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Career Coach
It's time to come clean with yourself. Let's be completely honest. Are you happy with your job? Like, really happy? The unfortunate fact is that a huge number of people can't say yes to that. Far too many of us are stuck in a job we've outgrown, or one we never wanted in the first place. But still, we stick it out and we give reasons. Like what if the next move is even worse? I've already put years into this place. I can't afford to take a wrong step, and maybe the most common one. Isn't everyone kind of miserable at work? But but there's a difference between reasons for staying and excuses for not leaving. It's time to get unstuck. It's time for Strawberry Me. They match you with a certified career coach who helps you go from where you are to where you actually want to be. Your coach helps you get clear on your goals, create a plan, build your confidence, and keeps you accountable along the way. So don't leave your career to chance. Take action and own your future with a professional coach in your corner. Go to Strawberry Me Career to claim a special offer. That's Strawberry Me Me Career.
Zibby Owens
I'm here with an exciting update. After a five year hiatus, the beloved parenting podcast Longest, Shortest Time is back. And it's picking up right where it left off, sharing the most unexpected, heartfelt, and downright fascinating stories about parenthood, reproductive health and beyond. Host Hilary Frank started the show in 2010 after a difficult childbirth and recovery, hoping to connect with parents and non parents alike. But what she created became so much more conversations that are funny, poignant, sometimes edgy, and always full of surprises. In fact, Hilary was on my podcast as well. These stories are about life in all its messy, emotional and incredible forms, so don't miss out. Follow and listen to Longest, Shortest Time wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books. In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling, buzziest or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author, and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look.
Sebastian
At everything that's coming out and spend.
Zibby Owens
My time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know, get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram Ibbeowens, Hirsa Daily Ward is the author of the Catch, A novel. She is an acclaimed author and poet best known for the Terrible and Bone. Her new novel, the Catch, marks her debut fiction.
Sebastian
Welcome. Yes, Seb, thank you so much for coming on Totally Booked with Zibi to talk about the Catch, A novel. Congratulations.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Thank you. It's my pleasure. Thank you for having me.
Sebastian
My pleasure, too. What a book. Oh, my gosh. So you have a very unique writing style. You are drawn right in. It is so captivating and wow. Really very cool. Very cool. I have lots of questions. Let's start, though, by you just telling what the book is about.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Yeah, absolutely. So I'm on tour, so I'm getting a little bit better about keeping this short and succinct. So the Catch follows two twin sisters, Clara and Dempsey. And a couple of weeks after they were born, their mother just went missing. Walked out, disappeared, they say, into the Thames, went missing, presumed dead. So, of course, as a result of this, the mother was the only parent we know about. So they grew up and they were adopted into different families and grew up estranged and slightly at odds with each other, even though they both never left South London. So they both were aware of each other and would see each other occasionally, but not often. Very estranged. And on their 30th birthday, which is where we meet them, one of the sisters, the one that's seen as slightly more successful with more. Just more things happening in the world, Clara, she's a celebrity author. She sees somebody who she thinks is them mother. The reason why she thinks it's her mother is because the person has the exact same name and it's the spitting image of the photos that they have of her. The only thing is, this appears to be a version of their mother before. Well, around the time when she went missing, so before she really had children. So they're 30 and their mother's 30 and the novel is all about, can this be? And if this can be, how could this be? Clara believes it is their mother fully. Dempsey thinks that this woman is a con woman. And it's all about what happens when this stranger comes hurtling into their lives.
Sebastian
Wow. Okay. How did you think of this? Do you have a twin sister? How did you think of this whole thing?
