Madeleine Gray on Literary Success and Exploring Queer Family Dynamics
Madeleine Gray, the acclaimed author behind the bestselling novel Green Dot, has captured readers' hearts with her sharp wit and insightful storytelling. In a recent interview, the 31-year-old Sydney-based writer reflected on her unexpected rise to literary fame and the themes driving her highly anticipated second book, Chosen Family.
From Debut Sensation to Celebrity Praise
Gray recalls the moment she learned her debut novel would command a six-figure advance, a sum that left her stunned. "I thought: holy fuck, there's been a mistake," she laughs. By the time Green Dot was published last autumn, it had already been hailed as one of the year's most anticipated novels, drawing comparisons to cultural touchstones like Bridget Jones and Fleabag. The book garnered praise from celebrities such as Nigella Lawson and Gillian Anderson, with Gray expressing sheer delight at the endorsements. "I'm gay; are you kidding?! I follow Gillian on Instagram, obviously," she exclaims, describing her reaction to Anderson's social media post as "primal."
Navigating the Complexities of Modern Relationships
In Green Dot, Gray introduced readers to Hera, a 24-year-old protagonist navigating gen Z nihilism and a tumultuous affair with a married man. The novel's success led to an influx of messages from strangers confessing their own extramarital experiences, a situation Gray finds challenging. "I'm not a psychologist, and I shouldn't be giving advice," she notes, emphasising that her work is fiction, not autobiography. This acclaim also brought the pressure of second novel syndrome, but support from her wife, a musician, helped her persevere. "She said to me: darling, this will never go away. Every piece of art you create, you will feel the same way," Gray shares.
Inspiring Chosen Family: A Queer Take on Parenting
The inspiration for Chosen Family emerged from conversations with friends about parenting in their thirties. Many desired children but lacked romantic partners, leading Gray to explore platonic co-parenting. The novel follows childhood friends Eve and Nell, whose journey from painful adolescence to motherhood is complicated by unrequited love. Gray draws on her own experiences as a queer person, highlighting the intense friendship breakups common in the community. "Years later, they look back and think: 'Oh, I was probably in love with that person,'" she explains.
Exploring Sydney's Lesbian Community and Personal Growth
Set against the backdrop of Sydney's lesbian community, Chosen Family delves into shifting power dynamics and the concept of chosen family. Gray, who attended a private girls' school similar to the one in the book, reflects on her own delayed coming out due to safety concerns. "Coming out was not a safe thing to do," she says, adding that writing the novel allowed her to imagine a queer presence in that environment, which would have been "horrific." Her academic background, including studies at Oxford and Manchester, was cut short by the pandemic, prompting a return to Sydney and a shift to full-time writing.
Embracing Step-Parenting and Future Projects
Becoming a stepmother has profoundly influenced Gray's writing, encouraging her to adopt multiple perspectives. "Love is something we've made together, over time," she says of her relationship with her stepson, who recently asked to call her "mama." This experience has made her more efficient, as she now writes faster due to limited time. Gray is currently working on a new novel described as "Germaine Greer meets Monty Python," and she aims to avoid being pigeonholed as a "queer writer" to reach a broader audience. Her uninhibited approach includes writing sex scenes in public for that "naughty" charge, and she finds joy in crafting stories that resonate widely. "I wanted to have a really beautiful queer time," she concludes, with Chosen Family set for publication on 29 January.
