How To Be a Good Wife (Chapman) - Author Bio

Author Bio
• Birth—1985
• Raised—Manchester, England, UK
• Education—B.A., Edinburgh University; M.A., Royal Holloway
• Currently—lives in Jakarta, Indonesia


Emma J. Chapman grew up in Manchester, England. She studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, followed by a Masters in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London.  After university, she travelled solo in Scandinavia, where she learned to camp, bathe in fjords, and carry everything she needed.  She is currently living in Perth, Western Australia. How To Be a Good Wife (2013) is her first novel.

Emma wanted to be an actress until she was 16 and acted in a school play. She was terrible. But she did realise that the things she loved about acting (imagining she was somebody else), she could work at in a locked room as a writer instead of in front of an audience as an actress. That way, she could slog quietly until she was good and then everyone would think she was a genius.

After studying English Literature at Edinburgh University, Emma moved to London and did an MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway. She also worked part time at Toby Eady Associates literary agency, where she was taught the ropes of publishing by the kindly green-tea-drinking folks there.

After her masters, she moved to Western Australia. From there, she sent Toby Eady Associates her finished novel, and then nearly swallowed her own tongue in anticipation. Luckily, they liked it, and after drinking much champagne, Emma worked on the novel with them for a further two years. (From the publishers and the author's website.)