Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org
Name:
Alexandra Beaumont, or Alex is fine (she/her)
Which region are you based in?
I live in Bedfordshire, and work in London (UK)
If you write, which genre?
Fantasy
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
Folklore, folk-horror and the gothic.
Your influences
Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?
My mum told me ghost stories and tales of King Arthur. I can’t remember how old I was but I remember running around forests pretending to be characters from Lord of the Rings or Robin Hood at a very young age.
How does that early influence show up in your work (writing/agenting/publishing/editing/reading) now?
Well my stories directly draw on folklore and my latest book, Dissonance of Bird Song, is based on some Cornish folklore. I also did my studies with a heavy emphasis on gothic fiction, so the ghost stories crept in there too.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
The veil of things that could be mystical or could be imagined, fuelled by the fears created through cautionary tales to advise us not to go into the woods in case we get cursed or eaten by something there.
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
I found this one hard, but one author I really enjoyed the book of was Alexis Henderson’s The Year of Witching. I am talking about this specifically because I barely hear anyone recommend this book, and I thought it was wonderful and brave. I read it in a week.
Your work
You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.
Dissonance of Bird Song is a haunting folklore fantasy, with folk horror and gothic themes laced within. Imagine you live on the ancient, wild Cornish cliffs and to survive you need to inhale an enchanted fog from the lungs of birds who only visit in Spring. Except, the birds are dying and the Myst is running out. Now, you and your sister are banished to the mines. Don’t worry about what happens when your Myst runs out though… you can leave your life on land and accept the curse of a sea queen to save your sister. Problem solved.
What are you working on right now?
The sequel to Dissonance of Bird Song. I am also the event rep for London’s BFS events, and I want to help authors find more readers – especially if they are just starting out and aren’t a big name. And I also just finished an album to accompany Dissonance of Bird song! Swirling seas and storms come together with music inspired by the book’s folkloric fantasy vibes. The cover mock-up is pictured; stay tuned for release details.
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
They all exist in liminal spaces, with people facing impossible choices and difficult consequences. The characters try their hardest, and often fail, but keep fighting for what they care about.
Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?
Wherever I can—sometimes on the train home from work (if I haven’t fallen asleep) or sometimes the ideas come to me when I listen to music. I structure my writing with careful planning to make sure I can stay productive even when not feeling creative.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
Write it first, edit it later. Don’t sweat the errors in a first draft.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
Gothic symphonic metal and the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.
The Quickfire Round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Fantasy
Quiet or loud?
I’m generally loud.
Dark or light?
Depends on context. Can I say both?
Strict lines or genre blend?
Genre blend. Normal is boring.
Awards or bestseller?
I just got a Distinguished Favourite award in the Independent Press Awards 2025, so I guess award? But, sure, a bestseller would be lovely! An author can dream.
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction
Poetry or prose?
Prose.
Plotter or pantser?
Plotter, all the time. I need it to keep me on track for and regularly writing.
Reading or listening?
Reading
Notebook or computer?
Computer
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
Argh, I find it hard to answer this. I have so many different ones, for many different reasons. I’ll say again, Year of Witching was amazing. Inkheart will always be special to me, as well.
Last book you read?
Grief is a Thing with Feathers – Max Porter
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
Mmm, not really. I kind of need to be won by the concept of a book, but for a while I’d buy anything by Naomi Novik because I loved Temeraire.
Favourite podcast?
Alternative Stories and Fake Realities. Chris champions new talent and makes wonderful recordings of book extracts for starting-out authors, as well as making some wonderful award-winning audio drama series (Dex Legacy).
The Home Stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
Geekyness, friendly people, and fun conversations. I’ve always belonged in fantasy / LARP / TTRPG crowds, and the SFFH community is an extension of that for me.
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
My latest book, Dissonance of Bird Song, has been named a Distinguished Favourite award in the Independent Press Awards 2025 as I mentioned earlier. My books are fantasy with heavy lashings of folklore and the gothic.
You can find my work on AlexandraBeaumontAuthor.Com, and I’m @ABeaumontWriter on most socials.
Also if you’re in the London vicinity, join me as I chat with Kit Whitfield and Anna Smith about modern diverse fantasy for Waterstones Covent Garden. Tickets and details are here.
Quotes about my books:
“Dissonance of Bird Song is a haunting and original mixture of Cornish-folk-fantasy. Eseld is a formidable heroine, a song-weaver turned warrior on a quest through an enchanted world where magic clings like myst. Beaumont’s novel evokes the unique and beautiful setting of Cornwall, mingling these observations of the land and seascapes with praiseworthy worldbuilding.”
—Tracy Fahey, author of They Shut Me Up and New Music for Old Rituals on DISSONANCE OF BIRD SONG
“Fast-paced, with nuanced characters and believable parallels to our own world.”
—Kirkus Reviews on TESTAMENT OF THE STARS