Alison Espach

Discipline: Fiction

Based In: Providence, RI

Year at Millay: 2024

Website: https://www.alisonespach.com/

Alison graduated from Providence College with her English degree and Washington University in St. Louis with her master’s degree in creative writing. She published her first novel, The Adults, with Scribner in 2011. The Adults went on to be named a New York Times Editor’s Choice, a Barnes and Noble Discover Pick, a Wall Street Journal Top Ten Novel of 2011. Espach began teaching creative writing at Providence College and is now an Associate Professor of English. From 2015-2020 she attended various residencies at Ucross, San Miguel Writing Residency, and Wassaic Artists Residency. There she wrote her second novel, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, published by Henry Holt in 2022. Notes was a Barnes and Noble Monthly Fiction Pick of May 2023, Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year 2022, NPR Best Book of 2022, People Magazine “Best New Book,” Yale Review’s “Favorite Cultural Artifacts of 2022,” USA Today “Must Read,” Indie Next Pick 2022 and received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist. From 2021-2022, Espach published three short stories as part of longer series called, In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People as Audible Originals based on her employment experiences transcribing market research interviews. In 2022, she became very engaged in the arts community, starting a local monthly series in her city that features Providence writers and artists, and co-hosted the Cuttyhunk Island Residency, planning the week’s events and hosting readings for the writers each night of the stay. Her third novel, The Wedding People, is forthcoming from Henry Holt in August 2024. She is Executive Producer of film adaptation of The Wedding People and is currently at work on her fourth novel, Research Grove.