Elissa Soave won the inaugural Primadonna Prize in 2019. She was also a Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect finalist 2019 and has had work published in various journals and anthologies, including New Writing Scotland, Gutter, and the Glasgow Review of Books. Her first novel, Ginger and Me, was published by HQ, HarperCollins in July 2022, and was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Scottish First Book Award 2023. Her second novel, Graffiti Girls, will be published by HQ in November 2024. Elissa was a judge on the Primadonna Prize 2022 and the Curae Prize 2023. She currently lives in South Lanarkshire.
'A delicious tale of female rebellion and a glorious tribute to female friendship. Warm, funny, and uplifting with genuine insight into women's lives. I adored every page' Caron McKinlay, author of The Storytellers 'A rebellious and uplifting tale of punkish, middle-aged, feminist defiance, told with wit, warmth and energy. I was rooting for Soave’s tenderly drawn characters on every page' Lucy Ribchester, author of Murder Ballad 'Graffiti Girls is a sharply observed and thought-provoking cri de coeur about everyday sexism. It is the uplifting story of a group of women re-setting their lives and re-discovering their purpose during mid-life crises extraordinaire – a tale told with passion and verve' Catherine Simpson, author of One Body 'A fiery, funny and fierce feminist read that packs an emotional punch, Graffiti Girls explores big themes with empathy, insight and grace. I miss spending time with these characters' Emma Styles, author of No Country for Girls 'Stingingly observed, expertly executed, Graffiti Girls is a laugh-out-loud, relatably painful, feminist rage-induced tour de force' Claire Wilson, author of Five by Five 'Graffiti Girls drips with feminine rage, a story for any woman of a certain age who’s ever felt invisible.' My Weekly, Books to Read in 2025 Praise for Ginger and Me: ‘Vivid, funny, sad, thought-provoking, acutely observed and full of compassion’ Helen Sedgwick ‘A debut novel to treasure, by turns funny, dark and heartbreaking and I didn’t want it to end!’ Louise Mumford ‘A fascinating and poignant take on friendship and obsession’ Caron McKinlay ‘Startling, sly and full of suspense. Not your ordinary coming of age novel’ Catherine Mayer ‘Full of charm, insight and wit – with the power to break your heart’ C. E. Riley 'A fiery, funny and fierce feminist read that packs an emotional punch, Graffiti Girls explores big themes with empathy, insight and grace. I miss spending time with these characters.' Emma Styles