Q&A: Stephanie Perkins, Author of ‘Overdue’

We chat with author Stephanie Perkins about Overdue, which is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.

Hi, Stephanie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m an introverted homebody who is desperate for more kindness in the world, and Overdue is my eighth published book.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My sixth-grade teacher loved creative writing and made our class do weekly writing assignments. He saw that I enjoyed it and had a knack for it, and he gave me a lot of encouragement. I was a good student, but that was the first time I’d ever really excelled at anything (apart from reading).

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: There would have been others before it, but I remember Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel being a very early book for me.
• The one that made you want to become an author: There isn’t one specifically, but the book that made me recognize the role that an author plays in creating a story was The BFG by Roald Dahl. His voice didn’t sound like anybody else’s.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: This year, it’s Woodworking by Emily St. James. It’s the best novel I’ve read in ages.

Your adult debut novel, Overdue, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Deeply bookish romantic contemporary fiction.

What can readers expect?

It’s a coming-of-age story . . . about somebody who is already technically an adult. The protagonist is a twenty-nine-year-old librarian who takes a break from her longtime boyfriend to explore other romantic options—and discovers that maybe there are other aspects of her life that also require reevaluation. The novel takes place over the course of one year, it’s realistic and comforting and kind, and it heavily features a friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance.

Where did the inspiration for Overdue come from?

I’ve worked as both a librarian and a bookseller, and I had always known that someday I would write about these people and professions. And the setting is a fictionalized version of my hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, which I had also been longing to write about.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I’m a fairly slow writer, slower than most of my peers. A good writing day for me is five hundred words. So my biggest challenge with any book is not getting discouraged. I have to remind myself that I’ve done it before, so—with time and great effort—eventually I can do it again.

This is your adult debut! Was your approach to working on Overdue different from your other novels?

It might seem odd, but not really. My main goal is to always write a story that feels honest, no matter the genre or age group. And honesty in Overdue was easy to come by since I’ve worked in both of the professions that I wrote about, and it takes place in a setting that’s inspired by hometown. I knew these characters and this setting down to my bones.

What’s next for you?

Something very different!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve already mentioned it, but I wish I could physically place a copy of Woodworking by Emily St. James into all of your outstretched hands. It goes down SO easily. It’s intelligent and compassionate and funny and complicated—and laced with emotional daggers. Read it, read it, read it.

This autumn, I’m looking forward to What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, Wreck by Catherine Newman, Joyride by Susan Orlean, The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman, and Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo. And everyone else should be looking forward to Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett, which releases next year and is an unbelievable delight. Major Howl’s Moving Castle vibes. I read an advanced copy in one sitting and had a gigantic smile on my face the entire time.

Will you be picking up Overdue? Tell us in the comments below!