I am a writer, sound artist and scholar. I am the author of two novels and two non-fiction books, and teach creative writing at the University of Exeter. I used to work as a barrister and as a busker.
The Unexpected
My second novel was published in November 2024 by HarperCollins. It follows two friends, Robin and Kessie, who find themselves platonically co-parenting a baby.
It's a book about friendship in all its depth and complexity, about motherhood and fertility, and about unconventional/queer families. It delves into the anthropology of kinship, looking at how other human/animal cultures go about family very differently, and the way that family law has slowly evolved to better support some queer families, but not necessarily others; but at its heart, it's a somewhat comical love story.
New research shows that platonic and non-traditional co-parenting arrangements are growing, and are resulting in happy children; and yet such approaches to family are still widely seen as taboo. This and other themes that emerge from the story have made it a popular book club pick.'Wonderful… all sorts of common assumptions about motherhood and family are turned on their head. It’s brilliant on friendship, identity, longing and resilience’
THE DAILY MAIL
‘A heartwarming depiction of female friendship as a bond stronger than any other'THE TIMES
‘A thought-provoking and unputdownable story about the interconnectedness of female friendship, love, romance and family’MY WEEKLY
‘Loved this clever and funny novel by Ellen Wiles on the complexities of friendship, motherhood and social change.’Anna Mazzola, author of THE BOOK OF SECRETS
‘Wiles writes with humour, tenderness and wisdom; The Unexpected is a welcome portrait of the beauty, the battle and the exhilarating reinvention of contemporary motherhood.’Marianne Levy, author of DON’T FORGET TO SCREAM
‘The Unexpected is moving and witty, smart and indelible on female friendship and chosen families, and the knotty complexities of parenting beyond the tired old structures of straight fams. I loved and admired it so much!’Rosie Dastgir, author of A SMALL FORTUNE
‘I didn't want this novel to end. Through radiant writing, Ellen Wiles offers a brutally honest portrait of motherhood in its joys and despairs, as experienced between two best women friends in the unconventional position of sharing a baby. But this is also a book about the meaning of life in all its layers because its narrators, Kessie and Robin, are both searching, upending our ideas about family in the process. It's about time someone wrote about this! Thank you, Ellen Wiles.’Donna Freitas, author of THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO
‘An intelligent, thought-provoking, tender, and very real exploration of friendship, pregnancy, and the changing face of modern parenting.'Susannah Wise, author of OKAY THEN THAT’S GREAT
‘Ellen Wiles's The Unexpected is a story of motherhood, female friendship, alternative families and different kinds of love. Original, thoughtful, stimulating and highly readable.’Vesna Goldsworthy, author of THE IRON CURTAIN
'Ellen Wiles shows us how legal forces can shape our most intimate lives. This novel reminds us that chosen families are as complicated, messy and thick with love as biological ones.'Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of THE SLEEP WATCHER
You can order it here, or by supporting your local indie bookshop.
The Invisible Crowd
My debut novel is about serendipitous connections and what it's like to navigate the asylum system of a country you've risked everything to get to. It follows the story of Yonas, an Eritrean journalist who has arrived in the UK, is narrated by the voices of a wide range of people he meets on his quest for leave to remain, including his barrister, Jude. It was inspired by my previous work as a barrister, working on immigration and human rights cases.
It is a popular book club read, was a Guardian readers' book of the year, and won a Victor Turner Prize.‘I read this last summer, and I still think about it. It tells the tale of a refugee trying to survive in England – and the impact others have on their journey. A book that makes you see the world differently.’
Jacinda Adern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand
'A fierce, big-hearted novel that celebrates the power of compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. It takes a special gift to explore an issue so urgent and so complex in such an emotionally satisfying way. Ellen Wiles has this gift.'Joe Treasure, author of The Book of Air
Live Literature
Why have live literature events, like literary festivals and salons, become so popular in the digitalized 21st century? What is their cultural value for audiences and performers? Through experiential literary ethnographies of events such as the Hay Festival, composed by a creative writer to evoke the experience of being there through multiple points of view, this book seeks to answer those questions.
‘A hugely insightful and entertaining survey of the live literature scene: what it is, who it's for, and why it matters. Full of brilliant analysis and fascinating vignettes, it is sure to be standard work on the subject for years to come.’
