Divergent author Veronica Roth returns with new novel Carve the Mark

Veronica Roth was just 21 years old when she penned her first Divergent novel. Since then, her popular series has been transformed into a number of films and is a massive hit for young adult fiction. 

Now, she's back with book one of a new duology called Carve the Mark, and it is being tipped for even greater success and more attention. That's a bit of a double-edged sword for Roth though because she also struggles from strong social anxiety. 

Roth credits her management of stress and anxiety to therapy and "medication, if it helps you," with the occasional ignoring of social media. She also spent some of her time recently connecting with young people at a juvenile detention centre, which Roth says has been instrumental to her.

"Talking to young people and helping them foster a love of reading, that helps make for more empathetic people," she says. "It feels like investing in our future." 

— Produced by Ben Edwards