How an interest in people faking their deaths fueled this novel

Everyone loves a good psychological thriller, and Auckland writer Anna Woods is making her mark in the genre, with her debut novel LIT. It's a dark and compelling story that explores love, manipulation - and the secrets people can keep from those closest to them. Anna was already an award-winning short story writer - in 2023 she won the Sargeson Prize with her work Pig Hunting. Her first full novel is set in Auckland and at an architecture firm, where one of the founding partners has disappeared. The company's in financial strife, and a journalist is asking questions about a former client and links to possible construction fraud. She tells Kathryn about the moment that sparked the idea for the book, why she knew it couldn't be told in short story form and the usual research paths it led her down.