AN INTRODUCTION FROM BELLA ELLWOOD-CLAYTON

Briefly introduce yourself.

I’m Canadian-Australian and live in Melbourne, although most of my novels are set in the US. I’ve been married for nearly 20 years and have two teens. I’ve been obsessed with writing for as long as I can remember. I started writing poems at 12 and always had a creative streak, though my career initially took a more academic path. Eventually, storytelling took over. I became a columnist (think Carrie Bradshaw) before fully immersing myself in novel writing.

My debut novel Weekend Friends was described as “unputdownable” by Nicola Moriarty, which was an incredible moment for me. After that, I signed a two-book deal with Joffe Books. The Swimming Group came out last year, and now The Tradwife’s Lie is being released.

If you could describe The Tradwife’s Lie in 3 words, what would they be?

Twisty, culty, whodunnit.

Was there anything you had to research during the writing process?

The “tradwife” phenomenon was a major area of research. A friend of mine was taking a university sociology course and writing an essay on the topic just as I was developing the idea for the book, and she generously shared her research with me. We had many conversations about it.

What fascinated me most was the complexity behind why some women are drawn to traditional gender roles today. In some cases, it can be linked to a desire for safety or stability in a post-#MeToo world. There’s also a strong element of nostalgia, particularly for an idealised version of 1950s America, which plays into the aesthetic and values associated with the movement. Exploring these motivations helped shape the psychological depth of the story.

Which character did you enjoy writing the most?

Elke. She’s an absolute queen bee. Ruthless, arrogant, completely self-assured. The kind of character readers will love to hate. But what I enjoyed most was peeling back her layers as the story unfolds and revealing the reasons behind who she is.

How are you planning to celebrate publication day?

I definitely need a proper plan. Most likely, I’ll go out for dinner with my family — dumplings are high on the list.

Behind-the-scenes insight

This book really grew out of curiosity. I’m always drawn to subcultures and the tensions beneath seemingly “perfect” lifestyles. From there, it’s about building dynamic characters and delivering those “did-that-just-happen?” twists that keep readers turning the pages.