Anna Dorn on Scent, Storytelling, and Writing Women Who Refuse to Behave

This week on Sick Sad Lit, I’m joined by Anna Dorn, author of Perfume and Pain, for a bold and unflinching conversation about writing women who misbehave and why that’s the whole point.

We talk about:

• Her pivot from criminal law to fiction
• The narrative power of perfume, desire, and scent
• Crafting unlikable women (and why they tell the truth)
• The power of author merch and literary self-branding
• The highs and humiliations of the modern writing life — plus how social media, music, and contemporary culture fuel her creative process

If your favourite characters are the ones who would absolutely ghost you (after stealing your phone charger), this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

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