Hirsa Daily Ward
Oh, no. You know, twins are so fascinating to me. I only know two sets of twins as well. But it came to me because I. I think about my own mother so much. She passed away, what, some. Almost 20 years now. And every so often, I'll just. I'll see somebody walking down the street and just have that sense of longing, you know, that. Just that. That hot sense of, like, what would it be to experience her again, to. To touch her, to have a conversation, even if it was just for a weekend or something like that. And this, you know, books can be wish fulfillment. They can be a great way to like, delve into something, like a fantasy or something you wish was true. And so, yeah, I would see versions of, well, people who resemble my mother, either in stature or just made me think of her. And I wanted to write into that also. What would my mum be like at my age? How would it be to encounter her? And then we're all the same age. Would I get on with her? Would I not? So that was what brought this story into being.
Sebastian
Oh, my gosh. My daughter and I actually are almost in writing a graphic novel about a middle school girl who goes back and meets her mom at a dance at the same age.
Hirsa Daily Ward
I love that idea.
Sebastian
I love similar motivation. Right. Like, how do you get to know your family and when you have such a big age gap and you never will?
Hirsa Daily Ward
And I guess experiencing our parents as something other than who they are to us is, you know, a mind bender as well. Yes.
Sebastian
And I'm so sorry about your losing your mom. That's terrible. I'm so sorry.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Thank you. Thank you so much. You know, it seeps its way into a lot of the things I write. I mean, I consider it like a, you know, a great richness. It does weigh in many. In many, many different forms into different things that I write.
Sebastian
And how old were you and what happened, if I can ask?
Hirsa Daily Ward
Well, my mother passed away. You know, I'm saying 20, but it's probably more like about. We're probably because I keep the number like, very, like, wispy in my mind, but it will probably get on to 16 years. I was in my early 20s and my mum had breast cancer. And that was how, you know, after quite a long battle with breast cancer, she passed away. So it was at a very. I mean, I don't think there's any good age, but it was a very distinct age in my life. So as I age, I start to remember my mother as the age that. Cause I'm getting close. So the age to the age that I remember her in is probably around my age now.
Sebastian
Oh, my gosh. Do you feel like writing the book and going through this exercise of sort of imagining? Does it make you feel better? Does it make you feel for. Is it like a bittersweet experience or does it feel soothing?
Hirsa Daily Ward
Well, you know, I think life is bittersweet. And I don't. I never attribute like a single feeling to an experience. You know, there's. I think that in deep grief, we also access levels of deep love that you. You reach sometimes at the other side of these things. So I never. I don't experience that. Even though it's a very, very difficult thing. It's not. It's not. It doesn't lie purely in the negative for me. It's given me pathways into storytelling and nurturing and warmth and being able to hold space and time for other people. So I think, you know, any kind of tragedy or anything that we undergo is kind of like. It kind of increases your capacity in other areas if you're willing to open the door.
Sebastian
Oh, I love that. That's a nice way. The silver lining.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Yes. Yeah, you have to. I think I believe in silver lining and not just as a kind of. As a device, but also re. Patterning in your brain. I think I. That's how I live my life. You know, everything is multiple things. So it does matter how we frame things and also how we talk about things.
Sebastian
Wait, take me back into your life for a minute. So you're in your 20s, your mother passes away. What were you doing in your life then and what's happened since then?
Hirsa Daily Ward
So I had, at the time, I just moved to London, and I remember I moved from up in the northwest of England, Manchester. And I was like, this place is too. I want to go somewhere else. You know, I love Manchester, but I just moved from there. And Manchester isn't where I grew up, by the way. It's where I landed there. But I've always been, like, from the northwest of England, and I wanted to move somewhere. I wanted to be an actor. I wanted to write some more. I was always a writer. It was. It halted my progress in lots of areas, but also allowed me to access things, as I said before, that I don't think everyone has access to. I mean, you can't sometimes before you've experienced the thing.
Sebastian
So then. But how did you become an author?
Hirsa Daily Ward
I've always been that I was lucky enough to have a mother who. She was a Jamaican immigrant. So she came to England in her teens and really when she had me, which was not until. Until her 20s, she. She impressed the need for writing as. Not only as like a communication tool, but also education. You know, you write so that you can move in the world and. And really taught me to read at a very young age. So I had a very advanced Reading age. And I think that with, with some children, if the earlier you introduce them to language, the more facility they may have with it. And because of that, it worked for me. She. She taught me to read. So I was reading it too.
