Ela Lee

Last updated
Ela Lee
Born1995 [1]
Alma mater
Years active2022–present
Website www.elalee.co.uk

Ela Lee (born 1995) is a British author and former litigation lawyer. She is known for her debut novel Jaded (2024). In 2025, Lee was named a Forbes 30 Under 30. [2]

Contents

Early life

Lee was born to a Turkish father and a Korean mother who had moved to England in their 20s and 30s respectively [3] [4] and grew up in South London. At age nine, she became a British citizen. [5] [6] She graduated from the University of Oxford. [7]

Career

Before becoming a writer, Lee began her career working as a litigator. [8]

In 2022, Lee secured a two-book deal with Harvill Secker. [9] Her debut novel Jaded was published in 2024 to a positive critical reception. [10] [11] Written during the COVID-19 lockdowns, [12] the novel is loosely based on her own experiences, with the lead character Jade (Ceyda) Kaya (Kayaoğlu) being a City lawyer of Korean and Turkish descent, as well as the experiences of her friends and colleagues in the workplace. [13] [14] Jaded was shortlisted for Amazon Books UK's Fiction Book of the Year. [15]

In 2024, Lee was working on her second novel, set after the 2008 financial crisis. [16] Lee reunited with Harvill Secker for her second novel Minbak. [17]

Personal life

Lee has a husband. [18]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Hardaker, Alice (18 June 2024). "Ela Lee". Primadonna Festival. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Ela Lee". Forbes. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  3. ↑ Andrews, Crystal (8 February 2024). "Author Ela Lee on Why We Can't Ignore Race & Class When We Talk About Assault". Z Feed. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Silvers, Isabella (1 July 2024). "Ela Lee: "Being mixed-race is the beating heart of my identity"". Mixed Messages. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  5. ↑ Lee, Ela. "Writing the Books I Needed When I Was Little". The Halfie Project. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Lee, Ela (20 March 2024). "Colorism, Code-Switching, and Shapeshifting: Readings on Biracial Identity". Literary Hub. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Debut Authors Panel: Ela Lee & Hanako Footman in conversation with Ella King". Waterstones. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  8. ↑ DeMarco-Barrett, Barbara; Stone, Marrie (6 May 2024). "Ela Lee, author of "Jaded"". Writers on Writing. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  9. ↑ Brown, Lauren (9 March 2022). "Harvill Secker pre-empts 'powerful' Lee debut in six-figure deal". The Bookseller. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  10. ↑ Goodman, Allegra (16 March 2024). "Book Review: 'Jaded,' by Ela Lee". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  11. ↑ Jha, Ilina (23 February 2024). "Book Review: Jaded by Ela Lee". Redbrick. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Stiff, Ellie (11 March 2024). "London Feminist Book Club X Jaded by Ela Lee". Strand Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "An interview with Ela Lee about her debut novel, Jaded". Penguin Books. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  14. ↑ Ketcher, Eliza (22 March 2024). "Author Ela Lee: 'We need to take blackout sex more seriously'". The Independent. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  15. ↑ "Amazon Books announces You Are Here as the 2024 'Best Book of the Year'". About Amazon. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  16. ↑ Adam (29 May 2024). "Author Ela Lee Delves into Identity, Power, and Consent in Debut Novel Jaded". Debutiful. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  17. ↑ Bailey, Cassidy (6 October 2024). "Harvill sweeps up Ela Lee's 'heartbreaking' cross-generational novel Minbak". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  18. ↑ Nichols, Claire (4 February 2024). "Program: Hisham Matar and Ela Lee on the friendships that save you". ABC Listen. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
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