An Interview with Hannah Snutch

Hannah Snutch is an up-and-coming writer from England. She has bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Leeds and is the author of Forgotten Reign. Hannah, who has featured in publications such as Teen Vogue, writes compelling fantasy novels that feature strong heroines, fiery romances and plot twists you’d never expect. Hannah is best known for her Booktok account, which has accumulated a large following. Join her booktok community, @hannahsnutch.

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

I’ve been inspired by other books I’ve read, by music and film and everything in-between. There are so many genres but I have a long standing fascination with ‘romantasy.’ The blend between romance and the fantastical is something that intrinsically calls to me and I believe that’s what has allowed me to immerse myself in the world of my book.

But mostly, it has been my brother Daniel. I’ve always wanted to write but he’s been my biggest supporter. Whenever I felt unsure or doubted myself, he was always there to cheer me on.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

For as long as I can remember I’ve been encouraged to write a book. I’ve often been told the phrase ‘you have a way with words’. Writing comes very naturally to me. My notes app on my iPhone is filled with ideas for books I hope to one day write. One day when on a run, I pictured a scene in my head and I started to form a plot around the scene. ‘What motivated the characters?’ ‘Who are they?’ ‘What is their backstory?’ From that point onwards I couldn’t stop writing ideas down, until one day I realised I’d written the plot not just for one book but a whole series. That was two years ago and I haven’t stopped writing since.

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

What an excellent question! For me personally, music was very influential to my writing process and it still is. Music helps me to enter the world of my book, to zone out and focus on my writing. The songs that I played on repeat were: “In This Shirt” by The Irrepressibles, “Experience” by Ludovico Einaudi and “Wait” by M83. Music has the incredible talent of transporting us to other realms, it certainly does that for me. Listening to these songs whilst writing my book allowed me to express what I saw in my mind and detail it on paper, if someone were to read my book and listen to these songs, I believe it would blend together seamlessly.

Describe your dream book cover.

The dream book cover would be one that fully encapsulates what my book is about. It would condense the entire story into one image, one that makes a potential reader take one look and say ‘Yes, I want to read that one!’. I’ve tried to imagine my book cover in hundreds of different ways and I am yet to find the right concept. The most important characteristic for me is that the cover is eye-catching but also individualistic. The romantasy genre is a competitive one, therefore I’d like my cover to pop off the shelf and stand out amongst the crowd.

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

I’ve worked in marketing for the past three years. It’s an industry that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning about and I feel that it’s been essential to my journey as a writer. Marketing is all about trying to sell, it’s about being creative and attracting an audience – much like being a writer. Combining my skillset as a marketer and my love of books I was able to create my BookTok account. It has truly been one of my greatest joys, running the account. Everyday I’m able to share my thoughts on popular books and connect with other readers in the community. I cherish every moment of it and it’s been humbling to watch my account grow.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

My book aims to excite readers. There have been periods of my life when I’ve been in a reading slump. Either life has got me down or I’ve been busy living and reading has taken a back seat. Whenever this happens there’s always one book that gets me out of the slump. The book is always different but there’s always one that you pick up, not expecting to love it but you fall for it in a matter of pages. Without realising it you’re speed reading the book, you’re excited to turn every page, you want to savour every moment but you’re also eager to finish to know how it ends. That’s the book I’ve tried to write for my readers. Books, TV shows and films can be predictable, and there’s a comfort in it but there’s also a love of mystery and the unknown. Forgotten Reign is exactly that, it’s a book that features tropes we know and love but wrapped in a plot that will keep you guessing.

My perfect reader is anyone that decides to read my book. my perfect reader is the person that stays up till the early hours of the morning just to read one more chapter. My perfect reader is the person that tells their friends about my books, the person that creates fan art of the characters and it’s the person that finishes the book only to clutch it to their chest and wish there was more. I’m a writer but before anything else I’m a reader. This book is for all the readers out there who want to escape reality.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.