Answers with Deborah Harkness

Answer 1

Your first fiction novel, A Discovery of Witches, made the #2 spot the 2011 New York Times Best Seller List. What did that feel like?

It felt wonderful! I'd never dreamed of being a bestseller like many writers do - all I ever wanted was to be a historian, but it was fantastic not only for me but for everyone else who helped to make the book such a success.

Answer 2

Did you always know you wanted A Discovery of Witches to be the first of a three-book series?

No. I always knew I had a story to tell in three parts, but in my inexperience I thought I would be able to accomplish the job in one book, divided into three parts. Needless to say, I underestimated how long it would take me.

Answer 3

Which book in the series is your favorite?

Like a parent, I'm not supposed to have a favorite. I suppose if I had to choose it would be Shadow of Night. But remember: I am a historian.

Answer 4

You started your professional writing career in nonfiction. What led you to make the switch from facts to fairytales?

An accident. There was no deliberate decision. I just started wondering if there really were vampires what did they do for a living? Soon thereafter I was writing a novel.

Answer 5

Did you enjoy reading as a child? What were your favorite books?

I was a huge reader as a child. I loved biographies, Nancy Drew, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I'm sure somewhere in there is the secret formula for the All Souls Trilogy.

Answer 6

If you could timewalk like Diana and Matthew, what time periods would you return to?

No big surprise: 1590. The period from 1580-1600 is my absolute favorite, so there is a reason Diana and Matthew spend time there.

Answer 7

You currently teach European History and the History of Science at The University of Southern California in Los Angeles. How did that contribute to your fiction writing?

My background in European history and the history of science are on every page of the All Souls Trilogy. I have been a student of history since the early 1980s, and not a day goes by that I don't learn something new about the people and period that fascinates me. I wanted to bring that enthusiasm for the past to my fiction, and try to convince readers that the past is not only meaningful and relevant, it's also fun.

Answer 8

What message do you hope readers take away from The Book of Life?

There is more uniting us than dividing us.

Answer 9

Deborah Harkness is a New York Times bestselling author known for her All Souls trilogy, which includes "A Discovery of Witches." Her novels combine history, romance, and fantasy elements to create immersive stories that captivate readers worldwide. Harkness's writing has been praised for its intricate world-building and well-developed characters.