Lauren Oliver’s super popular book Delirium is a young adult novel about a young girl, Lena Haloway, who falls in love in a society where love is thought of as a disease. Delirium was originally slated to become a feature film, but the story will now come to life on the television screen! Emma Roberts is set to play the lead role of Lena, and Gregg Sulkin will play her love interest, Julian. Lauren’s extraordinary epic finale to the Delirium Trilogy Requiem will be published THIS MONTH! Check out our exclusive Q&A with Delirium author Lauren Oliver to learn more about Lauren and her writing!
BOP&TB: Which YA books have most inspired you as a writer?
Lauren Oliver: It’s funny—when I was growing up there weren’t that many YA books! Now there are literally hundreds of amazing YA books published every year. It would take me too long to list all my favorites!
BOP&TB: What made you decide to become a writer?
Lauren Oliver: My love of writing was inspired by my great love of reading! When I was a kid I started writing sequels to and short stories based off of the books I loved. I just never stopped.
BOP&TB: What’s the biggest change to Delirium that occurred during the editing process?
Lauren Oliver: It got a lot better—and also shorter. I have a tendency to be really long-winded. My editor always helps me get to the good stuff (like the kissing) faster.
BOP&TB: If you could pick your dream cast for the Delirium TV series, who would play the main roles and why?
Lauren Oliver: I’m soooo excited about the casting—honestly, Emma Roberts is my ideal Lena! And I already have such a crush on Gregg Sulkin, who’s playing Julian. He’s so sweet—he actually contacted me on Twitter to tell me how excited he was to play the role! I can’t wait to see who gets cast as Alex. I’m sure Fox will find someone amazing.
BOP&TB: What advice do you have for girls who want to become writers when they grow up?
Lauren Oliver: The great news about wanting to be a writer is it doesn’t require special schooling or a fancy degree. You have to read a lot, and you have to write a lot. Practice is key, just like it is for any skill.
