Meet the Author: Susan Stokes-Chapman

Susan Stokes-Chapman grew up in the historic Georgian city of Lichfield before moving on to spend four years in Aberystwyth, graduating with a BA in Education & English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing.

Susan's debut novel Pandora will be published in January 2022 by Harvill Secker. It is a loose reinterpretation of the Greek myth of Pandora's Box, telling the story of aspiring jewellery artist Dora Blake and her encounter with an ancient vase which her tyrannical uncle is desperately keen to keep a secret.

The novel was shortlisted for the 2020 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and longlisted for the Bath Novel Award that same year. You can find Pandora on our catalogue.

1. Who were your heroes as you were growing up and when did you first start writing?

I wouldn’t necessarily say I had writing heroes growing up as I devoured such a lot of literature as a child, all from wide-ranging genres. I read anything from non-fiction books about the Ancient Egyptians and the natural world, to the Goosebumps and Sweet Valley Twins series, and then as I grew older I shifted to the likes of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice, which is probably where my love of the Gothic began. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t discover Dickens, Austen and the Brontës until much much later.

The first definitive novel that probably planted the writing seed in my mind was L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, but the writer who made me fall in love with historical fiction was American author Shirlee Busbee. She wrote what my mum refers to as ‘corset rippers’ in the 70s, but Busbee was the queen of creating a believable romance around a sweeping historically accurate backdrop and it was her amazing level of research that drew me in – it just jumped beautifully from the page without sounding like a history book. So, while I started writing on and off from a very early age (I had a ripe imagination right from the start), it was only when I ‘found’ Busbee’s novels aged around 14 that I knew I wanted to be an historical fiction author.

2. What was the path to getting your big break as a writer and how do you view that journey looking back at your younger self?

My journey was rather slow and tortuous! I studied English Literature and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University, and whilst I was studying for my MA I learnt about the story of essayist William Hazlitt and his love affair with Sarah Walker which resulted in his writing the controversial Liber Amoris. The story behind this love affair fascinated me completely, and I vowed one day to write a novel about it. I probably spent about ten years on that novel and four of those years submitting it to agents without any luck.

I’ve actually written a blog about my writing journey which you can read on my website, and even as I was writing the blog I was struck by how much I’ve changed both as a person and a writer. I was so desperate to ‘make’ it in my twenties, but now as I’m heading into the twilight years of my thirties I recognise how immature I was. Had my first novel found an agent I’m not sure I’d have approached this whole publishing process with the same attitude I have now. I’m a lot more focused and calmer about everything nowadays, and don’t take myself quite so seriously.

3. What is your writing routine?

I would love to say I’m one of those writers that gets up at 5am, starts writing at 6 through to midday, etc etc, but I’m not a morning person at all and it often takes me a long time to get going. With the best will in the world I aim to be at my desk by 12, but even if I am I don’t seem to get into my stride until about 2pm. Even then, the writing can feel like a slog if the inspiration isn’t flowing. I am however a night owl so as a late starter I’m also a late finisher. If I have a deadline I can still be at my desk at 1 or 2 in the morning, and I will pull the odd all-nighter if duty calls for it! I will say this – I’m more productive in the summer months, which probably has something to do with lighter days and nights which makes me feel like I have more time in which to work.

While I’m writing I find that listening to classical music helps me focus. If I listen to the radio I get too distracted, so I need a continuous stream of instrumental music, and I’ve a particular fondness for J. S. Bach. I also like to have an incense oil burner on in the room. Writing is often a pleasure (sometimes a chore) but it’s also a job at the end of the day – if I’m going to be sat at my desk for hours on end, then I need to feel as relaxed as possible whilst I’m there. If the writing really isn’t coming then I’ll take myself off for a walk or a drive in the countryside. That usually helps clear the head or refocus an idea. Thankfully I live in North Wales so there’s a lot of beauty around to inspire me when the tank is empty!

4. Pandora is your debut novel. Can you tell us a little about it?

My novel Pandora is a loose re-interpretation of the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box, set in the antiquity scene of Georgian London. It’s the story of Dora Blake, a tenacious and passionate young woman who dreams of being a jewellery artist. She lives with her uncle Hezekiah in the dark and crumbling antique shop he inherited from Dora’s parents who died years before in an archaeological dig gone wrong.