Sebastian
Oh my gosh.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Not only that, but I mean, this is for better or worse, right? She had a collection of books, and I'm talking about all types of books. I had access to whatever I wanted to read. So I read a vastly advanced age. She didn't just give me children's books, I could read anything. So not only that is that I was brought up by my grandparents too, who knew the Bible inside out, and I had to learn that. So there was everything. There was everything there. And because of that, I was able to really understand people and literature and language in a very, very deep way. So because of that, writing was the natural thing that I went to, to. To tell my truth. It's just such a dense and rich place for me of expression. And I love that books and novels showed us like, what people really think and what versus what they say and what people do versus what they want to do. All of that complexity was just very, very seductive to me. And so I've always just. The written word is just such a delight to me, always will be.
Sebastian
I think that's so great because in the book you have an author. Being an author is very different than being somebody who likes to write on their own. But the trappings of being a successful author and the glamorous headshot and the fans and people knowing you work inside and out and the creepiness factor and all of that, you poke fun at that a little bit in the book as well. Tell me a little bit about that.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Well, I think you have to. I think you have to because maybe it's because I'm from the north of England, but we do not take ourselves too seriously. So it can be funny when work is taken in a, in a way. I mean, I do think that literature is a bridge and I do think in some ways it can be life and death, you know, because you, you write to feel not so alone, you read to feel not so alone. But also you, you cannot have an inflated sense of ego. So I have to poke fun at. Fun at it because you get involved in so many situations and when you do anything public facing that you gotta laugh at. So, yeah, it's very easy for me to find that inside of the book.
Sebastian
Okay, what's something that you considered putting in the book? And you're like, no, no, no, I'm just not gonna do that. But that was like super funny or.
Hirsa Daily Ward
You know, oh, no, I put everything in.
Sebastian
You did.
Hirsa Daily Ward
I don't have the sense of going too far. I think that if you can conceive it and if it happens in real life, or you can conceive something parallel to that, why not put it in, you know? The reason why is because I think that writing, where I go for wildness, especially as an introvert, so I'm like, let it all hang out. Say it, say it. Why not? And so that's why as well. It's so kind of addictive for me because I can use all those split selves and cells that are not appropriate or things that you don't say and put it into the work. So I don't have that. That. That self editor that's. That wants to pull back. This is a. An area of my life where I don't pull back. Nice.
Sebastian
I love that you did something structurally, which I found really interesting, because every few pages you have like almost a little quote, and it's indented or it's askew, or there's a line. And then I was wondering, what if I connect all of these things? So I was going through it, I'm like, do they actually make. Is it a puzzle? Like, am I supposed to have a different narrative if you connect all of these lines? But no, I don't think so.
Hirsa Daily Ward
No.
Sebastian
I tried, though.
Hirsa Daily Ward
I love that. You tried. I love that. Yeah, that's a really good idea, by the way. But no, I just, you know, sometime as. As these things are coming through, I'll just throw them in the position that something other than me, I don't know, tells me to do, and I just do it. And I don't. I don't double think it, especially when it comes to structure. It's just something about the breathing or something about the space or even the two lines that I think you want to pay attention to fall into the next part.
Sebastian
Well, it's very cool. Makes you stop. You're always stopping to think, like, what is the reason? And then, like wanting to make an Instagram post of it or something like that. You know, they're like some of these lines, not all of them like, but some of them like. But then things are rarely as we hoped, are they? And then on the next page, but things are rarely as we hoped, are they? But then you do it differently. So it's like a poem, but you are treating the words. I don't know. It's very. It's very interesting. Very cool.
Hirsa Daily Ward
You know, poetry is just such an excellent entry point into. Into like writing a novel, I think, because in poetry we can. There's just more. There seems to be more space to put. If you want to put one word and then break the line, you can. And I do take that into my novel writing, because why not?
Sebastian
Yeah, I love it.
