Why do some idiots still call Liane Moriarty a 'housewife author'?

If you haven’t read one of Liane Moriarty’s books, what’s wrong with you?

I discovered her – like so many people – a few years ago when her breakout book, The Husband’s Secret became a breakout success internationally. And how great is it when you discover a new author you adore and then you find out she’s not new at all and she’s been doing this for years and there are four other books you can download and read immediately.

Mia interviewed Liane for her No Filter podcast, and here’s her response to being referred to as being a ‘housewife who writes for a hobby’:

That’s how i spent my summer in 2012 and it was one of the most glorious reading experiences of my life.

Liane is just my perfect author. She’s funny, smart, has incredibly well-structured and fast-moving plots, she weaves voices and stories from different characters seamlessly together in that way where time just passes and you just want to lock yourself in the bathroom where nobody can find or disturb you and just read and read and read and read and read.

Liane writes about the stuff of women’s lives. Infertility and friendship and sisterhood and love and motherhood and betrayal and guilt and heartbreak and grief and jealousy and envy and all the complexity of female relationships. In her last three books, The Husband's Secret, Big Little Lies and now her new book Truly Madly Guilty - she also explores some darker themes like hoarding, domestic violence and even murder.

I can’t even properly explain to you how famous she is overseas. She’s like the Obama of popular fiction.

Okay - these numbers are going to blow your mind. First of al,  you need to understand that the average book published in Australia sells maybe a couple of thousand copies. More than 5-10 thousand and it’s pretty much classified as a bestseller.

In August 2013 her fifth novel The Husband’s Secret was released in the US and within two weeks had climbed the charts to become a #1 New York Times Bestseller. It went on to sell over 3 million copies worldwide. CBS Films has optioned the film rights.

Her next novel, Big Little Lies was published in July 2014 and debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, making her the first Australian author to have a novel debut in the top spot in the US.

She is one of the few authors in the world to ever have three books on the New York Times bestseller lists at the same time. Her books have been translated into thirty-nine languages.

So, Liane Moriarty is seriously big-time. But she’s also a mother of two kids who lives a relatively normal life albeit in a kick-arse new house with a husband who is a stay at home dad because she’s the bread winner - and she’s winning sooooooo much bread.

How does your life change with that much success? Is there pressure to keep delivering? Why do some dick sticks insist on calling her a “housewife author”? And why was Nicole Kidman so nervous when they met for the first time to have coffee?

Enjoy this unfiltered conversation with Liane Moriarty:

How many Leanne Moriarty books have you read?