Set in a colonised Indo-Persian world and inspired by pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, The Descent of the Drowned is a tale about power, identity, and redemption, and what it takes to hold on to one’s humanity in the face of devastation.
We had the pleasure of chatting with debut author Ana Lal Din about The Descent of the Drowned, writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Ana! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Heya! I’m a Danish-Pakistani author from a Muslim background. I was born in a southwestern city in Jylland as the youngest out of four children, but I grew up in a small town right outside Copenhagen. In Fall 2019, I moved to England to study English Literature.
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
My goals are to meet the impending deadline for the sequel to The Descent of the Drowned, make it through my second year at the university, and take care of my mental health. I think I could do a lot better with nursing my mental health, but the rest is going well!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
My earliest memory of reading a book is a collection of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Old Magic by Marianne Curley made me want to become an author, and I can’t stop thinking about Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
When I was eight years old. My parents had just bought a computer and so I decided to write a short story on it, which was heavily inspired by my love for scary stories at the time. I loved it so much that I never stopped writing.
Your new debut novel The Descent of the Drowned is out March 15th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Dark, immersive, complex, thought-provoking and devastating.
Now, what can readers expect?
Expect a character-driven story set in a colonised Indo-Persian world inspired by pre-Islamic Arabian mythology and with morally ambiguous characters, sociocultural and political issues from South and West Asia, the Middle East, and ancient Arabia, and powerful themes such as redemption, identity, and oppression.
What inspired you to write The Descent of the Drowned?
I wanted to write a story about humanity. I was inspired by the perception and oppression of women in pre-Islamic Arabia and South Asia and critical sociocultural and political issues. What I wanted was to spread awareness and bring marginalised voices into the centre with this story.
Were there any challenges you faced while writing? If so, how did you overcome them?
English is my fourth language. I fumble for a lot of terms that are natural for native English speakers to use, so one of the most difficult challenges was constantly working on expanding my vocabulary. Researching sociocultural issues and understanding political issues were also a huge challenge, but I think the hardest part was writing from the perspective of a sacred prostitute and a soldier, because research can only get you so far. Eventually, you have to rely on yourself to convey what you know in a believable way. I had to portray a sacred prostitute and a soldier as though I had experience with both. At one point, I thought I had set an impossible task for myself. I still stare at my book at times and wonder how I ever made it.
If it’s not too spoilery, do you have any favourite moments that you loved bringing to the page?
Anything I want to mention is a spoiler, but the opening scene with Leviathan in Chapter 36 is one of my favourite scenes because of the metaphorical and psychological aspects of it. Also, Roma’s defiance in Chapter 31 is an awesome moment!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
“Use your five senses when you write” is the best advice I have received and “don’t include more than one hard issue” is the worst advice I have received.
What’s next for you?
The sequel to The Descent of the Drowned and another (separate) YA Fantasy on the side! The latter is a completely different path for me in terms of content and voice, so I’m incredibly excited about it.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I highly recommend Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It’s absolutely amazing!
I picked up the Descent of the Drowned as an eARC from Netgalley and it was just as Ana Lal Din describes it is! Immersive, complex, thought-provoking and devastating. 😭 It’s a story so impactful that I reckon I’ll be thinking about it for years to come. So happy to have been able to read this novel and I’m so excited for more people to pick it up, now that it’s finally out!
Roma’s story makes me go feral and Levi’s hurts me greatly. They both make me hungry for that sequel!