Ela Lee (born 1995) is a British author and former litigation lawyer. She is known for her debut novel Jaded (2024).

Ela Lee
Born1995[1]
Alma mater
Years active2022–present
Websitewww.elalee.co.uk

Early life

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Lee was born to a Turkish father and a Korean mother who had moved to England in their 20s and 30s respectively[2][3] and grew up in South London. At age nine, she became a British citizen.[4][5] She graduated from the University of Oxford.[6]

Career

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Before becoming a writer, Lee began her career working as a litigator.[7]

In 2022, Lee secured a two-book deal with Harvill Secker.[8] Her debut novel Jaded was published in 2024 to a positive critical reception.[9][10] Written in lockdown,[11] the novel is loosely based on her own experiences, with the lead character Jade (Ceyda) Kaya being a City lawyer of Korean and Turkish descent, as well as the experiences of her friends and colleagues in the workplace.[12][13]

Lee is working on her second novel, set in the aftermath of 2008 financial crash.[14]

Personal life

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Lee has a husband.[15]

Bibliography

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  • Jaded. New York: Simon and Schuster. 2024-03-19. ISBN 978-1-6680-1101-0. OCLC 1425313992.
  • Untitled second novel (TBA)

References

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  1. ^ Hardaker, Alice (18 June 2024). "Ela Lee". Primadonna Festival. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  2. ^ Andrews, Crystal (8 February 2024). "Author Ela Lee on Why We Can't Ignore Race & Class When We Talk About Assault". Z Feed. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  3. ^ Silvers, Isabella (1 July 2024). "Ela Lee: "Being mixed-race is the beating heart of my identity"". Mixed Messages. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  4. ^ Lee, Ela. "Writing the Books I Needed When I Was Little". The Halfie Project. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  5. ^ Lee, Ela (20 March 2024). "Colorism, Code-Switching, and Shapeshifting: Readings on Biracial Identity". Literary Hub. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Debut Authors Panel: Ela Lee & Hanako Footman in conversation with Ella King". Waterstones. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  7. ^ DeMarco-Barrett, Barbara; Stone, Marrie (6 May 2024). "Ela Lee, author of "Jaded"". Writers on Writing. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  8. ^ Brown, Lauren (9 March 2022). "Harvill Secker pre-empts 'powerful' Lee debut in six-figure deal". The Bookseller. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  9. ^ Goodman, Allegra (16 March 2024). "Book Review: 'Jaded,' by Ela Lee". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  10. ^ Jha, Ilina (23 February 2024). "Book Review: Jaded by Ela Lee". Redbrick. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  11. ^ Stiff, Ellie (11 March 2024). "London Feminist Book Club X Jaded by Ela Lee". Strand Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  12. ^ "An interview with Ela Lee about her debut novel, Jaded". Penguin Books. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  13. ^ Ketcher, Eliza (22 March 2024). "Author Ela Lee: 'We need to take blackout sex more seriously'". The Independent. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  14. ^ Adam (29 May 2024). "Author Ela Lee Delves into Identity, Power, and Consent in Debut Novel Jaded". Debutiful. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  15. ^ Nichols, Claire (4 February 2024). "Program: Hisham Matar and Ela Lee on the friendships that save you". ABC Listen. Retrieved 12 August 2024.