We chat with author Meghan Nesmith about A World Apart, which is set in 1866 London where magic, forbidden love and duty collide as Kit Finchley discovers that finding his happily ever after may mean choosing between two worlds.
Hi, Meghan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a writer and editor who has written essays and criticism for venues like Slate, the Cut, and the Boston Globe. I’m a proud Canadian, though I now live in Boston with my husband and our two young daughters. I’m currently attempting to knit my first sweater and listening to a lot of Phoebe Bridgers.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Unsurprisingly, I’ve always been someone way more comfortable in her own imagination than in the real world. I’m a voracious reader but also studied and worked in theatre, and am fascinated by the way humans tell stories, how they process their environments and relationships by writing or reading or playing them out.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The first I remember reading on my own was the Little House on the Prairie series. It was the first time I got in trouble for staying up past my bedtime.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Weetzie Bat, Francesca Lia Block.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: To The Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf.
Your debut novel, A World Apart, is out November 17th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Magic, kissing, so much fog.
What can readers expect?
I describe A World Apart as perfect for readers who loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell but thought, “Why no kissing?” Kit, an aspiring gentleman magician and the second son of a down-on-his-luck English lord, accidentally opens a portal into a world that has been trapped in time for 800 years. There, he falls in love with Wil, and the novel traces their attempts to escape the bargain that is keeping them apart. It’s a historical fantasy very much rooted in an academic approach to British magic and mythology, but everything is slightly askew: society ladies who wear birds on their heads, liminal dimensions, a malevolent Faerie Queen intent on mayhem. The romance between Kit and Wil anchors the story, but there is also queer found family, an exploration of the tension between duty and desire, and a bewitched tree.
Where did the inspiration for A World Apart come from?
This novel is truly a mash-up of all the things I love most. Because I began writing it as more of a lark than anything else, I just kept throwing in all the tropes and themes and characters that I obsess over. Kit and Wil arrived fully formed and very much in love, and keeping them apart for the course of two books was the main challenge.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
In A World Apart, Kit is on the marriage mart, his parents trying to arrange a match with a wealthy wife. I envisioned a parade of mild-mannered women who could be easily dismissed, and instead I wrote Agatha, who is an absolute terror. She refuses to be cowed by society and is exactly the kind of woman I would want to be stuck in a corner with. I loved writing her, allowing her to be as audacious as she wished.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I had initially conceived of the novel as a series of alternating POVs, but as it turns out there is very little to do in a tiny, magical Anglo Saxon village that has been stuck in time for 800 years. I felt like I was just inventing pointless chores or sending them back to thatch another roof. There was also far more backstory to convey about Wil and his family — again, 800 years isn’t nothing! I ended shifting the balance to give more air to the action of Kit’s world while honing in on the emotional life of Wil’s experience.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Long! Very long. I finished my MFA in 2011 and toiled over many failed novels in the intervening years. I had been publishing personal essays and cultural criticism, but fiction felt very elusive. Because of where I was in my life when I began this book — starting a family, preparing for young kids — I had the feeling that it was now or never. I worked on the draft for nearly 4 years before I queried agents, and feel incredibly lucky to have been plucked from the slush.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on the second book in the duology, which has been a blast. It really explodes the world of the book, giving insight into characters we might not have heard from before.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up soon? Any you’ve got your eye on that are releasing in 2027?
I have a stack of fellow debuts I haven’t been able to get to this year that I’m thrilled to dive into over the holiday, including The Three Graces of Pearl Street by Elizabeth Wellington Rollins and This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum. I’ve also been saving the new Emily St. John Mandel for the perfect rainy day. In 2027, I can’t wait to nab The Moth Reborn by Samantha Shannon — she’s just so brilliant.
