For those still reeling over Drogon’s epic annihilation of the Iron throne in the Game of Thrones finale, London-based author Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree will perhaps prove to be the perfect weekend read.
“I’ve wanted to write a book about dragons since I was little, and a few years ago I decided to do that by re-imagining the legend of Saint George and the Dragon from a modern, feminist perspective,” the author of The Bone Season series says while talking about the conception of her new novel set in a world on the brink of war with dragons.
In an email interview, Shannon talks about using the fantasy genre for a feminist tale, the need for more marginal voices in literature and her love for the Young Adult (YA) genre of fiction.
You made use of the fantasy genre, something that has been predominantly male-dominated, to write a thoroughly feminist narrative. Was that something that happened organically or was it a very consciously made decision?
A bit of both. As a woman myself, it’s easy for me to imagine the major players in any given narrative as female. That’s something I do naturally. My Bone Season series features women in positions of power on both sides of the conflict.
With The Priory of the Orange Tree, however, I made a conscious decision to have women driving the action. I was setting out specifically to retell the legend of George and the Dragon by giving agency to the traditionally passive figure of the damsel in distress.
I also wanted the story to take place in a world where gender equality was normal. Epic fantasies often takes place in highly misogynistic settings, where female characters are abused, sidelined and belittled as a matter of course. While authors can use these settings to demonstrate real-life truths, it can be exhausting to read about them over and over again.
I like being able to root for female characters who rise above sexism, but I also want to see female characters who never have to deal with sexism at all. I want to see and build worlds where that’s possible. The Priory of the Orange Tree is my attempt to do that.
You mention in the book that your narrative is inspired by real-world events though it doesn’t represent them. What are some of the real-life happenings that inspired your book?
The Spanish Armada, the reign of Elizabeth I, and the Edo period of Japan all influenced the story.
In the time of campaigns like #Timesup and #MeToo, how important do you feel it is to create a space for female and marginal voices inliterature?
More important than ever. Not only do we need to create that space, but we need to help female and marginalised writers feel confident claiming that space and telling their stories. In this day and age, no one should feel they have to use a pseudonym to hide who they really are.
There remains a great deal of work to be done. For example, there’s still a category for ‘women’s fiction’ — as if female-authored stories are somehow niche, while the male experience is universal. But things are changing. More space is appearing. More doors are opening. I have hope.
At 800 pages, it is a long read, but full of rich interesting characters that keep you hooked. But do you feel that in today’s binge generation, the length could be a negative in terms of garnering readership?
On the contrary, I think big standalones can be great for readers who like to binge, since there’s no need to wait for the next instalment. The Priory of the Orange Tree is self-contained and resolves in what I hope is a satisfying way. To help break down its bulk, I divided it into six sections, which you could consider ‘episodes’ of the tale.
In any case, fantasy readers never had a reputation for shying away from chunky books! The Game of Thrones and Throne of Glass series both have many readers, and they comprise thousands of pages.
YA as a genre has seen a lot of experimentation in recent times. What’s your take on this burgeoning genre and who are some of your favourite authors?
I love YA. Some of the most interesting, necessary and thought-provoking fiction can be found in the that category.
There are many YA authors whose work I love, including Dhonielle Clayton, Laini Taylor, Lauren DeStefano, Melinda Salisbury, Roshani Chokshi and Sabaa Tahir.