Author Interview: H. S. Norup

This week I am delighted to be joined by the lovely and very talented author, H. S. Norup, author of ‘The Missing Barbegazi’, ‘The Hungry Ghost‘ and most recently ‘Into Faerie Hill’.

Thank you so much for joining me, Helle, and congratulations on the recent publication of your third middle grade novel, Into the Faerie Hill. I knew from the opening lines of the book that I would absolutely love it (and I did!). I love how you combine the beautiful idyllic countryside, normal pursuits such as Saga minding her younger siblings, Alfred left at Granny’s while Dad goes to work, even Saga’s eco-activism, with really dark undercurrents (Little Mother and Little Father, veiled threats and sinister vines!). Can you tell me about the inspiration for this story and also why you incorporated such wonderfully creepy elements?

Thank you so much! All my books are set in the magical space where the real world and the fantastical overlap. Ever since Lucy entered the wardrobe and found Narnia, I’ve loved those kinds of stories. As for the creepy elements, then I honestly don’t know where they come from, though I’ve always been drawn to the darker fairy tales and prefer Grimm to Disney. I’ve also always been scared of the dark, and I used to imagine all kinds of monsters under my bed, so perhaps this is my way of dealing with the monsters.

I’m so glad you chose writing as a means of (hopefully!) vanquishing them! You are also so good at creating empathetic characters, from Tessa and Gawion in The Missing Barbegazi, to Freja and Ling in The Hungry Ghost. Into the Faerie Hill features Alfred, a boy who never knew his mother, is bullied over his limp, and longs to understand who he is and where he fits in. Can you tell me about Alfred, what inspired his character, and who came first – Alfred or Faerie Hill?

That is such an interesting question. I think the Faerie Hill has always been there, buried deep in my imagination. The first character that came to me was actually a water sprite. Years ago, I created one as part of writing exercise in a workshop, and I had a short story about that water sprite published in the (sadly discontinued) children’s magazine SCOOP.

Alfred and his feelings of otherness and desire to belong are in some ways inspired by my own sons. As a family, we have moved a few times and lived in different countries. Overall, I think it is a gift to my sons (and they agree); they are native speakers in three languages and understand different cultures from first-hand experience. But this international-school life comes at a price—feeling like an outsider after every move, losing friends when they move away, and a degree of rootlessness—and I tried to capture some of that in Alfred.

Sounds a wonderful experience to me but definitely has its downsides! I wanted to ask you about Saga, who is such an engaging character. She is a natural leader, who throws herself heart and soul into saving the surrounding natural beauty spots from destruction. She seems eccentric when we meet her first, with her striped leggings and inside out clothes, but as the story unfolds we realise she’s actually really clever. One of my favourite scenes is when she takes out her wooden hour glass and chalk and bits of yarn. I love how this thorough and intelligent approach applies as much to her eco-activism as to her venturing into Faerie. Tell me, how many of her traits does she share with you? Are you alike in any way? If you happen to have a tree-sprite masquerading as a toad companion, it’s safe to share that here 😉.

I wish I had a tree-sprite companion! (But I’d obviously keep it secret if I did.)

I do throw myself heart and soul into the things I’m passionate about, and I definitely share Saga’s can-do attitude and preparedness. In part because I was a scout from I was six years old until my early twenties, and in part because my dad, who had also been a scout throughout his childhood, would go into the woods with us and build dens and weave mats out of straw, and things like that. As a scout, I also learnt early on to care for nature and protect the environment.

Alfred and his search for belonging also impacted Saga’s character, because I wanted her to be his opposite in that regard. She is therefore rooted in her local environment and comfortable in nature. Like Alfred, Saga is an outsider, but where he tries to hide, she revels in standing out, and he learns a lot from how she carries herself in the world.

Yes, Alfred and Saga are very different but wonderful characters and I think learn from each other, which is great. (I am also totally convinced you do have a tree-sprite friend that you’re not sharing with us!) I’ve read all your books and I am struck by how they are so varied in setting, characters and perspective. Is this just how the muse strikes or is it a deliberate choice?

I’m glad you think so, because I don’t want to write the same story or perspective twice. It has been a deliberate choice to pursue stories that I felt I was uniquely positioned to tell. I don’t believe in the ‘write what you know’ adage as such, but I think certain experiences can add a level of depth to a story. For me, having lived in the Alps and spent hours helping out with my sons’ ski race training, gave me a unique understanding of Tessa and her life for The Missing Barbegazi. And my experience of moving to Singapore and discovering new cultures and superstitions (as well as years as a scout) enabled me to write from Freja’s perspective in The Hungry Ghost.

With regard to Into The Faerie Hill, then I have, as mentioned, had water sprites and other faerie creatures living inside my head from before my first book was published. For years, I was mulling over what novel-sized stories I might tell from this world. Perhaps the muse helped bring a few ideas together. My first notes on this book are from 2019, and they contain: a boy protagonist who’s searching for his mother, faeries who protect nature, strange animal woodcarvings, and an eco-warrior girl with a speaking toad who has had her shadow stolen. The story evolved from there. No doubt the pandemic and being limited to walking in the forest behind our house influenced the setting.

I’m intrigued as to where I can find the Faerie Hill, I think it has an Alpine air. Had you a specific location in mind when you wrote the story?

I had several forests and dripstone caverns around the world in mind for this setting, but I deliberately did not want to choose one of them and set the book in a specific real-world place. The location is however more inspired by the hills and Jura mountains north of where I live, than the Alps. Interestingly, several UK-based reviewers were convinced the setting was inspired by areas close to them and construction sites for the controversial British HS2 high-speed train lines. And I’m more than happy for readers to imagine the Faerie Hill is somewhere in their local area.

Have you favourite place or time to write? Are you able to follow a set writing regime, or does writing fit in around family life, or indeed the seasons (skiing and hiking)?

I’m most productive in the mornings and in my office (with the door closed), but I can write at other times and in other quiet places. I generally write or edit during the day every weekday and take weekends and holidays off to be with my family (and ski or hike). Though if I’m in an intensive writing phase, I’ll write nights and weekends too. I track the number of written words or time spent editing in my bullet journal. It’s a way to see that some progress has been achieved and I find that immensely satisfying.

Encouraging too, I’d imagine! Finally, can you tell us what you are working on now and what we can look forward to? Dare I hope for a return visit to Faerie Hill in the future?

You can look forward to a return visit! I’m editing a sequel to Into The Faerie Hill at the moment. This new story starts when Saga and Alfred discover that their solution to the problem in the first book, might have caused new problems for the faeries…

Excellent! I am really excited to hear this, and I look forward to spending more time with Alfred and Saga (and yes, Little Mother and Little Father too! 🙂 )! Thanks so much for a fascinating and insightful interview, Helle, and best of luck with the editing!

Watch out for my review of Into The Faerie Hill next week, and in case you missed my reviews of Helle’s other works, check them out here: my review of The Hungry Ghost and The Missing Barbegazi.

To find out more about H. S. Norup, her books and inspiration for her writing, check out her website: www.hsnorup.com

You can also find her on Twitter or Instagram @hsnorup

Author bio:

H. S. Norup is the award-winning author of Into The Faerie Hill, The Hungry Ghost and The Missing Barbegazi—a Sunday Times Book of the Year in 2018. She grew up in Denmark, where she devoured fairy tales and escaped into books. After living in six different countries, she now resides in Switzerland and writes stories inspired by her travels, set in the borderlands between the real and imaginary worlds. When she’s not writing or reading, she spends her time outdoors either skiing, hiking, swimming or taking photos.