An Interview with Kathryn Rossati

Kathryn Rossati is an author of YA and children’s books, and a poet. She is neurodivergent and has hypermobility spectrum disorder. Her favourite hobbies include: country walks (despite her achy limbs and misbehaving joints), tai chi, painting, and anything to do with The Legend of Zelda games. She lives on the Isle of Wight and is often found daydreaming or receiving “constructive” criticism from her boisterous parrot and chatterbox budgie.

Her latest book, Naturally Nic/k, is a middle grade time travel adventure featuring an authentic neurodivergent character, serious sleuthing and magic tricks galore! Naturally Nic/k is set to be published in February 2025 by The Book Guild Ltd.

You can find Kathryn’s other books listed on her website: kathrynrossati.co.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

A few years ago, I was talking to my husband (we weren’t a couple then, but were very good friends), and he was telling me about his interest in magic and cardistry, and it inspired a shy character who wanted to perform magic but wasn’t yet confident enough.

Not long after, I was watching a booktuber/author who was talking about interesting historical locations and goings on, and mentioned that there used to be a fair in a tunnel somewhere in London. The idea of this underground fair really sparked something in me, and after a lot of research, I found out that it was called the Thames Tunnel Fancy Fair and took place in the 1850s.

It seemed like the perfect setting for an adventure involving mystery and magic, but the character I’d been thinking about was more modern and the vague story I had for them didn’t really fit within this grand fair atmosphere. Then I thought how interesting it would be for a magician character from the past to meet a magic student of modern day, and before I realised it, the two ideas had weaved into a time travel tale of two very distinct and fun characters. Thus, Naturally Nic/k was born.

Initially, though I knew that Nic (one of Naturally Nic/k’s main characters) was autistic and did show some of her traits, I didn’t outright say it in the first draft because I wasn’t sure what readers would think – I’d not long been diagnosed myself and was in burnout with related mental health issues, and I was very conscious of the fact that I was deep diving into everything autism related in order to understand and accept myself more. I think I was worried about making an issue of Nic’s neurodivergence rather than showing it’s just how she is.

However, after reading Elle McNicoll’s A Kind of Spark, which holds nothing back and deliberately states that the main character is autistic, I felt more confident in my own writing and had Nic show more of her autistic traits. As I unmasked in my personal life, Nic unmasked her traits alongside me. I loved writing her chapters, and writing Nikolai’s parts was an absolute blast. I think they make a great team, and I can’t wait to share them with the world.

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

The title for Naturally Nic/k came easily to me. In fact, I think I had the title before I really finalised what the book would be about.

As I already mentioned, the idea of one of the characters being a magician was heavily inspired by my husband, and how free and natural he is when talking about magic. So ‘Naturally Nick’ was my working title from the start.

It wasn’t until I worked on the plot more that I introduced the forward slash to separate the name up a bit. I knew I wanted my main characters to have similar names that could be shortened to some form of ‘Nick’ , and ended up with Nicoletta and Nikolai. I also wanted to reference the idea of time, or more specifically, the phrase ‘in the nick of time’, and once I had that, I realised how easy it was to add that tiny tweak to make the title fit perfectly.

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

I don’t believe I listened to anything specific while writing Naturally Nic/k, but for the parts set in Victorian London, I think the soundtracks to the Sherlock Holmes films (the ones starring Robert Downey Jr) would work well.

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

At the time of writing, I’ve just finished reading Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull by Martin Howard, which is a hilarious and creepy middle-grade read – I highly recommend it to anyone who likes ghosts, witches, and quirky characters with great comebacks.

I’m now reading Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold, which is a contemporary middle-grade. I’m only a little way in, but the writing is gorgeous and I’m already gripped by the story.

As a writer of middle-grade and YA, I think it’s important to read as many middle-grade books as I can to find comparative titles for when I’m pitching my work and keep up with current trends and tropes. (I don’t write towards trends, but I like to be aware of them). I also just have a real love for middle-grade stories – they have a vibrancy to them that I rarely encounter in books aimed at adults.

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

As well as writing, I also love to paint. I’ve always loved art, but didn’t do it regularly until about two years ago, when I ended up in burnout from writing and general life things, and decided to take a year off drafting anything new (I did still edit some of my previous manuscripts, though, as it felt wrong to stop writing altogether).

Anyway, I ended up taking several art courses online on a site called Domestika. I was hooked straight away, and really got into painting with watercolours and gouache (like watercolour but thicker/with more pigment).

I try to paint a few times a month, and often share my (badly photographed) work on Instagram (find me at @dragonink90).

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

I’ve always been a dreamer, lost in my head imagining fantastical things (I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was an adult, but looking back at my younger self, oh, my does it make sense!).

I loved listening to stories, and making up stories, and when I found out that people actually did it for a job, I knew that was what I wanted to do. I can’t remember how old I was when I decided it, but I know it was before I was ten. And the more books I read, the more determined I was to write my own.

There was a period where I stopped writing and making up stories for a while – quite a few years, actually – because someone close to me said there was no money in writing books (meaning, in their view, there was no point). But I missed it terribly, and after my college tutor took my class to an open day at a local university, where I listened to a talk by the creative writing tutor, the longing to write hit me full force and nothing could stop me from diving back in and drafting my first manuscript.

Since then, I’ve written over a dozen novels and collections of poetry, and even a short story collection.

Where is your favorite place to write?

In the comfort of my home. I don’t currently have a desk or writing nook, so I usually sit on the sofa with my laptop on a little fold-out table. I’d love to have a dedicated writing space in the future, though.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Usually having a nice cup of tea next to me, either lemon or jasmine green tea, though mint is also lovely. I also have to have finished any daily tasks, like cleaning out my birds’ cages and doing the washing up before I settle down to write, as they’ll be nagging at my brain otherwise, and being an AuDHDer (autistic and ADHD), I find it hard enough to focus as it is!

I also take care not to force myself to write tonnes each session. I have chronic pain and get easily fatigued, and I’m trying to work on my pacing so I don’t burn myself out. (Much harder than it sounds – when I get in the zone, my ability to hyper-focus kicks in, which is helpful for getting writing done, but afterwards when I tune back into the world, I get hit by everything my brain did such a good job of ignoring: noises, smells, realising I’m hungry/thirsty/need the bathroom, physical discomfort, exhaustion, and feeling ‘spaced out’ because I’ve suddenly task switched). So my aim when I’m actively drafting a new book is to write 500 words a day. If I manage more without overdoing things, that’s great, but if I’m struggling to focus and can’t manage that 500, I try not to beat myself up about it too much. (Again, easier said than done.)

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

I think the most important thing is for autistic kids to feel seen and represented in a positive way.

When I was a kid, there weren’t really any books with characters who thought and acted like me, and those that were around were often written by non-autistic people, with characters who relied heavily on (usually harmful) stereotypes. I still enjoyed reading, but it would have been nice to feel a true kinship with the main character.

Nowadays, there are lots of great books by autistic authors, but authentic and accurate representation doesn’t have a limit, so the more books featuring autistic characters written by autistic authors, the better. By sharing experiences, even in fiction, we help break those stereotypes, create awareness and promote acceptance. That’s why books are so important, and I hope Naturally Nic/k adds to this.

It would also be truly lovely for autistic kids (and adults) to feel that having a brain that works differently from the ‘norm’ is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed by. Yes, being neurodivergent does come with challenges, but we experience the world in unique ways that are just as important and valid as anybody else’s. Neurodivergent people thrive when given the right support, and we’re capable of some amazing things.

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