Pip Finkenmeyer pays homage to the ‘sad girl’ genre in her subversive debut Sad Girl Novel

A young woman tries to figure out if she’s the best (a creative genius) or if she’s maybe just the worst (completely delusional).

That’s the premise of Sad Girl Novel, the debut by Melbourne based writer Pip Finkenmeyer which satirises the sad girl novel aesthetic, a style of writing popularised in recent years by authors including Sally Rooney, Meg Mason and Ottessa Moshfegh.

Over the course of a year in Berlin, an aspiring novelist, Kim, and her historian best friend, Bel, confront their twin acts of creation – pursuing a career in writing and raising a baby.

RTRFMs Danielle Raffaele spoke with Pip about the genre, why it’s resonating with contemporary audiences and the making of her first release published by Ultimo Press.

sad girl novel