Emma Forrest was born in London in 1977, but presently lives and works in New York. As a child she was a hyperactive girl constantly testing her parents’ patience. In her teens she suffered from an eating disorder, she was depressed and started cutting herself. In “Namedropper”, the narrator, 16-year old Viva Cohen, carries a striking resemblance to the author. Emma Forrest dropped out of school before her GCSE, and at 16, while her peers were conscienciously listening to their teachers, she kick-started her career as a journalist in the Evening Standard and the Sunday Times.

Five years later she created her heroine Viva Cohen in her first novel, “Namedropper”. Viva attends a private school, but the school uniform is just a disguise, underneath she hides her vintage stockings and knickers. Her no. 1 preoccupation is her icons, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. In real life she has just a handful of friends. One of them is the stunningly beautiful Treena. This is how Viva depicts her friend in the introductory chapter of the novel.

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