Michael Hughes, author of Country
Saffron Shadows
This book explores the fascinating storytelling and lives of three generations of Burmese writers living under the world's most repressive censorship regime over five decades. It contains new translations of short stories, poetry, and memoir, and stories of the lives of the authors, including U Win Tin who spent 27 years in jail for his words.
'A fascinating exploration of censorship as experienced by nine writers of Myanmar over three generations. Ellen Wiles is to be commended for her deft account of the political and historical backdrop, but most of all for the grace with which she makes room for these authors to reflect on the marks left by censorship in their own words and works.'
Maureeen Freely, President of English PEN and author of The Stork Club
Sound Stories
I write and produce immersive audio sound stories, often engaging with landscapes and ecology. My work has been commissioned by organisations including The National Trust. I am just beginning a major new project as artist-in=residence among scientists at the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW), and will be making audio work about the water system and environmental resilience.
Buzzard View
This literary soundwalk follows a stunning loop route around the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor. The path passes through woodland, moorland and coast, over a beacon, and past buildings ancient and new telling a tale of how this place has been transformed over time by humans and non-humans, and how new ecological changes in this landscape give cause for hope. It can be experienced as a virtual walk experience, or in situ through a sequence of listening points along the way.
Commissioned by The National Trust. Funded by Frugi.
Riverlandia
This immersive fictional sound story of a river valley at a time of ecological change is narrated by its human and non-human inhabitants. Voices include the river itself, a bullhead fish, a dragonfly, an alder tree, sheep, and a skylark. A starry and diverse cast of actors and comedians includes Gemma Whelan, Mike Wozniak, Spencer Jones, and Bethany Antonia.
Commissioned by The National Trust. Funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
The New Riverscapers: A Beaver's Tale
This fictional sound story is narrated by a beaver living on a Devon river, and developed through a collaboration with environmental scientist, Professor Richard Brazier.
Commissioned by Literature Works as part of a writing residency.
Pebbled Heights, Mossy Depths
This immersive literary soundwalk explores the experience, ecology and history of the East Devon Way. It was developed through collaboration with experts in environmental science and land management.
Commissioned by the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Double Elephant.Podcasts
Literary soundwalk podcast
Listen to the podcast editions of my literary soundwalks
Monocle Meet the Writers podcast
Listen to the episode of Monocle Magazine’s Meet the Writers podcast in which I was Georgina Godwin’s guest
The Hexagon Podcast
Watch/listen to my podcast series, The Hexagon, in which I invite guests to offer their top arts and culture tips under lockdown and beyond
Live Literature Launch
Watch the launch event for my Live Literature book hosted by comedian Mike Wozniak
Shortform
I write articles, stories and reviews. You can find some of them here.
‘Small found dogs’
A review of 13 March 1911 by Adam Smyth, TLS, August 2019
‘A Tale of Two LexiconS’
A review of two debut novels both long listed for the Man Booker Prize: Everything Under by Daisy Johnson and In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunaratne, TLS, August 2018
‘Three branches of Literary ANthropology’
Ethnography, March 2018
‘The circus act of writing and mothering’
weheartwriting.com, November 2018
‘Literature, live’
International Literature Showcase, November 2017
‘Tea dial’
A literary essay-diary about my tea drinking habit for Versopolis
‘Whirl and Muddle’
A review of literary essays on war and writing by Samuel Hynes, TLS, May 2018
‘Essays': A review of Reading Life by Chris Arthur
Times Literary Supplement, February 2018
‘Giving birth to a book vs giving birth to a child’
Female First, November 2017
'Ark: immersive short story shows in library spaces'
The Library as Incubator Project, April 2016
Events
Speaking events
I enjoy speaking about my writing at literary events and on panels. I also enjoy curating and programming events, which have included a panel event on Aslyum Stories at The British Library with Juliet Stevenson, and a series of events called Speaking of Writing at the University of Exeter, featuring women writers of colour. My book, Live Literature, is the first to explore the experience and cultural value of literary events, from salons to festivals.
Performance
I curate and direct literary performance events that bring literature beyond the page to new audiences in creative ways. I write and produce literary experiences that involve collaborations with sound designers and with artists working across other forms including video, dance, shadow puppetry, and live illustration. Funded by Arts Council England, I founded Ark, an immersive literary performance project, and have since been commissioned by organisations including The British Library.
Contact me
Book enquiries
Laura Macdougall at United Agents LMacdougall [at] unitedagents.co.uk
ellenwiles [at] gmail.com
Social media
Instagram: @ellenwiles
Twitter: @ellenwiles
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