Seventeen years after the phenomenon that was The Help, Kathryn Stockett returns with her much-anticipated second novel, The Calamity Club. Her debut spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was later adapted into an Oscar-winning film, but it also prompted sustained debate around race, representation and authorship that continued long after publication.
Now, following an eagerly awaited return to fiction, Kathryn heads back to Mississippi with this Depression-era novel set in 1933 Oxford. Told through the voices of eleven-year-old orphan Meg Lefleur and the fiercely pragmatic Birdie Calhoun, it’s a story of resilience, rebellion, and underestimated women fighting to take back control of their fates.
We spoke to Kathryn about her writing process, the meticulous research behind the book, and the characters and ideas that brought The Calamity Club to life…
First up, congratulations on the publication of your new novel. When did the idea for The Calamity Club first take root? How has it felt sharing it with readers now that it’s out in the world?
I can’t really say how the idea came to mind but the voice of Meg came to me first. I’ve always been entertained by how children call it like they see it, and I wanted to give voice to that kind of honesty. My daughter, who is 22 now, has always been a rich narrator in my life. She was still a little girl when I started writing this book.
The early response has been very reassuring. It’s a relief to get this story out in the world after so many years.
And what about Birdie – how would you describe her relationship with Meg?
Birdie’s voice came to me next. Birdie’s a grown woman and she tells a very different, racier tale than Meg. And as different as these two are, I wanted them to have a lot in common. It’s not a mother-daughter relationship, it’s more two like minds looking at the world together. Also, both these characters just want to find a place where they fit in the world. I think that’s something a lot of us search for in life.
The novel paints a vivid picture of life in the South during the Great Depression. What did your research process look like, and did anything you uncovered surprise you?
I studied stacks and stacks of photographs taken in the 1930’s as well as read accounts of those who lived through this time and I even spoke to a few people that remember the Depression. I was dumbstruck by the sterilisation laws that were being passed in the US during the 20s and 30s, this idea of cleansing society of “undesirables.” When I stumbled upon those laws, that’s when the story really started to blossom.
Reading and writing often go hand in hand – which books have most influenced you?
I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt. The Secret History has had a huge impact on my writing. Also the voices in Eudora Welty’s stories. Both of these writers are and were from Mississippi.
What does your writing process look like – do you have a dedicated space or routine?
I write in an old schoolhouse that sits behind my house in Mississippi, built in 1925. The voices come to me loud and clear in here.
When you’re not lost in your own writing world, what books would we find on your bedside table?
I’m currently reading Kin, by Tayari Jones and I’m about halfway through listening to Lena Dunham’s Famesick. They’re very different books but written by strong women with strong opinions. I like that.
And finally, what does life on the other side of your second novel feel like? Is anything new beginning to form yet?
Not yet…I’ve been on book tour pretty much since I sent this book to the publisher. Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself that there’s not another chapter due, and nobody’s waiting on edits. When this tour is over, I’ll ask the muses for ideas. Though after 15+ years helping me write this one, they might be a little tired of me.
Thank you, Kathryn! The Calamity Club is out now.
