We chat with author Joanne Harris about Sleepers in the Snow, which is a gripping and powerful suspense story of love, loss, and the mysteries of memory by internationally bestselling author Joanne Harris.
Hi Joanne! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m the Franco-British child of two teachers; I was a teacher for 15 years before giving up to write full-time. I’m the author of over 25 books in multiple genres, the third of which, CHOCOLAT, became a movie in 2000 with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche. I live in Yorkshire with my husband Kevin, and we have a 33-year-old son, Fred.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always loved them. I’ve written stories since I was very young, and I’m lucky enough to come from a family of great storytellers from both my French and English sides.
Your upcoming novel Sleepers in the Snow is in a completely different genre from your previous book, Vianne, and you’re known to be one of the few contemporary authors to write across genres. What was it like going from writing a contemporary lit fiction novel to a suspense novel? Do you have any rituals to get you in the right headspace for a certain genre?
I’ve written suspense novels before, so it’s a transition I’m used to; besides, I don’t really see a hard line between genres. Instead, I tend to concentrate on the source of the tension driving the story. In this case, the tension is based on location – a remote cottage on the north Yorkshire moors, with all the isolation and extreme weather that entails – and my protagonist’s attempts to come to terms with his demons. As for getting into the headspace: I use a different scent for every book I write (a technique I learned from Stanislavsky’s AN ACTOR PREPARES.) This time it was an unusual scent by 4160 Tuesdays called THE LION CUPBOARD, which smells of my grandmother’s haunted wardrobe..
What was the inspiration for Sleepers in the Snow?
I wrote the book in the few months that followed my father’s death with dementia. It’s a book about memory, and secrets, and fear, and loss. The catalyst for writing it was finding a box filled with notebooks in my Dad’s things after he died: diaries, showing his mental decline over the course of seven years, and although they were difficult to read, they helped me create the character of Arthur. And I live in Yorkshire, ten minutes’ drive from the desolate moors: the landscape, its folklore and its changes are imprinted in my soul.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Writing this book was largely a cathartic, even purgative process. But I found the process liberating; and I enjoyed creating the surreal touches – the mysterious appearance of tennis balls; the unusual behaviour of animals and birds – that make up some of the scarier parts of the book. And I enjoyed the research into ancient ballads, Neolithic graves and gruesome local legends, some of which managed to find their way subtly into the story…
If you could describe Sleepers in the Snow in 5 words, what would you use?
Dark. Atmospheric. Cold. Thought-provoking. Frightening.
What do you want readers to take away from Sleepers in the Snow?
As always, whatever they most need.
What’s next for you? Possibly a movie for Vianne to bring us back into the big-screen world of Chocolat?
I’m in negotiation with Disney right now, but I’m not in a position to reveal details, I’m afraid. And I’m just about to launch a children’s book of animal fables, illustrated by Armando Veve, called ONCE, IN THE FOREST.
