I had the awesome chance to interview one of the most popular Australian Booktubers —Piera Forde. I was inspired to pick her brain a little to find out more info about her upcoming YouTube web-series that’s an adaptation of Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. If you don’t know Piera already, stick around to find out more about her too!
Hi Piera. First of all, congratulations on getting a grant from Screen Australia! In 5 words, how can you describe how you’re feeling about finally getting the chance to adapt Nevernight by Jay Kristoff into a 3-part YouTube Web Series?
Hey! Thanks for having me! Thank you, yeah it’s still a bit crazy! It hasn’t had the chance to fully sink in yet because we’re in the middle of pre-production. I’m excited and terrified at the same time!
For new viewers who don’t know much about you, how would you introduce yourself and explain your humble beginnings into the BookTube community and the Nevernight Fandom?
I’m an actor/filmmaker who started out adapting my favourite books into short scenes before I found Booktube and realised there were other people out there who wanted to talk about books as much as I did. So I set up my camera and gave it a go! As for Nevernight, I read it when it first came out, fell in love with Mia, the characters, and the world. Now, just like I imagine most people do when falling in love, I decided I needed to ignore all other worldly responsibilities and dedicate my entire life to Nevernight.
‘He was hers, then. Completely. Utterly. Helpless’ 🗡 #nevernight pic.twitter.com/b6Iiwb6TRC
— Piéra Forde (@pieraforde) July 1, 2019
As a long time viewer, I’ve watched you grow so much and this is such a great milestone in your career, and we’d love to know – for projects like Nevernight and content creation in general; what inspires you the most?
First of all, thanks for hanging around! I guess the first place I find inspiration is in the books themselves. If a book really wraps itself around my heart then I’m instantly inspired to create something, whether it be a review or a short film. As time went on, I realised there was an audience out there for the content I was creating, which also inspires me to want to create the best content I can.
You’ve obviously got a lot of experience in creating videos and content for the book community, so if you could go back in time and tell yourself, way back when you were first beginning to make book-related videos, what are 5 tips for your BookTube channel?
1. Cut out the long thinking pauses and ums because you look like an idiot.
2. Figure out some sort of format for your videos so that you don’t have to go back years from now and spend hours tidying them up (something I am currently doing).
3. If you’ve reviewed the first two books in a trilogy, you should probably review the last one.
4. Be more concise in your thoughts and getting them across, instead of just screaming endlessly into the void.
5. Don’t get caught up in the hype.
I previously wrote a 2018 YA Book Trend Predictions post and I’m currently writing the 2019-2020 edition and would love to know; what’s a trend you predict or you’re seeing is on the rise in the YA book industry for 2019?
I’m seeing that ‘vampires’ are trying to make a comeback and I’m trying really hard to prevent that from happening. You know, casting vibes out into the world, dancing naked in the woods in a summer storm and sacrificing small children to prevent it. Since I’m no longer considered a young adult myself (don’t remind me, I’m ancient), what I’d like to see in books I’m finding more in adult fantasy, which is more tailored towards my age bracket. So as for YA, I’d just love to see teens connecting with characters and finding themselves represented in the books they’re reading.
If you could choose 3 things about Mia (from Nevernight) that explain why you love her so much, what are they?
She knows herself. She knows who she is, what she wants and how to go about getting it without compromising her beliefs.
She doesn’t take shit from anyone, she’s blunt, to the point and gets things done.
I see a lot of myself in Mia, from her humour to her sexuality, to her pessimistic world view.
How do you envision your life in 5 years from once this series ends in regard to your BookTube career and your IRL acting career?
I’d love to be creating book-to-film adaptations on a blockbuster level, but I have a lot of work to do to get there. I plan to still be creating Booktube content, lots of reviews especially and doing what I can to help other young filmmakers/actors find their way in the industry.
What was the last book (other than Nevernight or Red Rising – yes we know you love both to bits) that you would highly recommend/you’ve given 5 stars to?
I just finished the final books in two of my favourite trilogies that I’d recommend with my whole heart. The first is the Book of the Ancestor Trilogy by Mark Lawrence (Red Sister, Grey Sister and Holy Sister), which follows a young orphan named Nona as she’s inducted into the Convent of Sweet Mercy, a convent that trains young women to become assassins, poisoners, spies etc and how the convent has no idea what they’ve signed up for when they induct Nona Grey. The second is the Bone Witch Trilogy by Rin Chupeco (The Bone Witch, The Heart Forger and The Shadow Glass), which follows a young girl named Tea as she navigates her new powers as a necromancer. This one is full of magic, daeva’s, a slow-burn romance and strong sibling bonds.
Back to your Nevernight adaptation, where can readers and viewers find more about your upcoming Web Series, and when do you expect it to be released?
I’ll be posting updates across my social media accounts. Doing behind the scenes vlogs and releasing the finished product on my Youtube channel. We’re aiming for a late August/early September release so we can coincide with the hype of Darkdawn’s release and get people pumped for the final book!
Acolyte Rap Album about to drop 🗡 #nevernight pic.twitter.com/3ha0MCEfpD
— Piéra Forde (@pieraforde) June 24, 2019
What are you most excited about in the making and production of your Nevernight Adaptation?
I’m really excited to see some of my favourite characters come to life, namely Mister Kindly, Tric and Ash. I’m excited to cast and watch other actors work and their interpretations and I’m excited to see what everyone thinks once we’ve released it!
Thank you so much for having me!
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It was an absolute pleasure to interview Piera, thank you so much for the opportunity. You guys can find all her updates on the Nevernight web-series and more from her social media: YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | IMDb
BookTuber Bio: Hey! I’m Piéra, I’m an actress/filmmaker and avid reader from Australia! I spend most of my time reading fantasy books, turning those books into short films, drinking tea and caring for my small menagerie of animals! I post 1-3 times a week! You’ll get variety of book reviews, unboxings, wrap-ups, vlogs and short films!
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