Picture a British storyteller who crafts worlds where words dance and dictionaries come alive—meet Eley Williams! A literary fiction novelist and lecturer at Royal Holloway University, Williams has enchanted readers with her playful yet profound exploration of language. Her debut novel, The Liar’s Dictionary, and short story collection, Attrib. and Other Stories, have earned her a spot as one of Granta’s most significant British novelists under forty, blending academic wit with creative sparkle.
With a knack for turning the mundane into the magical, Williams’s work is a love letter to lexicography—the art of dictionary-making. Her stories, brimming with wordplay and charm, invite readers to rethink how language shapes our lives. Ready to dive into her whimsical world? Let’s explore!
The Making of Eley Williams
Born Eleanor Williams, the quirky spelling of 'Eley' stuck from her school days, hinting at her lifelong fascination with words. Raised with two sisters, she honed her storytelling at Selwyn College, Cambridge, before diving into a doctorate on fictitious dictionary entries. This academic pursuit fueled her creative spark, leading her to teach creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she also supervises Jungftak, a journal for contemporary prose poetry. Her early love for dictionaries and nonsense literature, like that of Lewis Carroll, shaped her unique voice, blending scholarly rigor with playful invention.
Eley Williams’s Unforgettable Stories
Williams’s debut collection, Attrib. and Other Stories (2017), is a dazzling showcase of her acrobatic prose. This award-winning work, which snagged the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize, weaves tales that celebrate the slipperiness of language, from quirky reflections on dictionary entries to poignant explorations of human connection. Critics praised its natural rhythm and ingenious structure, with stories unfolding like puzzles that reveal deeper truths.
Her first novel, The Liar’s Dictionary (2020), is a laugh-out-loud romp through the world of lexicography. Alternating between a Victorian lexicographer inventing fake words and a modern intern uncovering them, the novel is a “virtuoso performance full of charm,” as The Guardian raved. It delves into truth, authenticity, and the power of words to define us. Her latest collection, Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good (2024), continues her word-drunk style, cementing her as a master of short fiction. Williams’s work, often anthologized in collections like The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story, dances between humor and heart, making the ordinary extraordinary.
Why Eley Williams Matters
Eley Williams is more than a writer—she’s a word-wizard reshaping literary fiction. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a Granta honoree, she’s redefined how we view language, inviting readers to revel in its quirks and complexities. Her influence extends to her students at Royal Holloway, where she inspires the next generation of writers, and to her judging roles for prestigious awards like the Republic of Consciousness Prize. By blending academic insight with accessible storytelling, Williams makes lexicography feel like a thrilling adventure, proving that words can be both playful and profound.
- Born: Eleanor Williams, date not publicly available
- Key Works: Attrib. and Other Stories (2017), The Liar’s Dictionary (2020), Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good (2024)
- Awards: James Tait Black Memorial Prize (2017), Republic of Consciousness Prize (2018), Granta Best of Young British Novelists (2023)
- Fun Fact: She lives in West Oxfordshire with her wife, novelist Nell Stevens.
Snag The Liar’s Dictionary or Attrib. and Other Stories and dive into Eley Williams’s wordplay wonderland! Her stories will leave you laughing, thinking, and maybe even reaching for a dictionary.