Writing dystopian fiction: Matt Greene on The Definitions

Writing dystopian fiction: Matt Greene on The Definitions

From The Writing Life by National Centre for Writing

February 9, 2026 · 53 min · Episode 362

About this episode

Matt Greene discusses his novel 'The Definitions' and the themes of language and memory in dystopian fiction.

In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, novelist and essayist Matt Greene shares the process of writing his latest novel, The Definitions – a work of dystopian fiction which interrogates and plays with the relationship between language, memory and the self. Matt is a novelist and essayist. His first novel, Ostrich, published in 2013, won a Betty Trask Award and was a Daily Telegraph book of the year. His memoir, Jew(ish) was published in 2020. His latest novel, The Definitions, was published in October 2025. He lives in London with his partner and two sons. The Definitions is an elegant and haunting dystopian novel about a group of individuals gathered to relearn how to navigate the world after a mysterious illness strips them of their memories. He sat down with NCW’s Steph McKenna to discuss the genesis of the novel, which began as a philosophical experiment, and how working within the dystopian genre allowed him to explore how language shapes identity. They also touch on his approach to writing characters who lack memory or a sense of self, and how their gradual understanding of the world was conveyed through a playful, vivid use of simile and metaphor.

People in this episode

Host: Steph McKenna

Guest: Matt Greene

Topics covered

  • dystopian fiction
  • language
  • memory
  • identity
  • character development

Keywords

  • dystopian
  • novel
  • language
  • memory
  • identity
  • character development
  • Matt Greene

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Definitions, Ostrich, Jew(ish), Daily Telegraph

Places: London

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