British author Samantha Shannon speaks to Smitha Verma about her new book, A Day of the Fallen Night, the challenges of creating a fantastical world, and addressing themes of identity and power through her women
Your latest novel is an intricately woven tome. How are you able to bring such detailed narrative into your work?
For me, writing a fantasy novel is similar to weaving a tapestry––each character and detail is a new thread, and they all come together to form a big picture. I create these details by asking myself questions about the world, though sometimes I might find an interesting historical titbit I can work into the narrative. For example, in this book, I introduce a version of the glass delusion, which appears to have primarily affected European nobles in the Middle Ages, causing them to believe that they were made of glass. It only amounts to a sentence in the book––a character is mentioned as being tormented by a belief that she’s made of ice––but I appreciate those sorts of fine specifics, both as a reader and a writer.
The women in the novel are driven by their hard-wired choices.
What did it take to create such characters?
I try to give due consideration to how societies and circumstances would have shaped the personalities of my female characters. My intention is to celebrate women in all our diversity and individuality, as well as the shared experiences that bind us together. Some of my female characters are great warriors, physically strong, while others excel in public speaking, politics, healing, art or other skills. I think it’s important to note that strength doesn’t always have to translate to brawn. I want them to read as well-rounded human beings.
What kind of research went into the book?
The story draws broadly on the medieval period, pulling from historical events and situations, including the Black Death and the White Ship disaster of 1120. I needed to research these in order to judge how best to integrate them into the fantastical world of the book. Unfortunately, the pandemic stopped me from doing some of the physical research––I would have loved to visit Iceland and South Korea–– but I could make do with books and academic essays.
You specialised in Emily Dickinson while at university. How much of what you studied influences your writing?
My degree was in English Language and Literature. My study of Old and Middle English was the main inspiration for me to use dead languages, or archaic forms of existing ones, in the character and place names. It’s the most fiddly and time-consuming element of the world-building process, but I enjoy the challenge. My time at Oxford also had a big impact on my debut, The Bone Season, which is set there, and its first sequel, The Mime Order, which was partly influenced by lectures I’d attended about pamphlet wars and the Grub Street publishing scene in London.
Tell us about the challenges you face while writing fantasy novels?
One of the reasons I love the fantasy genre is because it can be used to effectively mirror and explore real issues, but it’s also the genre of possibility, where anything can happen. You’re not bound by the rules of the real world, so your imagination is the limit. It is flexible enough for that interweaving of reality and creative invention. It allows me to engage with history without being restricted by it.
What are you writing next?
I am working on a novel inspired by the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris.