Viola van de Sandt

Viola van de Sandt has degrees in journalism, comparative literature and English literature from King's College, London. She lives in the Netherlands. 

Her debut novel, THE DINNER PARTY, published by Tinder Press (UK) and Little Brown (US) in Autumn 2025 and was one of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025.

Praise for THE DINNER PARTY:

"[A] powerful story of a woman’s suppressed rage that manifests over the course of one disastrous evening. . . raw emotion and legitimate anger at the core of “The Dinner Party.” Van de Sandt’s exploration of the countless ways women diminish themselves so that the men in the room can take up space remains urgent, and Franca’s story, terrifyingly real" - New York Times Book Review

"A blistering debut" - Marie Claire (UK)

"The combination is sometimes jarring, like two different recipes spliced together, but this formidable debut offers plenty to savour" - The Guardian

"Raw, compassionate, and compelling—what a beautiful world we live in where a book can be messy and tender all at once" - LitHub

"a diabolical twist is delivered on a silver platter. In conversation with Ottessa Moshfegh, Mona Awad, and Han Kang, Viola Van de Sandt's The Dinner Party is an interrogation of class, consent, and gender roles that’ll have you asking for seconds” - Marie Claire (US)

"A profoundly confronting novel which consumed me whole... tender, astonishing and unflinching" - Lucy Rose, author of the Sunday Times bestseller The Lamb

“Mesmerizing . . . A visceral, powerful novel about grief and trauma and identity; it will make you cringe and flinch, laugh and cry" - Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings 

“An intimate, provocative, and irresistible debut. I was mesmerized" - Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins

"A can’t-put-down tale of female rage and body autonomy" - Town & Country

"an intoxicating tale. . .Viola van de Sandt’s debut novel is a powerful, provocative […] study of female rage unleashed" - The Scotsman & The Herald

"It examines themes of love and autonomy, grief and female rage. . . an unflinching read" - The Mirror and The Express (Best November Reads)