We chat with author Alyssa Hollingsworth about All the Queens’ Curses, which is a gripping retelling of a Scottish Isles fairytale and a timeless tale of sisterhood, romance, fae folk, and curses broken.
Hi, Alyssa! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is Alyssa Hollingsworth and I love fairytales. I was born in Florida but went to the UK for my master’s and PhD… met a boy… got married… Now I write books for young people, work full-time with the BBC, and spend what free time I have snuggling my dog and reading (or playing cozy video games).
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
We have a family famous video of me aged four or so enthusiastically telling my parents a story about talking fish (in a barely intelligible southern accent – luckily my mom is translating for the camera). Safe to say, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with stories!
When my little sister and I shared a bunk bed, I used to tell her stories while she fell asleep. Then when I was 11, we moved and I got my own room. I still wanted to tell stories but since she wasn’t in the room, I just told them to myself. Out loud. Sister thought it was great fun to hide in my closet and jump out to scare me. She heard me muttering, flung the door open, and demanded, “Who are you talking to?”
At that point, I decided I should start writing things down.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Do books read to me count? My dad used to read to us every night. I think the first I remember is Little House on the Praire! (Followed by some horsey mysteries.)
- The one that made you want to become an author: Lord of the Rings
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.
Your latest novel, All the Queens’ Curses, is out August 25th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Jane Austen vibes + trauma + magic
What can readers expect?
All the Queens’ Curses is set in an alternate Scotland. Our protagonists—Kit and Idris—have both been cursed. In order to free themselves, they’ll need to work together. But there might not be enough magic in the world to break all curses.
Readers can expect chronic illness representation, exploration of trauma and the healing power of relationships, princes in distress and a very good dog (who is totally fine).
Where did the inspiration for All the Queens’ Curses come from?
All the best things come in threes, right?
- All the Queens’ Curses is a retelling of a rare Scottish fairytale called ‘Kate Crackernuts’ and many of the plot beats remain true to the original (in spirit, at least).
- This novel was written alongside a PhD project where I explored trauma, healing and representation in fiction for young people. I was inspired by the amazing emerging research about our brains and our capacity for resilience.
- On a more personal level, it was also inspired by my experiences as a seventeen-year-old dealing with trauma and experiencing chronic illness for the first time (later diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis).
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
‘Kate Crackernuts’ was collected in the Orkney Islands and I was fortunate enough to have two chances to visit in 2021, during a break in COVID-19 lockdowns. I absolutely fell in love. The sparkling pinkish sand on Hoy’s beaches, the lichen-covered graves wrapped in thick haar (sea fog), the flagstoned streets marked by fossilized seaweed—it captured my heart in a way few places have.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
My life and my protagonists’ lives are not the same (mine involves fewer fae, alas/huzzah) but there are some points of the story that ended up mirroring reality. A large chunk of the drafting took place while I was isolating alone during COVID-19 lockdowns. As an immunocompromised person, this meant being very strick—and as a newly arrived person in my city, it meant I didn’t really have a bubble of people. Some of that experience has definitely bled into the isolation Kit experiences.
Support from loved ones, even from afar, helped carry me through. Honestly, so did counselling and a technique called EMDR.
To be clear, I didn’t have to seek intensive treatment because of this book! But this book grew alongside my story and I think we both benefitted from my real-life self-care.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on another retelling! This one features talking birds, stolen magic and a princess who waxes and wanes with the moon.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I really loved The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi and A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim. On my TBR, I have: The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin, Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray, and Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tae… plus, like, literally hundreds of other books!
