32 S MAGAZINE ★ 25 AUGUST 2019
In the closet with
Louise, 55, has written nine
novels, most famously Apple
Tree Yard, which was made into
a TV drama with Emily Watson.
Her latest novel, Platform
Seven, is out now. Louise also
broadcasts for the BBC and
writes for newspapers.
She lives in London with her
partner and two daughters.
How would you describe your
style? I have two completely
different styles. When I’m just
having a writing day I pull on
jogging pants and a T-shirt – I’m
like Waynetta Slob. And then
I have to be the complete
opposite for public events and
book launches. It might be
a dress and heels or ankle
boots and a smart shirt.
Which colours and shapes suit
you best? I probably wear too
much monochrome, but I’m
forcing myself to wear more
colour and not get too stuck in
my ways. I really like flared
trousers or palazzo pants with
a top with a bit of shape, like a
jacket or tank top. Because I’m
tall, I don’t really suit very girlie
shapes. I would look ridiculous
in a flouncy dress.
Which is your favourite fashion
era? The tailored looks of the
30s or the 50s. I like the Lauren
Bacall and Katharine Hepburn
look – feminine but powerful.
Who is your style icon?
Probably Audrey Hepburn.
Is that a terrible cliché?
That continental look is so
timeless, though.
Do you own more high street
or high end? Definitely high
street. I don’t think I own muchhigh end at all. I like mixing
mid-range labels with something
from a shop like H&M.
Which are your favourite
stores? Reiss, Agnès B, and
I’m a big fan of a brand called
ME+EM. They do a lot that
suits tall women and things
for middle-aged women that
don’t look too middle-aged.
Do you own anything vintage?
A cocktail dress belonging to
my mum that she had from the
early 1950s. I wore it to my first
university ball, aged 19. It was
lovely knowing that she had
worn it at the same age.
Tell us about your latest
novel... It’s narrated by the
ghost of a woman who has
died on Peterborough railway
station and you don’t know
if she jumped or if she was
pushed. Then, unexpectedly,
we go back into her past and
you find out a bit more about
what led to her dying. It’s
about love, relationships and
coercive control, and about
the pressures on women to feel
that romantic love is everything.
Where did the idea come from?
I’ve spent a lot of time changing
trains at Peterborough station
throughout my life. Many
a winter night I’ve been stuck
there with the cold wind blowing
across the fens. It’s a metaphor
for purgatory, where the
woman’s soul is trapped until
the mystery of her death is
solved. To research the book,
I spent one freezing-cold
November night on the
platform. The night staff
were understandably baffled.What will you be working
on next? After Apple Tree
Yard the wonderful world of
television came knocking, so
I’m currently working on an
original three-part drama for
TV. Platform Seven is already
under option – and I will be an
executive producer – and two
others are in development. Then
hopefully, in January, I will start
on my next novel.
What is your writing routine?
I’m definitely a morning writer.
I like to start writing with the
first coffee of the day. That first
sip is an important moment.
The afternoons tend to be for
emails and admin. I work in
cafés a lot, because if I’m at
home I’ve got my domestic head
on. I’ve about six favourite local
cafés. I could write a guidebook.
Are you a hoarder or do
you clear out your wardrobe
regularly? I hoard for ages
and then I’ll have a completely
brutal clear-out where I’ll take
sack after sack to my local
Oxfam. I would rather have
good-quality items that I hold
on to for years. I’m not a fan
of throwaway fashion.
What is the most expensive
item in your wardrobe? A clingy,
gold evening dress by After Dark
that I wore when I was a judge
on the Man Booker prize in- I decided that was my
chance to really glam it up.
It’s also very stretchy, which is
great if you’re eating a big meal.
I think I’ve only worn it twice.
How much do you spend on
clothes each month? It’s hard
to say, as I can go for weeks on
The author favours jogging pants for writing but loves
to glam up for book launches Words and styling by Laura Mulley
Louise Doughty