Join three of the most exciting young women authors writing today for an event exploring the literary framing of femininity, in conversation with screenwriter and debut novelist Hannah Patterson.
Contributing their own complicating and radical re-framing of feminine archetypes and expectations, Anna Whitwham will talk about her startling memoir Soft Tissue Damage, Emma Jane Unsworth her new novel Slags and Jessie Burton her acclaimed re-telling of the Medusa myth. All three books re-calibrate our ideas of the female body, sexuality, grief, rage, and the influence of societal mores, as well as the revolutionary potential of their undermining. Ranging from non-fiction, fiction and writing for a younger readership, our panel showcases the myriad ways we might write and think about the female body and experience.
Jessie Burton is the multi-million best-selling author of four novels: The Miniaturist, The Muse, The Confession and The House of Fortune – all instant Sunday Times bestsellers. She is also the author of several books for younger readers, including Hidden Treasure, published in 2025. Her novels have been published in 40 languages.
Emma Jane Unsworth is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Her first novel, Animals, was adapted into a film, for which Unsworth wrote the screenplay. Her second, Adults, was a Sunday Times bestseller. She also writes for television and various magazines. Slags is her third novel.
Anna Whitwham was born in London, where she still lives. She studied Drama and English at the University of California, Los Angeles, Queens University Belfast and at Royal Holloway, London where she teaches a course called ‘Writing Men: The Burden of Masculinity’. She is the author of Boxer Handsome and Soft Tissue Damage, published by Rough Trade Books.
This event will be chaired by Hannah Patterson, who writes for stage, screen and on the page. Recent plays include MUCH, Giving and Playing With Grown Ups. She has written extensively about cinema and culture for books and publications including the Guardian, Time Out and Sight & Sound. Ungone, her first novel, will be published by Rough Trade Books in September 2025.
The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of wine.
