An Interview with Clara Foxlow

My name is Clara Foxlow, and I’m a writer from the UK with a deep love of folklore, autumn, and cats. The Hollow Season is my debut novel, a young adult story set in the village of Wrenlow, where mystery and memory weave through the lives of its people and six watchful cats.

I write because I believe stories can offer comfort, connection, and a sense of belonging, especially when life feels uncertain. My hope is that readers will step into Wrenlow and feel the same atmosphere and magic that carried me while writing it.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

The Hollow Season was inspired by a very personal chapter in my life. Over the past few years, I went through illness, grief, and anxiety, and during that time my cats became my anchors. Their quiet companionship gave me purpose and comfort when I needed it most.

As I began to heal, I found myself drawn to writing a story where cats weren’t just companions, but guardians — beings who guide, protect, and offer hope when the world feels uncertain. Folklore, autumn, and the mystery of small villages have always inspired me, so I wove those loves together with my own experiences. In many ways, this book is both an escape and a reflection of resilience, and a way to pass on the sense of light my cats gave me.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title The Hollow Season came to me quite naturally, but it wasn’t immediate. I wanted a phrase that captured both the beauty of autumn and the eerie, in-between atmosphere of the story. “Hollow” worked perfectly — it hints at emptiness and mystery, but also at the ancient woodland that shapes the novel. Once I paired it with “Season,” it felt right: a title that suggests something fleeting yet powerful, rooted in both nature and folklore.

Describe your dream book cover.

My dream cover captures the atmosphere of autumn — rich oranges, golds, and deep shadows — with the sense that something magical is just beyond reach. I imagine the silhouette of the village against the trees, with hints of the six cats hidden like guardians in the design. I’d love it to feel both beautiful and a little unsettling, the kind of cover you want to pick up because you know there’s a secret inside.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I think “Army Dreamers” by Kate Bush would absolutely be on the soundtrack. It has that haunting, melancholy tone that feels like it was made for The Hollow Season — unsettling but strangely beautiful. I’d also choose “O’ Children” by Nick Cave, which carries that deep, mournful yet hopeful energy I see running through the book. Beyond those, I imagine a mix of folk songs and atmospheric instrumentals — music that feels like walking through autumn woods at dusk, quiet and reflective, then slowly swelling into something more powerful as the story builds.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

For comfort, I return often to atmospheric books like Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and V.E. Schwab’s The Near Witch — both remind me how powerful setting and mood can be. For research, I’ve delved into English folklore collections and local histories, the kinds of books full of half-remembered myths and rural traditions that spark story ideas. I find that both comfort reads and folklore references feed into the same place: a love of magic threaded through everyday life.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

During the first lockdown, I ran a farm shop alongside my mum. We delivered veg boxes, baked goods, dried goods, and even collected prescriptions for people who were shut inside or vulnerable. It was a strange and challenging time, but being able to help others in a practical way was really meaningful.

In the last year, I’ve been working in charity retail, raising money for animals in need. It feels like a natural fit for me — animals have always been at the centre of my life, and knowing that my work contributes to their care makes it feel worthwhile. Something my readers might not know is that I take a lot of joy in the little creative details, like putting together seasonal displays. I think that love of shaping atmosphere spills over into my writing too.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve always loved stories and the worlds you can build in your imagination through reading. A particular memory I always go back to is reading Shadow Forest by Matt Haig when I was around 11 or 12 years old. I was fascinated by the world he created — I couldn’t put the book down and read it multiple times. I even took it to my English teacher at the time, brimming with enthusiasm, and she loved it too.

I’ve always enjoyed getting lost in stories, and I often see a lot of myself in Alice from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. I’ve always been a dreamer, often fed up with the real world, and much preferring the imaginative and the creative. Writing feels like a natural extension of that — creating the kind of worlds I always wanted to step into as a reader.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My favourite place to write is at home, with my cats close by. Sometimes they sprawl across the desk or curl up on my lap, and while it isn’t always practical, it reminds me why I started writing this story in the first place. There’s something about their quiet presence that makes the world slow down and lets me sink into the atmosphere of Wrenlow.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

I’d tell myself not to worry so much about perfection in the first draft. Stories need space to breathe, and it’s okay to take time finding the shape of them. I’d also remind myself that every scene, even the ones that don’t make it into the final version, teaches you something valuable. Above all, I’d say: trust your voice — it’s worth listening to.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope readers leave The Hollow Season with a sense that even in life’s darker chapters, light can return in unexpected ways. Whether that’s through love, friendship, or the quiet comfort of animals, resilience can be found in the smallest of places. If someone feels a little less alone after reading, then I’ll have achieved what I set out to do.

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