"I spent months working at PC World in Old Kent Road - the worst job of my life - and rushing home to write."
Goldsmiths graduate Evie Wyld is in a different position now than a few years ago when she was juggling jobs with her writing.
Her second novel, All The Birds, Singing, set the literary landscape alight when it was published in 2013.
The Peckham-born writer won the European Book Award, amongst various other prizes, and her achievement is being celebrated by Dulwich Books later this month, also featuring Crystal Palace writer Laura Barnett.
Evie is currently juggling writing with looking after her new baby but took some time out to speak to Vibe about her love for New Cross.
She said: "I was always interested in writing as a kid but I never expected to be published and I didn’t think being an author was a career for normal people
"I ended up working as a librarian for a stroke charity and it just wasn’t for me. I was worried I’d end up doing it for the rest of my life so I decided to go to Goldsmiths in 2005.
"From my perspective, I found the creative writing MA a really good way of devoting myself to writing for a year and as well as getting me out of a job I didn’t enjoy.
"Some people talk negatively about these courses but there's no one saying 'this is the way to write' - it's just a useful way to put yourself first for the year."
Evie still feels a strong personal attachment to Goldsmiths and New Cross.
She said: "I loved it at Goldsmiths. I even met my husband there and we drank a lot in New Cross pubs, especially the Marquis of Granby.
"My cousin, a spoken word poet is doing the same MA now and is loving it.
"I spent a lot of my early years in New Cross when it was a bit rougher - it was all a bit punky and gritty."
Evie started working on her first novel, After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, after attracting attention with her short stories.
She said: "During the MA I has an agent who approached me, after reading some of my short stories and she asked me to write a novel.
"Afterwards I worked in different jobs including PC World on the Old Kent Road. I spent months working there - the worst job of my life - and rushing home to write."
"I'd make myself write a thousand words and not worry too much about the direction or how good it was.
"Once I had enough words a story seemed to come out of it.
"It took me a year and a half to write the novel before showing it to my agent."
Evie, who was named one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists in 2013, has no plans to move north of the river.
She said: "I've lived in south London most my life and I love it, I still live there now.
"I was born in Peckham and worked for a bookshop there Review where I'm still a partner there."
"It was great working in the bookshop but it didn't necessarily affect my writing - it's not like there's an osmosis from being surrounded by them."
Instead she recommends aspiring authors take time to hone their writing.
She said: "Don't rush it - make it as good as it can be.
"Don't show it to too many people and don't show it to your best friend or your mum first of all as they can't give you an objective opinion."
The European Book Award evening will take place on March 18 from 7pm at Dulwich Books in Croxted Road.
Tickets are free.
Visit dulwichbooks.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here