Voracious Reader, Budding Yogi, and Organisational Guru. Kiya Evans talks about how she came to be the assistant at Mushens Entertainment, what she loves to read, and what she is looking forward to at her new job.

What grabbed your interest about working in publishing?

I’ve always been a voracious reader - much like everyone else in publishing. At university, I produced plays because I didn’t want to be in the spotlight - but I eventually realised how much I enjoyed overseeing a whole process from start to finish and supporting the cast and crew. After hearing about Juliet and what she does through social media, I realised that working in the agency side of things would let me combine my love for reading and working with people one-on-one, as well as my insatiable need to organise.

What are you most looking forward to about the job?

Definitely interacting with all of the amazing ME authors and learning from Team Mushens. During my previous internship, I enjoyed and reading through manuscripts, and I’m excited to see the whole process from manuscript or idea to submission and publication. I also can’t wait finally to meet the team in person once lockdown is over! 

What’s one book you could read over and over, one you have recently enjoyed, and one you are looking forward to?

I think I could read We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson for the rest of time! I recently devoured Education by Tara Westbrook and couldn’t believe it took me so long to get round to reading it, and have been thinking about it ever since. I’m really looking forward to reading Girlhood by Melissa Febos when it comes out in March.

Apart from reading, what do you do in your spare time?

I’m an elderly woman at heart - I love knitting, baking, and walks with my dog! I’ve recently been trying to get back into yoga, even if sometimes all I can do is a child’s pose on my floor. Other than that, lockdown has me reverting to childhood, so I’ve been playing lots of Animal Crossing but have yet resisted downloading The Sims (there’s still time!).