Oyinkan Braithwaite has just released her popular debut novel My Sister, the Serial Killer, receiving great praise for the unique storyline and twisted sister relationship. We are excited to have the chance to ask Oyinkan some of our top questions so that our readers can get to know the new author better. Keep reading to learn more about the woman behind My Sister, the Serial Killer.

Grab your copy of My Sister, the Serial Killer now!

What was the inspiration behind My Sister, the Serial Killer?

The creature, the black widow spider, was the first inspiration. I found this idea that the female would eat the males if she was hungry and they happened to be close to be quite funny. It was funny because the males weren’t supposed to be prey. The fact that nature had this dynamic was interesting and so the concept stuck with me.

I also wanted to use the story as an opportunity to explore my feelings and society’s feelings toward beauty and perfection.

If you had to choose three to five of your favorite books of all time, what would they be and why?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I have loved this book since I was a child. And I keep expecting my feelings toward it to change as I grow older, but, my love for it has yet to waver.

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

Sometimes stories make me cry, but this is the first book that I had to put down, so that I could retreat to a corner of the room, sink to the floor and weep. I was about 13 and it had made a massive impression on me.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

This series was my childhood. I read all the books diligently. I learned what a kindred spirit was from Anne. I shared her love of tragic heroines. I admired her essence.

What is currently on your #TBR pile?

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King

“Entertaining… Sleeping Beauties is a bulging, colourful epic; a super-sized happy meal, liberally salted with supporting characters and garnished with splashes of arterial ketchup. This epic feels so vital and fresh.” ―The Guardian

Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo

“Storylines and twists abound. But action is secondary to atmosphere: Onuzo excels at evoking a stratified city, where society weddings feature ‘ice sculptures as cold as the unmarried belles’ and thugs write tidy receipts for kickbacks extorted from homeless travelers.” ―The New Yorker

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

“The best epic fantasy I read last year… He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” —George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire

Which authors do you admire most?

Robin Hobb

Anne Rice

Malorie Blackman

What’s one writing essential you can’t live without?

My laptop!