New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu is back with a historical fantasy standalone that brings forth the life of Nannerl Mozart, Wolfgang’s often forgotten about sister, in The Kingdom of Back! We had the pleasure of chatting with her about this new gem! *jumps up and down enthusiastically*
From writing her very first fantasy book, to the role of music in The Kingdom of Back and sorting her characters into Hogwarts Houses, we discussed it all in today’s interview! Keep on reading for Marie Lu’s own take on her new standalone and don’t forget to add The Kingdom of Back to your March TBR! You don’t want to miss this one!
If you had to describe your new novel, The Kingdom of Back, in five words, what would they be?
Mozart but make it feminist.
This is your first dip into writing historical fantasy. How does it differ from writing a dystopian/sci-fi book? Did you have to get into a particular headspace, faced any new challenges?
Oh, so different! Writing sci-fi is more about predicting the future for a fictional universe based on history and our current reality. With historical fiction, I’m building fictional counterparts for real historical figures by basing them on what facts I could gather about their lives, while wrapping my fantasy world around them to heighten the story. I feel a sense of duty to get things right because Nannerl Mozart and her family are not just figments of my imagination. It’s strange to try to get into the headspace of someone who actually lived—especially when that someone was a musical genius. No pressure.
What was your favourite part of writing The Kingdom of Back? It’s a standalone, but would you ever consider returning to this world?
This story is structured in a way that is closed (my first time doing so!), so I think this world will stay contained to only this book. But I loved exploring Nannerl’s 18th-century world and adding my own embellishments to how she might have seen it. Finding out interesting details about Nannerl’s life and then incorporating historical details into her story was some of the most fun I’ve ever had working on a novel.
How would you say The Kingdom of Back reflects real-life issues we’re facing today? Your work always includes on-point social and political commentary so we would love to know more about the issues you delved into in your most recent novel.
I wrote The Kingdom of Back because I couldn’t believe I’d never even heard of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s sister, let alone the fact that she was also a musical prodigy—and all because history forgets women with potential. Nannerl had to stop performing when she turned 18 years old, while her brother had the chance to fulfill his ambition. How many others have we lost to history? I wanted to write this book to highlight Nannerl’s life, and to remind us all that we have an obligation to clear the obstacles for young girls as they set out to achieve their dreams.
Where did your idea for a historical fantasy with ties to our world come from? When was it first born?
I first began writing this book over a decade ago, when I read a biography about Mozart and was captivated by the historical fact that Nannerl and Wolfgang invented a magical kingdom they called Back in order to amuse themselves on long carriage rides. It was such a beautiful little detail, and almost immediately the idea came to me. Getting the story right, however, took much longer!
Music plays a big role in The Kingdom of Back. What does it represent to you? Are there any particular songs you listened to while working on it, a playlist you could share with the readers?
I played piano for ten years, so music—and Mozart—was very much a part of my childhood. Mozart’s music in particular fascinated and intimidated me. His piano pieces, to me, were like chess—technically not hard to learn, but incredibly difficult to master. I guess it’s no surprise that I ended up writing a book about his sister and family! As for music, you know I had a playlist exclusively of Mozart’s work. His Requiem and The Magic Flute operas were on constant repeat, as well as all of his piano sonatas. I highly recommend all of these!
Let’s talk about the characters in The Kingdom of Back. What was your writing process for Nannerl? Did you make any changes to her characters you’d like to share with us?
There is so little about Nannerl that’s documented; all I had to go off of were a few scant chapters in biographies about Wolfgang, and the letters that Wolfgang wrote to his sister. I knew I’d need to build most of her personality myself, so I tried to imagine what it would be like to grow up in such an extraordinary family and gifted with such an unusual talent, then held back from using that talent. But the one trait I wanted to stay extremely faithful was her close relationship with Wolfgang. Her brother idolized her as a child, and the two children loved each other deeply. Nannerl’s relationship with Wolfgang in the book is complicated, but I never wanted there to be doubt that she cared for him.
Are there any characters or parts of the story that didn’t make it into the final version of The Kingdom of Back?
Oh, plenty. There always is! I took out various iterations of places inside the fantasy world of the Kingdom of Back, as well as a chapter or two featuring Nannerl as an adult.
Time to get nerdy! If the cast of The Kingdom of Back put on the Sorting Hat, which Hogwarts houses would they be sorted in?
Nannerl Mozart: Slytherin
Wolfgang (Woferl) Amadeus Mozart: Ravenclaw
Anna Maria Mozart (their mother): Hufflepuff
Leopold Mozart (their father): Slytherin
Could you draw any parallels between your previous characters (such as Day, June, Emika, Hideo, etc.) and this new cast of characters? And if yes, in what way?
All of my YA characters tend to be ambitious, driven, wise beyond their years . . . and haunted, whether by their choices, their goals, their pasts, or the world around them.
If The Kingdom of Back were to be adapted, what format would you prefer and why? Any dream casting options you’d like to share?
Live action, I think, either as a film or a mini-series. I’m terrible at casting, but I could imagine a younger Elle Fanning as Nannerl Mozart.
If you had to choose one of your bookish universes to live in, which one would you pick and why?
Gosh, all of my worlds are pretty harsh! But I’d pick the world of Warcross—it’s definitely the most fun and colorful of all my universes.
Bio: Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Legend series, The Young Elites trilogy, Batman: Nightwalker, and the Warcross series. The Kingdom of Back is her first standalone. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, where she worked as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare hours reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles with her illustrator/author husband, Primo Gallanosa, and their son. You can find Marie on Instagram and Twitter.
