Transforming the essay with a second novel: “I was terrified by the release”

Each literary season brings its share of star writers, the surprise of first novels and… second novels that we sometimes wait impatiently for. Because, very often, if the latter arrive in bookstores, it is because the first ones by the same authors have been noticed. In a somewhat turbulent market with falling sales, publishing houses are taking fewer and fewer risks. The tension that accompanies writing and launching a number 2 is strong for those who are definitely no longer first-time novelists.