Zibby Mag

Book jacket biographies don’t tell us nearly enough about the authors we love. That’s why Zibby Mag launched the Author Snapshot, giving readers an inside look at the lives and work of our favorite writers.

This week we are featuring Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including The Soulmate which published at the beginning of April. We chatted with Sally about the inspiration for her books, her amazing Instagram account, and the actor she’d like to see play one of her characters on the big screen.

Sally was also recently in the U.S. for her book tour, and Zibby’s Bookshop was proud to host Sally for her L.A. stop! You can watch her conversation with author Steven Rowley here.

What was the inspiration behind The Soulmate?

I love exploring dysfunctional relationships, and what relationship could be more dysfunctional than marriage?!

There were two little “kernels” of inspiration: the first, an incredible story I read about a man who saved at least 180 people from their suicide attempts at a well-known cliff in Sydney; the second, a fantasy I held of murdering my husband during lockdown. Okay, some context about the latter. We had a looooong lockdown here in Melbourne, Australia. I really love my husband, but you have no idea how annoying it is to listen to someone breathing twenty-four hours a day. It’s a miracle he survived.

Put the two kernels together and you have a book about marriage and murder—two of my favorite topics.

You write about the drama and complexities of relationships so well! What about family–and often, the darker sides of family–draws you to explore these dynamics in your books?

There is endless fodder to be found in families. I love being able to peel back the layers and explore the dark, troubled and bizarre sides of humanity and the way people function. For The Soulmate, I wanted to tease out the question: “How far would you go for the person you love?” and the things we put up with.

You have one of the best author Instagram accounts! You share fashion tips, your personal life, hilarious readings of bad reviews, and more. Have you always enjoyed the public-facing aspects of being an author? How do you balance the role of a writer and the role of an author? Do you find them to be similar or different?

I adore connecting with readers on Instagram. I write to entertain, and social media is an extension of that. Whether I’m making people laugh with a bad review or a funny story about my kids or husband, my goal is always to connect, to give people some light-hearted relief from their lives, and lift up other women. I especially love the way social media allows you to support and collaborate with other authors and charitable organizations. That said, the part I enjoy the most is the writing. Always has been. Always will be. As such, writing is the spine of my day, everything else—including social media—has to fit around it.

What’s the best praise or feedback you’ve received for The Soulmate?

I have received so much love for The Soulmate which means the world. The character of Gabe was partly inspired by a good friend’s brother who was bipolar, and having his family’s blessing and input was a true gift. Their feedback, that “Gabe was spot-on” and “he was so real—I have no idea how you did that” meant the world to me.

Will we ever get to see any of your books adapted to the screen? Do you have any actors that you’d love to see portray any of your characters?

My 2019 book The Mother-in-Law is in development with Amy Poehler’s production company at the moment, and an adaptation of The Family Next Door is in the works. I would love to see The Soulmate on screen one day…with Chris Hemsworth as Gabe!

What are you working on right now?

As soon as I get back from my U.S. tour, I’ll be deep in edits for my 2023 book, and starting to write my 2024 book. No rest for the wicked!