We chat with author Anna Hope about Albion, which is a finely crafted, propulsive, and nuanced story of family, inheritance, and accountability that shakes the country house novel to its foundations.
Hi, Anna! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a writer and mother, living in Sussex in the British countryside. I was an actor for a decade and have been happily writing novels for fifteen years. In the last year I’ve turned towards screenwriting and I’ve been relishing the journey towards deeper collaboration.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My mother read to me from very early on. We actually lived in the States when I was tiny, aged two and three. We took long journeys cross country on Amtrak and I remember her reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Wizard of Oz to me and my brother, who was a little older. She really instilled in me a love of rhythmic prose and reading aloud. I guess both my writing and acting stem from those childhood experiences.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: It was likely to be an Enid Blyton book. Maybe it was one of her school stories – Malory Towers or similar.
- The one that made you want to become an author: There’s a Barbara Trapido book called Brother of the More Famous Jack that I found so delicious it made me think about how she did it, which is probably the first big step towards thinking you might do it yourself.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Middlemarch. I read it more than a decade ago and I think it’s time to re-read it, it keeps popping up in my consciousness.
Your latest novel, Albion, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
What is England built on?
What can readers expect?
A radical reimagining of the country house novel: a funeral, a warring family, a Greek Revival mansion, and long buried secrets emerging over five days in May.
Where did the inspiration for Albion come from?
There are two Greek Revival houses within a stones throw of my home in Sussex. Both built by the same architect – Benjamin Latrobe, who went on to design the front portico of the White House.
One house was commissioned by a family of plantation owners who campaigned in Parliament against abolition. It became an elite boarding school (Boris Johnson was a pupil) and was mired in sexual abuse scandals.
The other house has a very different, countercultural history – it was owned by Led Zeppelin who recorded an album there. Each house seemed to encapsulate something of the English psyche – the qualities of eccentricity, rebellion and creativity, set against domination, coercion, empire and systemic violence. I wanted to explore those polarities in the house and family in Albion.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing the character of Rowan, Frannie’s daughter. My own daughter was seven while I was writing and I wanted to capture something of her way of seeing the world in Rowan’s child’s-eye view; the static of these complex adult dynamics happening around her, but tempered by her strong connection with the natural world.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I was unsure how to approach writing the character of Clara, a young black American PhD student, but I had help from generous friends and in-house sensitivity reads at my publisher.
What’s next for you?
I’m focussing on several screenwriting projects – a couple of features and two TV pilots. And my second novel has been commissioned for stage. I’m co-adapting with two others, which is thrilling and a little daunting!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I’ve been reading almost exclusively nonfiction as research for a couple of features, but I had a little break and dipped into Elizabeth Von Arnim’s Enchanted April. It’s a really gorgeous novel about four women in Italy in the 1920s. They were tired and really needed a holiday, and I could relate…The book itself feels like a bit of a minibreak!
I’m looking forward to Rebecca Solnit’s new book of essays, No Straight Road takes you There. I love her prose. She brings me solace while challenging me to think more creatively and rigorously.
