My (Quickfire) Interview with Dolly Alderton & Edinburgh Fringe Review

By Abigail Tobias

The McEwan theatre was absolutely buzzing with women (old and young) clutching on to their well worn and well loved copies of Dolly Alderton’s bestseller Everything I Know About Love – described by some as a “Bible” for younger women. Alderton has continued to delve into what she refers to as the “millennial woman psyche” with her fiction: Good Material, her most recent release, and Ghosts – my personal favourite. 

In my experience, many writers struggle when faced with a live audience – but in her talk Alderton matched her literary style: witty, insightful and always funny. She seemed to thrive with the engagement an audience brought, and the host of the event, Yomi Adegoke, was able to create a fascinating repartee which had them discussing both the highs and lows, not just of the writing world, but relationships, womanhood and turning 35.

Alderton takes pride in many of the things she has been derided for – most noticeably being a writer for women.

Alderton takes pride in many of the things she has been derided for – most noticeably being a writer for women. Making sure to thank “all the boyfriends who were dragged here today,” she went on to discuss a new phenomenon that had emerged from her books – “Dollyphishing” – explaining how men had recently taken to displaying her books whilst on the club, or in pictures on online dating sites as a green flag to women. Even Adegoke said it was something she had witnessed, and Alderton clearly found the whole thing hilarious.

Having shouted Alderton’s praises for years, I was desperate to land an interview. And my delightful personality combined with a desperate student journalist pain in my eyes (which Alderton is all too familiar with) successfully got me a (succinct) interview with the massively busy author. Enjoy her responses to my quickfire questions below:

Favourite book at University?

I read a lot of Sylvia Plath. And happy hour menus.

Favourite book to get you through hard times?

Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding, Delight by J B Priestly, the poems of John Betjemen, the cookbooks of Nigel Slater.

Worst mistake you made at university?

Every single boy.

Morning person or night owl?

Night. I wrote my dissertation through the nights, I write my novels through the nights. Now I rely on peppermint tea rather than my university cocktail of pro-plus and black coffee.

Best choice you made at University

Every single girl.

Image Credit: Abigail Tobias