We chat with author Benjamin Dean about The King Is Dead, which follows James—the shy, handsome, mixed-race heir to the British throne—who must choose between love and duty amidst a dangerous scandal and a tabloid media desperate for his downfall.
Hi, Benjamin! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! So I’m a former celebrity reporter and interviewer based in London, writing Black and queer stories that I wish I’d had growing up. I love mysteries, thrillers and 2000s romcoms/teen comedies. I love pop culture deep dives and ruthlessly cracking the spines of my books (much to the horror of other readers on TikTok!)
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was about eight years old when I started writing stories. It felt incredible to create these made up worlds that I could escape into. I think my first story was a retelling of The Three Little Pigs that I read out in front of the class and I haven’t looked back since! I also played The Sims a lot growing up. Creating families and houses and storylines for hours on end, I’m pretty sure that laid the foundation for writing books!
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!
The first book I ever remember was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The book that made me want to become an author was Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman. And the book I can’t stop thinking about is Fourth Wing – I want to know if I should read it and if it lives up to the hype!
Your debut novel, The King Is Dead, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Gossip Girl meets The Crown.
What can readers expect?
A lot of twists and turns, gay romance and scandalous secrets.
Where did the inspiration for The King Is Dead come from?
I’d watched a lot of documentaries on Princess Diana and seeing all the scrutiny she was under mixed with what I could see happening to Meghan Markle in real time sparked the idea. I just couldn’t stop thinking about what it might be like if the monarch was someone who looked and identified like me, how the country and press would react to them and how they would feel under so much pressure. The final piece of the puzzle was thinking about how public scandals might unfold behind the carefully maintained veneer of the palace, and how a closeted teenage king would face the scrutiny of the world as all of his family’s secrets are laid bare. It definitely gave me a lot to think about when putting pen to paper!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoyed writing James’s romantic moments. The book is darker and heavier in places, so it was almost a bit of relief to be able to write those lighter scenes and see James develop feelings towards romantic interests.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey of getting The King Is Dead published?
I had the idea for The King is Dead while I was on a deadline for another book. The concept of a Black royal family with a secretly gay king just kept pulling me away from it. I started drafting the first few chapters and shared it with my agent, who loved it. We fleshed it out a little more and then asked my UK editor what she thought and thankfully she was so excited. I managed to finish the first draft in a few months and it wasn’t long after that when we went out on submission in the US too. I hadn’t ever had a book published on the other side of the pond before so I was quite apprehensive about it, but then Little, Brown swooped in and here we are!
What’s next for you?
My next YA thriller is called How to Die Famous and explores the darker side of fame. It follows the new cast of a popular teen TV show with a shady past and an undercover journalist hiding a secret motive to expose the truth. I spent years as a celebrity interviewer and saw some wild things behind the scenes that still blows my mind. I’ve always been obsessed with celebrity and pop culture so this feels like a book I was always meant to write.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I will always ride for Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. It’s such a powerful book and I’m so excited for what Faridah has coming next!
