We chat with author Emma Hinds about Witchlore, which is a spellbinding contemporary fantasy where the passion is as real as the magic.
Hi, Emma! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I am a novelist and playwright living in Manchester in the UK. I am very introverted, love all animals except geese (they scare me) and spend my days writing stories and drinking endless cups of tea with my angry cat for company.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My Nan used to swear up and down that even before I could write, I was telling stories to myself and off in my own daydream. It’s such an integral part of my personality I can’t remember a point of discovery, it’s always been there, like my eyes.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The first book I remember choosing to read on my own was The Lord of the Rings. When I was about six or seven, I had a terrible stomach flu and was bedridden, so I listened to the entire BBC adaption on cassette. When I recovered, I went searching for the books and never looked back. A fantasy obsession was born.
- The one that made you want to become an author: that would be the first full ‘book’ I wrote when I was ten years old. It was about an enchanted snake who could travel through dimensions. Until that point I had liked writing stories but I had been unsure about my capacity to write a ‘book.’ But at a whole fifty pages of snake story, I was certain I was ready for a career in authorship. In great tragedy, I have long since lost this precious manuscript.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: This is partly because of how it relates to what I am researching and writing now in the adult fiction world, but Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito.
Your latest novel, Witchlore, is out October 14th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Queer witches running around Manchester
What can readers expect?
Chaos! Teenagers dealing with huge emotions, loss and grief and love and identity but with the curveball of magic thrown into the mix. Lando is a non binary shapeshifter who can’t do magic, Bastian is a witch who is maybe a bit too good at magic, and they team up to find and utilise an ancient spell book that might hold the key to resurrecting Lando’s lost love. There are also lots of sensational magical creatures to meet, some witchy darkness to be endured, and one very cute dog.
Where did the inspiration for Witchlore come from?
For me, inspiration doesn’t come from one place but from many places. For instance, all of the settings in Witchlore come from the folklore of the North West of England and all of the magical creatures come from real folktales of those places, like the black shuck of Manchester cathedral. I’ve had the idea of writing a fantasy story that is realistic about mental health struggles since I was a teenager myself, and I’ve always loved British folklore and mythology stories since I was a child. Witchlore came out of several long held writing dreams; it was clearly just the right time for them to blend together.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Lando’s journey of self-love, forgiveness and self acceptance felt so important to me, especially remembering some of the hardships of my own teenage years. It can be so hard as a teenager to feel truly valued and to trust your own inherent value, so it was almost cathartic for my teenage self to be able to write that story for Lando.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was the speed! For reasons that I won’t go into mostly involving my own silliness, I had to write the first draft of Witchlore in four weeks. It was an extremely intense four weeks! I wouldn’t have made it without a long drive to an antiques shop with my friend Rachael who let me talk out all of the plot holes on the journey and helped me fix them. I’ve learned there is no writing challenge that is not helped by talking it aloud with a trusted confidante.
What’s next for you?
The second book in the Witchlore universe! I can’t say much about it, but it’s been a delight to find more aspects of British folklore to bring to life in Lando and Bastian’s world.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I’m lucky to have so many good writer friends who have had great books out this year. Sue Barker, author of Old Soul and Lucy Rose author of The Lamb both wrote beautifully uncanny books this year that I recommend for spooky season. Neither are for the faint of heart! It’s great to see so many amazing books coming out of the North of England.
I can’t wait for the last instalment of Sophie Keetch’s Morgan Le Fay trilogy, Storm over Camelot, which is out in April 2026. I have read an early version and can confirm that it is marvelous. I can’t wait to see it on the shelves!