Career Coach
It's time to come clean with yourself. Let's be completely honest. Are you happy with your job? Like, really happy? The unfortunate fact is that a huge number of people can't say yes to that. Far too many of us are stuck in a job we've outgrown or one we never wanted in the first place. But still, we stick it out and we give reasons, like, what if the next move is even worse? I've already put years into this place. I can't afford to take a wrong step. And maybe the most common one. Isn't everyone kind of miserable at work? But there's a difference between reasons for staying and excuses for not leaving. It's time to get unstuck. It's time for Strawberry Me. They match you with a certified career coach who helps you go from where you are to where you actually want to be. Your coach helps you get clear on your goals, create a plan, build your confidence, and keeps you accountable along the way. So don't leave your career to chance. Take action and own your future with a professional coach in your corner. Go to Strawberry Me Career to claim a special offer. That's Strawberry Me Career. I'm gonna put you on, nephew.
Hirsa Daily Ward
All right, unc. Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order, miss?
Career Coach
I've been hitting up McDonald's for years now. It's back. We need snack wrap. What's a snack wrap? It's the return of something great. Snack wrap is back.
Huggies
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Sebastian
So what are all the different things you have? What are all the balls in the air that you have in your life?
Hirsa Daily Ward
Right now, if I were to think about them, I'd probably climb back into bed, you know, the balls in the air, I think, because those are lots of reasons. Number one is I feel like I just have a lot of. I'm in a moment. It's not always currently in a moment where I have a lot of ideas. Burning second is survival. You know, authors need to get paid. So I have a lot of things. You know, I'm a touring poet. You know, I do sometimes I'll do commissions for brands or something if I like them. I have my substack. I do speaking work, you know, do speaking work on lots of different things that mean a lot to me. So there are a lot of different things going on at any one time. And that's just how I know to live as an artist without having like a full time office job or something that I go into. So it's been like that for, for many years. And so I do, I do stay busy, but I mean a lot of that is out of necessity as well.
Sebastian
And how do you do, how do you manage your time and stay organized?
Hirsa Daily Ward
I manage my time. You know, deep solitude is really important to me. And I've noticed, you know, if I've ever, if I've ever had that in question, I just need to be around someone else for a good 48 hours and I'll feel like, oh no, I need my solitude. But yeah, I have to protect my time, especially the morning hours, which is my writing time. I don't write. I write very, from very early in the morning to the afternoon, very early afternoon. And I need that time to just breathe and to hear myself. Otherwise the waves of the day and the responsibilities of being an adult and all the things we have to do get in the way and they start to shrink my focus. Same as Instagram and all of the other social networks. They just do because you're looking at things for like a shorter amount of time so your brain will fragment itself. So I really have to protect my space in the morning. And that is how I do it. And so the day, the hardest thing is usually the first thing in the day. And then, you know, more of the admin related tasks I try to push down because they're easier to do with like less, less focus.
Sebastian
Love it.
Hirsa Daily Ward
It isn't easy, but everyone has their.
Sebastian
Systems and I'm always, always hoping that I'll find a system that's like perfect. Like, oh no, it's, it's so easy to manage life, you know, when you.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Find it Tell me. Because under the weight of it, I'm like, this is a lot.
Sebastian
So on tour already for the book, Tell me what you've been hearing that you're surprised about or reactions to the book. You weren't expecting anything like that?
Hirsa Daily Ward
Well, the interest. So I've got two parts to that question. The interesting part about being on tour is you're on tour before the majority of people have read it.
Sebastian
Yep.
