We chat with debut author S.F. Williamson about A Language of Dragons, which is set in an alternate London in 1923 where one girl accidentally breaks the tenuous truce between dragons and humans in this sweeping debut and epic retelling of Bletchley Park steeped in language, class, and forbidden romance.
Hi, S.F.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m a translator turned fantasy author living in Northern France with my husband and baby. I’ve been writing for years but things really took off after I did a Master’s Degree in Writing for Young People in the lovely English town of Corsham and secured a literary agent. A Language of Dragons is my debut novel.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve been writing since I was about six. I used to type up stories onto my dad’s pre-historic desktop computer and print them out. Then I discovered that “author” was a real job and that’s all I’ve wanted to be ever since.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- The one that made you want to become an author: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Babel by R.F. Kuang
Your debut novel, A Language of Dragons, is out January 7th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Political, rebellious, atmospheric, complex and a love letter to languages.
What can readers expect?
Plot twists, politics, thoughts on linguistics and privilege and lots of DRAGONS!
Where did the inspiration for A Language of Dragons come from?
I had a dream about dragons landing on the cliffs where my dad lives on the South East coast of England and a girl was running from them. This got mixed up with my work as a literary translator and interest in Bletchley Park and suddenly I had a very vivid character in Viv and the perfect dark academia setting.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Viv. I know she’s not always likeable, but that’s the point. We are all, as humans, ridiculously complex creatures and doing the “right thing“ is rarely easy. On top of this, she’s a seventeen year old girl, which is a hard age to be. Being in her head was deliciously complicated and healing for me, because I didn’t have to worry about making her the perfect hero. I just wanted her to be real.
Can you tell us a bit about your process in creating an alternate London?
I had to think about how society might have evolved if humans and dragons lived side by side under an almost totalitarian government, which is how things like the Peace Agreement, the studying of Draconic linguistics and the Human-Dragon Coalition emerged. My world-building process is gradual in that I make up details as and when I need them for each scene, instead of building the whole thing before I start writing, so it felt quite easy and natural.
Did you face any challenges? How did you overcome them?
Writing the codebreaking scenes was very difficult as the language Viv is working on is echolocation-based, so I couldn’t really take inspiration from any of the languages I know. It’s hard to have a character deciphering a language you don’t even speak and I had to make sure everything was consistent and making sense to the reader.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on the sequel to A Language of Dragons, which publishes January 2026!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang — I cannot wait as her writing never disappoints! Also Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins and Gifted and Talented by Olivia Blake.
