Margot Livesey Books
Margot Livesey is a Scottish-born novelist and essayist known for her works of literary fiction, including 'Eva Moves the Furniture' and 'The Flight of Gemma Hardy'. She teaches at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has received numerous awards for her contributions to contemporary literature.
Known for: The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing
Books by Margot Livesey
The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing
In this collection of essays, acclaimed novelist Margot Livesey explores the art and craft of fiction writing. Drawing on her own experiences as both writer and teacher, she examines how great authors construct their works, offering insights into character, plot, and the moral dimensions of storytelling. Through close readings and personal reflections, Livesey provides a thoughtful guide for readers and aspiring writers alike.
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The Moral Dimension of Fiction
Every act of storytelling carries a moral dimension. When I speak of morality, I do not mean preaching or prescribing right behavior, but rather exploring how characters choose, justify, and live with their actions. Fiction, I believe, places us within the moral landscape of the imagination—a place ...
From The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing
Character Construction
Creating a character who feels both alive and inevitable is perhaps the greatest mystery of writing fiction. I have come to think of characters not as puppets we manipulate but as personalities we discover through language, circumstance, and contradiction. Character, as E.M. Forster argued, depends ...
From The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing
About Margot Livesey
Margot Livesey is a Scottish-born novelist and essayist known for her works of literary fiction, including 'Eva Moves the Furniture' and 'The Flight of Gemma Hardy'. She teaches at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has received numerous awards for her contributions to contemporary literature.
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Margot Livesey is a Scottish-born novelist and essayist known for her works of literary fiction, including 'Eva Moves the Furniture' and 'The Flight of Gemma Hardy'. She teaches at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has received numerous awards for her contributions to contemporary literature.
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