Writing relationships: Jem Calder on I Want You to Be Happy

In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, debut novelist Jem Calder shares insights into developing the complex central relationship in his novel, I Want You to Be Happy – a sharp-eyed tale of two people searching for meaning and connection in modern times, missing the mark maybe, but trying.

Jem Calder was born in Cambridge, and lives and works in London. His fiction has been published in The Stinging Fly and Granta, and his debut short story collection, Reward System, was published by Faber in 2022. I Want You to Be Happy is his debut novel.

He sat down with NCW’s Lucy May to discuss his approach to crafting the novel’s relationship, from shaping two distinct characters to exploring the dynamic that unfolds between them. Their conversation also covers writing with the reader in mind, the appeal of writing about writers, and his advice for creating convincing relationships in fiction.