Hirsa Daily Ward
So it's new for me because it's my first fiction novel. So it's new for me to be on a tour for a novel as opposed to be on tour for a poetry. But you know, when you're on tour for a poetry, but you just perform the poems and it's about the poems and with the novel, you're reading an excerpt and talking about these characters that people haven't met yet. So that's different. It's a different gear. And I think. Yeah, I think, I think the other thing is that you've been alone with the work for so long and then all of a sudden it meets the air. And I am excited. I am excited for people to reach them, for the characters to reach people. But in the few people that have read the book, I'm surprised at how deep into it some things that, you know, writing surprises us. So I'm surprised sometimes at the depth of it and what it reveals, the mirrors that. That it reveals about us all and how we cope and how we survive. And sometimes in the writing of something, you don't realize how much, how much of yourself is in there and also how much, how, how much you're working with, how much is in the sort of marrow. And then it meets the air and you're like, wow, I really feel like this about this. So it is, it's shocking. And I'm so grateful that there's somewhere to put it.
Sebastian
I love that. I love it so much. Wait, tell me how you linked up with Glory Ettim. Because first of all, she's amazing. I've had her on the podcast a couple times. And in the back of the book there's a little description of well read Black girl Books. Can I just read it so that people understand what it is? So well read Black Girl Books is a collection of magnetic debut fiction that invites readers to explore powerful narratives rooted in diverse cultural experiences. These stories offer readers an opportunity to step into new worlds and expand their horizons and experience the transformative power of fiction. Just as the well read Black girl community celebrates literature that resonates deeply, these books are Crafted to not only be read, but cherished, shared and revisited for years to come. Characters that stay with you long after the final page. Glory. Adam.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Glory is brilliant. And you know, I've seen Glory on the scene, as it were, for years. For years. I remember meeting her at Sydney Writers Festival some six years ago and, but also being aware of her work in New York when we were both in New York. And so this pairing, you know, things just seem to happen at the right time. This pairing was perfect. And to be like the inaugural novel, like to be, to be the first one she's, she's putting out under this imprint is just, it's just one of those serendipitous things which I think is really fantastic. And I think she's brilliant and she just her, her taste and her as a writer as well.
Sebastian
I agree. I'm a big fan.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Me too.
Sebastian
Okay, any advice for aspiring authors?
Hirsa Daily Ward
Oh my God, I've got so much how to. How to truncate this. I think read everything, not just things you think you are into. So be surprised. Be surprised is something I'll say in your own work, in other people's work, in listening to people that you disagree fundamentally with. See the humanity in people. Don't limit yourself because of culture or the, the overwhelming cultural voice. Listen to yourself. Protect your, your attention and your focus and yeah, and just, just, just your brain. Protect your brain from all of these kind of, you know, notifications and pings and just constant bids for your attention. Really claim that that's what I'll say. I'm trying to be succinct, but protect.
Sebastian
Yourself from the pings. I like that. Yes, it's true. It's so true. Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for this book. It's so fun to read a voice that just literally jumps off the page and is like a. Wow. So congrats.
Hirsa Daily Ward
This was such a pleasure. Zibi, thank you so much for having me.
Zibby Owens
My pleasure was mine.
Sebastian
Okay, take care. Bye.
Hirsa Daily Ward
Take care.
Zibby Owens
Thank you for listening to Totally booked with Zibby formerly Moms don't have time to read books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram ibyowens and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.
Huggies
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Hirsa Daily Ward
Thanks.
Huggies
Come to your boo store and take home iPhone 15 with its amazing camera and all day Battery for only 99.99. Perfect for back to school.
Zibby Owens
Thanks ma.
Huggies
You won't get tired of hearing it, visit your nearest Booth. Store requires ID verification, port in and activation on $60 per month plan and $35 device setup fee. Taxes extra.
Hirsa Daily Ward
The McDonald's Snack Wrap is back.
Career Coach
You brought it back. Ranch Snack Wrap Spicy Snack wrap.
Hirsa Daily Ward
You broke for a snack Snack wrap is back.
Huggies
This episode is brought to you by Huggies Little Movers. It's fun having a baby that loves to move, but it can be challenging to find a diaper that can keep up with them. Huggies Little Movers is designed to move with your baby with either the double grip strips or the new HugFit 360 degree waistband. You can be confident relying on Huggies Little Movers for your active little ones. Huggies Little Movers made with double grip strips or the new HugFit 360 degree waistband so your little double can keep moving like you Huggies. We got you baby.
