Emma Healey

The 28 year old, who had never even written a short story before beginning work on her novel, was overwhelmed by the response she received upon its completion. Elizabeth Is Missing is a strikingly original story that follows Maude, an elderly dementia sufferer, as she looks for her missing friend Elizabeth. Hampered by her deteriorating mental health, Maude endeavours to find out what has become of Elizabeth and in the process stirs haunting memories of her sister Sukey’s disappearance years before.

Emma has been praised for her vivid characterisation of an elderly woman struggling with dementia. She looked to her own grandmothers, one of whom suffers from the condition, for inspiration, a personal connection that gives her novel an appealing intimacy. 

Read the Guardian’s interview with Emma.