Liv Little founded the pioneering media company gal-dem, an online and print platform for women and non-binary people of colour that announced its closure last month. Her debut novel, Rosewater, derives from the same ambitions, following 28-year-old queer poet Elsie, who is living in south London and navigating her chaotic work, love and family life.
The book opens with a literal bang, as bailiffs attempt to evict Elsie from her social housing flat. It’s a powerfully visceral and exposing moment. “I’m left with sixty minutes to pack up my worldly belongings and figure out whatever the fuck I’m supposed to do next,” says Elsie, before moving in with her childhood friend Juliet. From then on, her life seems to crumble at an even quicker pace.
