We chat with bestselling author Ava Reid who makes her YA debut with A Study In Drowning, which is a dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.
Hi Ava, thank you so much for joining me today! Could you introduce yourself and give us a brief summary of your new book, A Study in Drowning?
Sure! I’m the author of two adult fantasy novels, Juniper & Thorn and The Wolf and the Woodsman, and A Study in Drowning is my forthcoming young adult debut. It’s a dark academia romantic fantasy about two rivals who must work together to uncover the truth beyond the works and legacy of an influential but mysterious author. Naturally, this is all happening within a crumbling gothic manor by the sea, with sinister forces—both mortal and magical—conspiring against them.
Taking back control of one’s own narrative after enduring abuse and trauma is a theme that appears in all of your works so far. What research did you do to ensure you had such a sensitive and nuanced portrayal, whilst also delivering such impactful depictions?
This theme is personal to me, which is why it crops up so often in my writing. More so than any other character I’ve written, Effy’s experiences are reflective of my own. That said, it’s helpful to have some distance from your own experiences before writing about them, as well as some ability to process, parse, and make sense of them. I’ve had quite a lot of professional psychiatric treatment myself, and I’ve also read a lot of literature on trauma theory and the history of psychiatry. Being able to place yourself and your experiences within an existing narrative is powerful, and I think that notion is at the very heart of A Study in Drowning.
This is very much a love story about stories. What books do you feel like you could write a love letter to?
Oh, so many! The first one that comes to mind is Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle (I collect copies of it), but honestly, any of her books would fit the bill. I have to mention the Gormenghast trilogy as well, because it’s been so influential to the style and content of my work. And A Study in Drowning is, in and of itself, sort of a love letter to A.S. Byatt’s Possession.
Two more under-the-radar books that I often talk about (and desperately try to convince people to read!) are Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan and The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal. Both of these books are just masterpieces to me.
Your writing is so lush, descriptive, and immersive—feeling almost fairytale like but with a dark twist. What influences do you think your style draws on?
I am most inspired by and indebted to the tradition of gothic literature, which is known for its darkness and drama and, typically, baroque prose style. I mentioned some books in that tradition above that have been particularly influential to me.
I definitely also take some inspiration from the tradition of fabulism and the cross-genre work of authors like Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, and Helen Oyeyemi. I have a distinct memory of picking up St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, which is a short story collection by the amazing Karen Russell, and thinking, “I want to write like that.”
A Study in Drowning plays heavily into the debate around authorship, best epitomised around the argument of who authored Shakespeare’s works. What about this debate interests you?
What interests me the most about this debate—in particular, the Shakespeare authorship question—is how incredibly charged it is. Emotionally, culturally, politically, even economically. Although the anti-Stratfordian theory has been discredited today, historically, it was given great weight by many famous intellectuals. The debate was fierce, fulsome, and obsessive. People dug up graves and invented entire cipher machines to try and figure out the truth.
Yet even today, Shakespeare is an indelible part of Western cultural heritage, and in particular English national identity. National mythologies drive culture, politics, and even economics. The revelation that he was a fraud would be devastating—maybe not enough to provoke literal warfare, as in A Study in Drowning, but monumental nonetheless. How would the world grapple with it? And what would be the impact on all the individual people who have loved Shakespeare, some of whom have dedicated their lives and scholarly careers to him?
I’ve always been just as interested in the culture around telling stories as much as the content of the stories themselves. A Study in Drowning gave me the opportunity to explore that, and for me—as both an author and an ardent Shakespeare fan!—to grapple with some of these questions myself.
I know you create extensive headcanons for music associated with your works, so what music would be on your A Study in Drowning soundtrack?
“Girl from the North Country” by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash is what I would consider to be the theme song of A Study in Drowning. ASID was very heavily inspired by the fairy ballads of the British Isles, of which “Scarborough Fair” is perhaps the most well-known one. This song obviously borrows the famous line “she once was a true love of mine” from that ballad. The other lyrics are equally fitting—especially since Effy is, quite literally, a girl from the north country.
I like to imagine this playing over a montage of Effy and Preston walking along the cliffs near Hiraeth, or searching the manor for clues. It just gives such a moody and romantic atmosphere.
I always love how rich and nuanced your characters are; they spring off the page and into my heart every time. How fully formed are they when they come to you?
I’m a thematic writer first and foremost, so the “why” of the story usually comes before the “what.” The characters, the world, the prose style, etc. are all just expressions of the novel’s central theme. Because I always have this central theme in mind from the outset, I don’t outline and I tend to be a very intuitive and spontaneous drafter. The more meticulous, nose-to-the-ground decisions about how a character should act in a certain scene usually come to me in the moment, because I’ve really internalized that central theme. (At least, in ideal drafting conditions).
It frequently happens that am surprised by the direction that characters end up taking. I am not a planner at all, so they sort of build themselves up over the course of that first draft—often characters end up very different from the way I originally imagined them. In the earliest concept of A Study in Drowning, Preston was the believer, and Effy the skeptic. As the book grew to encompass larger issues like sexism in academia, trauma, and abuse, their roles ended up reversing, and their characters metamorphosized.
Do you have any dream castings for a film or TV adaptation of A Study in Drowning?
I don’t usually have fan casts in mind for my characters, but I could imagine Sydney Sweeney making a great Effy. She plays a lot of characters who are very vulnerable and insecure, but also romantic dreamers, which I think is exactly right for the role.
If possible, could you share a little about what you are currently working on or any upcoming projects you have? I know I am personally very, very excited for Lady Makbeth.
My next book is Lady Macbeth, which is an adult historical fantasy reimagining of Shakespeare’s famous play from Lady Macbeth’s POV. It’s set in 11th-century Scotland, and, in addition to Shakespeare’s work, it also draws a lot of inspiration from the period’s medieval literature: chivalric romances, Breton lais. And, because I’m me, there’s plenty of gothic and fairy tale influence, as well. It’s out in summer 2024, and I’m very excited to share more about it in the coming months!
Which pieces of music would you associated with these current projects?
I’ve been listening to “Mermaids” by Florence + the Machine on repeat while working on Lady Macbeth. I can’t say too much more without getting into spoiler territory, but this song is very, very fitting.
Finally, what message would you like A Study in Drowning to leave with readers?
I would simply hope that, as with all my works, it has provoked strong feelings and interesting questions, and that it lingers with them long after the final page.