Episode: Yrsa Daley-Ward, THE CATCH
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Host: Zibby Owens
In this heartfelt episode, Zibby Owens welcomes acclaimed author and poet Yrsa Daley-Ward to discuss her debut fiction novel, THE CATCH. With a rich background in poetry and a profound personal history, Yrsa delves into the inspirations and themes that shaped her latest work.
Notable Quote:
Yrsa Daley-Ward: "Writing was the natural thing that I went to, to tell my truth. It's just such a dense and rich place for me of expression." (10:01)
THE CATCH follows the lives of twin sisters, Clara and Dempsey, whose mother mysteriously disappeared shortly after their birth. Raised separately by different families in South London, the sisters lead estranged lives. On their 30th birthdays, Clara, a successful author, believes she has encountered their long-lost mother, while Dempsey is skeptical, suspecting the woman might be an imposter. The novel explores themes of identity, family, and the search for truth.
Notable Quote:
Yrsa Daley-Ward: "It's all about what happens when this stranger comes hurtling into their lives." (03:17)
Yrsa shares that THE CATCH was deeply influenced by her personal experiences, particularly the loss of her own mother nearly two decades ago. The novel serves as a form of wish fulfillment, allowing her to explore the emotions and "what ifs" surrounding reconnecting with a lost parent.
Notable Quote:
Yrsa Daley-Ward: "Books can be wish fulfillment. They can be a great way to delve into something, like a fantasy or something you wish was true." (04:59)
Yrsa discusses her distinctive writing style, which often blurs the lines between poetry and prose. She incorporates poetic elements into her novel, such as indented quotes and line breaks, to create pauses and emphasize certain themes. This approach adds a lyrical quality to her storytelling, encouraging readers to engage deeply with the narrative.
Notable Quote:
Yrsa Daley-Ward: "Poetry is just such an excellent entry point into writing a novel because in poetry we can put one word and then break the line." (15:16)
Transitioning from poetry to fiction, Yrsa reflects on the challenges and surprises of touring for a novel. She expresses excitement about connecting with readers and hearing their interpretations, noting that fiction allows her to present characters and stories in new ways that differ from her poetic performances.
Notable Quote:
Yrsa Daley-Ward: "It's new for me to be on a tour for a novel as opposed to being on tour for poetry, but it's a different gear." (20:18)
Yrsa highlights her collaboration with Glory Ettim and the Well Read Black Girl Books imprint. She praises Glory's impeccable taste and the serendipitous nature of their partnership, which led to the perfect pairing for her debut novel under the imprint.
Notable Quote:
Yrsa Daley-Ward: "This pairing was perfect. Glory is brilliant, and her taste as a writer is just fantastic." (22:39)
Yrsa offers valuable advice for emerging writers, emphasizing the importance of diverse reading, embracing surprise in one's work, and protecting one's mental space from constant distractions. She encourages authors to listen to their inner voices and maintain focus amidst the overwhelming cultural noise.
Notable Quotes:
Yrsa Daley-Ward:
As the conversation wraps up, Yrsa expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share her work and connects her personal journey with her creative endeavors. She emphasizes the transformative power of storytelling and its ability to bridge gaps between individuals' diverse experiences.
Notable Quote:
Yrsa Daley-Ward: "Writing increases your capacity in other areas if you're willing to open the door." (07:54)
Personal Loss as Creative Fuel: Yrsa channels her grief and longing into her writing, creating deeply emotional and relatable narratives.
Blending Genres: Her ability to intertwine poetry with fiction offers a unique reading experience that captivates and engages.
Importance of Collaboration: Partnerships, like the one with Glory Ettim, play a crucial role in bringing literary works to fruition.
Advice for Writers: Embrace diverse influences, protect your creative space, and stay true to your unique voice.
For more insights and interviews, follow Zibby Owens on Instagram @zibbyowens and visit zibbymedia.com.