a funny essay (of which there are many) by Samantha Irby
Let’s Get Nerdy: Behind the Writer with 5 Quick Questions
- The book that made you fall in love with reading: The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
- A movie you know by heart: Dreamgirls
- A song that makes you want to get up and dance: “Get Low Remix” – Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz (feat. Elephant Man, Busta Rhymes & Ying Yang Twins)
- Introvert or extrovert: Introvert
- Coffee, tea, or something else: Tea (I can’t help it. I’m British Jamaican.)
