We chat with author C.J. Cooke about The Book of Witching, which follows a mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge.
Hi, C.J.! How has the past three years been since we last spoke?
Wow, three years? That is astonishing! I think they’ve been good ones. A few more books published…
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
As a child. I was obsessed with both reading and writing as a way to process the world.
Your latest novel, The Book of Witching, is out October 8th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Gothic, historical, feminist, disruptive, fantasy
What can readers expect?
This is a dual timeline novel set in both 1594 and 2024. Both timelines take place in Orkney and both feature women who are also mothers. The 1594 narrative explores the witch trial of Alison Balfour, as well as Orcadian folklore, while in the 2024 narrative a terrible fire has left a teenage girl with horrific injuries and questions about what she was really doing in Orkney.
Where did the inspiration for The Book of Witching come from?
Back in 2019, I was writing The Lighthouse Witches and doing a lot of research into the Scottish Witch Trials. I came across the story of Alison Balfour, and while every witch trial narrative is horrific in its own way, Balfour’s in particular moved me. I knew I wanted to write about her and was glad I managed to find a way to tell her story in this book.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I went quite deep with the research and ended up becoming quite fascinated with the socio-political context of the trial. I hadn’t expected to take such a detour but I found it really helped uncover the reasons behind the trial, and what different people had to gain from it.
With different timelines and plenty of twists, how do you map about your book?
I try to plan as much as possible but always find a way to get lost midway through! But these detours – like the research – are essential. I’m always amazed how the novel seems to write itself, how things I never planned end up blossoming organically within the weaving.
Were there any challenges you faced whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
There are always challenges. I think in this case I had a challenge in terms of writing about a character who spends a lot of their story in a dungeon and has little autonomy or agency, and it’s very difficult to write a strong story if the protagonist has no agency! So I had to be very creative about how I managed that.
What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as an author since your debut?
Oof, it’s a long list! Here are some highlights: 1. You never write a novel; you write 1000 words 100+ times over; 2. Every novel fails somewhere along the writing journey – you just get better at fixing it; 3. A career is made of many troughs and a few peaks; 4. Every writer needs a network; 5. You learn by doing, so keep doing/going.
What’s next for you?
I’m finishing a novel that deals with a witch trial that took place in 1485 in Innsbruck, Austria. Subsequently I’m obsessed with medieval women, so the next couple of books will likely be influenced by this.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I’m looking forward to Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Riley Sager and Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
