“I met someone who had a QUOTE from my book TATTOOED onto their torso”
Samantha Shannon shot to stardom when she published the first of a seven-part series, aged 21. Ahead of the third book, she talks fans and the problem with ‘strong’ female characters
TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK, THE SONG RISING…
It’s the third instalment in The Bone Season series and has been a long time coming! I wrote it during a busy time, when I was moving out of my parents’ house, and my first draft wasn’t as strong as it could have been. My editor and I worked on it for ages – I ripped out its skeleton, basically. Fixing it was a gruelling process, but I’m thrilled with the finished book.
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN PAIGE MAHONEY, THE SERIES’ PROTAGONIST?
I was 19 when I started writing the series, and she was 19 at the beginning, too. I like the idea that as I get older, her voice matures with me. Paige is athletic, whereas I’m not, but I admire her sense of justice. She stands up for what’s right.
WHEN YOU PUBLISHED YOUR FIRST BOOK, THE BONE SEASON, YOU GOT LOTS OF ATTENTION DUE TO YOUR AGE. HOW DID IT FEEL?
There was a lot of pressure on me. I was being called the next JK Rowling, and my first book probably sold well because of it, but it felt like it was setting me up not to succeed. I’m 25 now, no one calls me ‘young Samantha Shannon’ any more!
YOU HAVE A HUGE FAN BASE. DO YOU FIND IT INTIMIDATING?
It’s humbling when people become emotional when they meet you. I met one who had a quote from my book tattooed onto their torso! I do feel a responsibility towards my fans, though. A lot of them weren’t happy about the delay with the third book, so I blogged explaining why. I felt terribly guilty about the whole thing.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SERIES?
The Song Rising sees the clairvoyants travel out of London to Manchester and Edinburgh. With each book, I’ve opened the world up a bit more, so eventually it reaches a global scale.
YOU’VE SAID YOU DON’T LIKE THE PHRASE ‘STRONG’ FEMALE CHARACTER. WHY NOT?
It comes from a good place, but it’s flawed. We compare all supposedly ‘strong’ female characters to Katniss Everdeen and Hermione Granger, but we don’t say, “your male character is strong like Sherlock Holmes”. I prefer the term ‘complex’ – female characters that are as interesting and morally grey as their male counterparts. »
The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon (Bloomsbury, £12.99; out 7th March)
“I was called the next JK Rowling… but it felt like it was setting me up not to succeed”