How Madeleine Thien Organizes Her Bookshelves, Among Other Things

Madeleine Thien, a Canadian author born in 1974, has been writing most of her works by hand since turning fifty.

This change was initially due to a medical condition causing severe pain when typing, which made it difficult to use her left hand.

Despite fears of losing her ability to write, she discovered that handwriting was pain-free.

Over the past few years, she has written every short story, essay, and her most recent novel entirely by hand.

While she is learning to manage the pain to occasionally use a keyboard, handwriting has become a therapeutic and creative choice.

It allows her to step away from screens, feel more connected to the physical act of writing, and create more breathing space for the characters in her novels.

This shift has also influenced her writing style, making it feel more deliberate and immersive.