The shortlisted works across all 13 categories of the British Fantasy Awards have been announced! Find out who’s in the mix over on our blog. Winners announced at Fantasycon in October.
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Announcement:
Meet M.E. Moirin
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, including preferred pronouns:
M.E. Moirin (pen name), (she/her)
If you write, which genre:
Fantasy
If you don’t write, what do you do?
My day job is in research economics
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
It varies. It used to be lots of either grimdark or epic fantasy, now I’m leaning more towards myth-retellings, slice-of-life fantasy, folklore and fantasy with female or queer protagonists, no matter the sub-genre.
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?
That’s a tough one. Like most sci-fi/fantasy fans, I grew up with the usual suspects: Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and, for books, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, etc. There was a period where the Percy Jackson books brought me back to fantasy. Later, it was Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy and Robin Hobb. I now devour pretty much everything fantasy.
How does that early influence show up for you (in life/writing/agenting/publishing/editing/reading) now?
I’m actually not from the UK originally. I grew up with Slavic folklore and tales, and I’ve always wanted to bring the magic I felt while reading those tales to modern audiences.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
Other books and series mostly, even if indirectly. Also, more directly, folk tales, legends and myths, and how they’ve shaped human thinking.
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
The first author I ever met was Mark Lawrence (pictured). Chatting with him was the first evidence that the writers whose books I’ve spent hours devouring are indeed real and not just a figment of my imagination. He was also incredibly kind and patient in answering my endless questions. I’ve looked up to him ever since. I also really admire that he’s a very versatile writer who started with grimdark, but also later shifted to other fantasy subgenres. It’s something I’m myself exploring with my writing.
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.
The Girl Who Cheated the Wind is a Slavic folklore fairytale deconstruction that takes place in the Ottoman Empire. When a powerful Vizier curses Jasna, she must travel through a realm that she thought was only part of her Nana’s tales—but it turns out is very much real—to reclaim the shadow he stole. Along the way, she encounters creatures such as zmei (Slavic dragons) and people, both friend and foe, and learns to trust and accept herself for who she is in the process.
It’s inspired by a Bulgarian poem where the protagonist defies the Grand Vizier and refuses to marry him. He entombs her shadow in a well, and soon she falls ill and dies. In my story, I wanted to give her a chance to fight back, so she goes on this adventure to reclaim what was stolen and break the curse.
What are you working on right now?
An urban fantasy that wasn’t planned at all. It takes place in Edinburgh and explores themes of love, grief, and what we’d do to bring back the ones we love. After that, I’m planning on going back to exploring Slavic folklore and myths in fantasy settings.
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
I love playing with tropes, and (hopefully successfully) subverting them. I want my works to carry a note of that magical feeling I get while devouring my favourite books. Exploring lesser known Slavic myths to recreate that feeling has been such joy!
Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?
I like writing at cafes or the local library, and editing at home. I’m a big fan of the messy first draft and rewriting it once I find the story.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
Honestly, there’s lots of advice out there: write every day, do this, don’t do that. It doesn’t work for everyone, though. I think that finding your process happens by trial and error, so the best advice I’ve received is to trust myself and persist until I make it work.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
I usually don’t have one, but when I do need to tune out noise, it’s something without lyrics.
The Quick Fire Round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Fantasy
Quiet or loud?
Quiet
Dark or light?
Dark!
Strict lines or genre blend?
Leaning more towards genre-blend
Awards or bestseller?
Why not both?
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction
Poetry or prose?
Prose
Plotter or pantser?
Pantser, unless my first draft counts as a massive 350+pages outline.
Reading or listening?
Lately, with life being so busy, listening to audiobooks has become my go-to. I’d normally say reading, but I can’t focus on anything that’s not audio in between drafting.
Notebook or computer?
Computer—I love the clicking sound of a keyboard. Besides, my handwriting is absolutely atrocious.
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
Like, just one? If I have to go with the book that’s had the biggest impact on me at this stage of my life, it would be the Lord of the Rings.
Last book you read?
All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan and Storm Over Camelot by Sophie Keetch (audio). Both were phenomenal!
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
If I had to pick just one (otherwise it’ll be a long list), Mark Lawrence. His books are so varied, they’re always such a pleasant surprise.
Favourite podcast?
It’ll be remiss of me not to say Long Story Short.
The Home Stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
I’m one of the more recent members, and can’t help but wonder what took me so long to join the BFS. The community is absolutely amazing, so helpful, nice, and there’s zero judgement. I love how everyone goes out of their way to hype you on your writing journey and I’m happy to do so for them as well—there are some amazing authors waiting to be discovered. It’s like a found family!
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
The Girl Who Cheated the Wind is available on audio, ebook, and paperback. Currently on Amazon, Audible, Waterstones (online), and libraries. I’m planning on expanding to other stores as well.
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