The novel opens with the arrival of a mysterious shipment which her uncle acts really strangely around and won’t let Dora anywhere near. Completely intrigued as to what it is and why Hezekiah is behaving so oddly, she breaks into the basement where he keeps it, and what Dora finds there is an ancient and beautifully preserved Grecian vase. She ends up joining forces with Edward Lawrence, a kind and intelligent antiquarian scholar, and together they discover that the vase is the key to unlocking their destinies...

5. How did the characters of Dora and Edward come to life and how did they evolve in the writing and editing process?

Dora popped into my head pretty much fully formed. I knew I wanted her to be a jewellery designer with a pet magpie, I knew she had to be an orphan and that she had to live in an antique shop. I also knew Dora had to be a fiery and stubborn young woman, fighting to find her place in the world. I wanted a heroine who could be immediately likeable, who could evoke sympathy, but who was also a strong character in her own right. She’s completely reliant on Hezekiah and she has no money of her own, so the odds are heavily stacked against her, but she thrives anyway. Even so, she definitely evolved from the original Dora I’d created in my head.

I’ll be honest, when I was writing the first draft of the novel I didn’t really know where the story was coming from. It was a very organic process to begin with, but over the course of editing the novel (there were four rounds of structural edits with my editor) I actually came to realise how similar I am to Dora – we’ve both felt trapped by circumstance, we’ve both struggled to find recognition for our creativity, and we’ve both had to be determined and unrelenting to fulfil our dreams, so she really is a character very close to my heart and I think bringing her to life on the page was a series of subconscious choices.

When it comes to Edward, he actually came in much later. I’d written about ten chapters of the novel before I realised the story couldn’t be carried by Dora alone. By this time I’d already decided that the Society of Antiquaries was going to feature in the story, so it made sense to create a character who linked to it. Edward also needed to compliment Dora, and though their histories are very different they have very similar story arcs – they essentially want the same things, which is to be recognised by a society that would seek to curtail their ambition, and they work really well as a team to overcome all the obstacles put in their way. It was incredibly satisfying to bring Edward and Dora to life and watch them grow together over the writing process.

6. Did you have a knowledge or interest in Georgian London and antiques before you wrote Pandora?

As I mentioned earlier, my first since-shelved novel focused on the love affair between William Hazlitt and Sarah Walker. It was set in 1820s Holborn, so I’d already done a lot of research into Georgian London before Pandora even popped into my head. It made sense, then, to use that prior knowledge. In terms of my knowledge of antiquities, it was limited. I spent quite a bit of time being dragged around antique shops as a child with my parents so I wasn’t completely oblivious, but I definitely had to hit the research books to really flesh out the antiquity scene. I really loved that part of the research, and learning about the Society of Antiquaries and the illegal trading was a big eye-opener.

7. Is there anything you can share with us about your latest project?

Only that it’s a novel set in Georgian Wales! At the moment I’m still trying to find my feet with it, so until I have a draft that both my agent and editor approve of, I’ll have to keep schtum for now.

8. One book that everybody should read?

Oh, there are so many! I of course have my influences – Jane Eyre, the works of Austen, and more recent novels such as Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist, Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent, and Elizabeth Macneal’s The Doll Factory. I’ve been lucky enough to be sent proof copies of novels due out in the coming months, and there are so many brilliant novels readers should be looking out for, but I have to recommend Rosie Andrew’s The Leviathan as a definite one to watch. If you like myth and magic in an historical context, then this one for you. It’s out in February.

9. If you had not been a writer what career would you have done instead?

I was always fascinated by archaeology and palaeontology as a child, so perhaps something in that field. But I also liked the idea of being an actress when I was younger – unsurprisingly, I always loved period dramas and would have killed for a part in one of those!

10. Can you tell us one thing about yourself that your readers may not know?

I’m actually a very good singer! It’s something I inherited from my mother (she was a theatre actress in the 70s and one of Ken Dodd’s backing singers), but funnily enough if I have a drink or two I become tone-deaf! Never ask me to perform karaoke after a few glasses of wine, it won’t end well.