We chat with author Malayna Evans about Neferura, which follows the forgotten daughter of a legendary Egyptian pharaoh and the path she must take to escape her own dangerous fate.
Hi, Malayna! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a storyteller, Egyptologist, single mom, coffee fanatic, reader, and dog person. I was raised in the mountains of Utah, but moved to Chicago in my twenties and never left. I love the buzz of the city. It’s been a great place to learn, work, parent, and write. I earned my Ph.D. in Egyptology from University of Chicago, and raised two amazing kids in the city and Oak Park, where I still live with two naughty Frenchies. They keep me company as I write.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I began to understand the power of stories in seventh grade. I was on the outs with friends for most of that school year so fantasy books filled the lonely hours. The universe of people and places books took me to that year was both comforting and eye opening. Decades later, I discovered my love for writing during another topsy-turvy year when I turned to telling my own stories as a coping mechanism. Turns out, worrying about your protagonist’s challenges is less stressful than worrying about your own. Once I figured out telling stories was every bit as fascinating as reading them, I was hooked.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: A Spell for Chameleon from Piers Anthony’s Xanth series
- The one that made you want to become an author: Margaret George’s The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Oh, this one is tricky. Most recently, Terah Shelton Harris’s One Summer in Savannah. The theme of forgiveness has stuck with me.
Your latest novel, Neferura, is out February 13th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Women united can grow power.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to be transported 3,500 years back in time to the court of one of ancient Egypt’s most fascinating women, the pharaoh Hatchepsut. They’ll follow her only child, the princess Neferura, as she grapples with unwanted truths about her mother, threats from her half-brother, and a tempting alliance with a shadowy group of women whose mysterious power rivals the royal family’s. I hope readers come away with a richer understanding of this ancient culture, a better sense of some structural challenges women have faced, then and now, and a dash of optimism regarding the practical potential of found community.
Where did the inspiration for Neferura come from?
When you study people who lived thousands of years ago, they’re frustratingly silent. Occasionally, a historic actor seems so remarkable you almost hear an echo of their voice. That’s true for the pharaoh Hatchepsut, but not for her daughter—we know very little about Neferura beyond her titles and parentage. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to be the only child, a daughter no less, of a woman who broke so many traditions in order to rise to, and succeed at, the tipety top of this powerful, patriarchal society. What did Neferura think about her mother’s rule, propaganda, relationships? Did Hatchepsut see herself as an exception, or did she think she was paving new pathways, perhaps even a pathway her daughter could follow to the throne? These questions gnawed at me, making Neferura my travelling companion for years. Ancient Egyptians believed they were made more powerful in the afterlife when remembered in the living world, so I like to imagine she’s happy to have her story told again, thousands of years later.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I had so much fun writing the tattooed wisewoman, Hathor. She’s irreverent, savvy, and fierce. She’s my imaginary manifestation of a woman who functions outside of the system she’s born to with determination, calculation, and large dose of empathy.
Can you tell us a bit about what led to your interest in studying Egyptian history?
It might seem odd but it started with those fantasy books I inhaled in middle school. They turned out to be a gateway to mythology, which drew me to ancient history. I earned an MA in ancient Greek and Roman history, which made me want to know more about the great societies that predated those period. So I went on to study Mesopotamia and Egypt before landing on Egyptology. So many things that interest me generally can be found in ancient Egyptian history: powerful women, mysticism, fascinating religious symbolism and beliefs, and so many strands of our shared origins.
What’s next for you?
More books set in ancient Egypt. There’s a goddess retelling in the works as well as more historical fiction featuring real women from ancient Egypt.
Lastly, are there any other retellings our readers should pick up?
Absolutely. There are too many great historical retellings to mention, but I especially appreciated the rage of Nikki Marmery’s Lilith, the humor of Natalie Haynes’s Stone Blind, the richness of Jordan Ifueko’s Raybearer, the empathy of Hannah Lynn’s Daughter’s of Olympus, and the hope of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow.
