POE GIRL: What or who inspired you to be a writer?

 

K.A. HURLEY: I was absolutely the kid who got in trouble for reading under my desk when I got bored in class! Some books feel like you’re falling right into the story, and I always admired how much work and thought goes into creating a really great narrative. For a long while, I didn’t think I was capable of making anything remotely that good. But I found some close friends who also enjoyed writing and art, and it gave me confidence to take creative risks and follow my own ideas as an author. I hope my work can do justice to how much that encouragement meant to me!

 

 

POE GIRL: What gave you the idea of your latest book?

 

K.A. HURLEY: Some of it is pulled from my own experiences; being broke and gay and overwhelmed all the time. In a way, the main character of Simon’s Ghost embodies some of my least favorite qualities about myself-- he’s terribly sensitive and empathetic, sometimes to his own detriment. But trying to understand other people and fight your own demons even when you’re scared is something that takes an incredible amount of strength. So really, maybe Simon embodies some of my BEST qualities.

 

 

POE GIRL: Who is your favourite writer and why?

 

K.A. HURLEY: This isn’t going to be a fair answer because my opinion on this changes all the time. Vladimir Nabokav’s prose just really scratches an itch in my brain that is so satisfying, and he really was a guy who didn’t shy away from examining the dark side of humanity while also making everything sound just overwhelmingly beautiful.

 

 

POE GIRL: What’s your favourite book?

 

K.A. HURLEY: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was one of the first horror books I fell in love with. It’s absolutely timeless.

 

 

POE GIRL: Do you read a lot? If so what are you reading right now?

 

K.A. HURLEY: I have a bad habit of letting life get in the way, going long stretches without reading and then suddenly devouring an entire book or three. I guess I need time to let it digest? Audio books are great because I always need to be fidgeting around with my hands.

 

I just finished reading Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins. I knew very little going into it, but it was such a rewarding read. Definitely the kind of graphic novel where you stop mid-panel and go “OH! I get it now!”

 

I’m also about half-way through She Who Devoured the Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan. I attended a book signing of Parker-Chan’s a little while ago, and I loved hearing them talk about writing a genre I don’t know much about.

 

 

POE GIRL: What writing projects are you working on?

 

K.A. HURLEY: I’m working on another stand-alone horror book. I like the idea of experimenting with different sub-genres, particularly eco-horror.

 

 

POE GIRL: What do you like most about writing?

 

K.A. HURLEY: A story can be an experience. I love when I’ve finished writing something, and it feels like I’ve walked through an entire museum or something from start to finish. I’ve been on a journey with the characters and setting and it’s all come together.

 

 

POE GIRL: Where do you see yourself and your writing in five years’ time?

 

K.A. HURLEY: Still writing! Preferably sitting over my keyboard with a glass of wine and thinking ‘Wow! What a good five years this has been!’ but I’m not too picky.

 

 

POE GIRL: What one writing tip would you share?

 

K.A. HURLEY: You gotta just do it, man. Especially if you have an idea that is particularly weird or off-beat, that thing should exist and nobody is going to make it exist for you. But also you have to treat it like a job, be willing to do your own research and keep your own hours and stuff. All different kinds of people should be out there, making new and weird stuff, sharing and enjoying what we’ve made for each other.

 

 

POE GIRL: What would you say to educate and inspire young writers?

 

K.A. HURLEY: If you’re stuck, there’s a book or a story out there that will inspire you. If you’re on a roll, there is someone who will want to read you. It’s very much a give-and-take.

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