Francesca Hornak biography

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Francesca Hornak

Francesca Hornak

Francesca Hornak Biography

Francesca Hornak is a journalist and writer whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines, including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and Red. She is the author of two nonfiction books, History of the World in 100 Modern Objects: Middle-Class Stuff (and Nonsense) and Worry with Mother: 101 Neuroses for the Modern Mama.



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Interview

In a brief Q&A, Francesca Hornak discusses her first novel, Seven Days of Us in which a family is forced to spend a week together in quarantine over the holidays.

What is your favorite holiday movie?
It's A Wonderful Life.

Coffee or tea?
If I could only keep one for life it would be tea, because I'm British. But coffee is my writing drink, so I'd need a new job. 

Hardcover or paperback?
Paperback. Hardbacks are annoying in the bath and on the Tube – two prime reading opportunities.

Early bird or night owl?
Both. It's the afternoon that I'd like to fast forward.

Which of your characters would you most want to spend 7 quarantined days with?
I think they'd all be quite grating. Probably Jesse, because he's the least neurotic.

What's the most difficult thing about writing from multiple characters' perspectives?
Keeping their various backstories clear. I discovered that four members of an immediate family can have a lot of private stuff going on.

How has publishing your first fiction book changed your writing?
I'm becoming less inhibited about description. As a journalist you train yourself to be succinct, which is a hard habit to break.

What was your hardest scene to write?
Olivia's collapse – I find high drama harder to convey than simmering tension. Plus there were loads of medical details to get wrong.

How did you choose the names for ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Francesca Hornak at BookBrowse
Seven Days of Us jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Francesca Hornak but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Grant Ginder

    Grant Ginder

    Grant Ginder is the author of five novels, including The People We Hate at the Wedding (soon to be a major motion picture starring Allison Janney, Kristen Bell, and Ben Platt). Originally from Southern California, Ginder ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Seven Days of Us

    Try:
    Let's Not Do That Again
    by Grant Ginder

  • Caroline Hulse

    Caroline Hulse

    Caroline Hulse spends most of her days writing, having fulfilled her dream of having a job she could do in pajamas. She also works in human resources sometimes. She is openly competitive and loves playing board and card games... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Seven Days of Us

    Try:
    The Adults
    by Caroline Hulse

We recommend 7 similar authors

View all 7 Read-Alikes

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