An Interview with Steph Alcan

Born and raised in the South of France, I moved to the UK in my early twenties and have remained here ever since, primarily working as a digital designer.

I have a passion for art in all forms, and I have tried my hand at mostly everything, from painting to acting. I started writing for fun in my thirties, initially experimenting with short stories and later embarking on writing my debut novel, The Permutist, at the same time as enrolling in a creative writing course with Curtis Brown, the famous London-based literary agency.

I live and work in London, UK, with my wife, her two children and our miniature schnauzer, Dorian.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

I started writing The Permutist at a time when I needed an escape due to my personal circumstances. As an avid reader of fantasy and sci-fi books and high consumer of shows such as Battlestar Galactica and Warehouse13, I wanted to write a novel reminiscent of the things I enjoyed about these books and shows but that would include characters I could more closely relate to. I wanted to create a story that remained grounded in reality while sweeping me away from it.

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

The initial title was entirely different. Half-way through writing the novel, I decided to pare back on the complexity of the lore and world building. As a result, I decided to ditch the initial title and look for something that conveyed the otherworldly aspect of the story whilst remaining concise and with a slight edge. This came in the form of a neologism I used to describe one of my characters, The Permutist.

Describe your dream book cover.

I feel I’ve really achieved that dream with my current cover. I always wanted a cover that would be different enough to stand out but still fit into the contemporary fantasy world of book covers. I designed the cover myself and was able to include an incredible amount of detail in it that an outsider cover designer would probably not have been able to achieve due to time constraints. I absolutely adore how it depicts my main characters as well as some of the secondary elements and plot devices that move the story forward, but my favourite aspect is the symbol at the centre. You’ll understand why if you’ve read the story.

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

I find it impossible to write or read while listening to anything containing lyrics as I find myself bursting into song, so I have a very long instrumental playlist that I wrote The Permutist to.

There are many beautiful contemporary classical pieces in that playlist but certain composers like Max Richter, Craig Armstrong, Ezio Bosso, Alexandre Desplat, and Wim Mertens come back often. They would have to be on the soundtrack.

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

While writing, I often find myself going back to The Writer’s Journey. This book was foundational for me, and I consider it a must-read and a go-to when struggling with issues of plot or pace.

For pleasure, I have been swinging between literary fiction and low fantasy/magical realism in the past couple of years. I recently enjoyed Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reed and am currently reading The Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber which is, in fact, very similar to The Permutist in some aspects.

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

I work as a product designer in my day job, which is a fancy way of saying that I design software interfaces. That’s what pays the bills.

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

Life made me want to write, quite simply. Sometimes one needs an escape and writing became mine.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My ideal place would be a cabin in the woods with a view of nature, fields, trees, birds, perhaps a river. I always think of the gazebo at Sissinghurst Castle Garden when I picture this. Such a peaceful place. I imagine Virginia Woolf sitting there.

Realistically, of course, I write at home either on my sofa or at my desk, although my back has prevented me from doing so lately. Not so glamorous, but I guess that’s also why some of us write in the first place.

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

Keep track! Of plot devices, of timelines, of place names. It’s so easy to make mistakes or deviate from an initial idea.

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

I really hope my readers come away from the book with a sense of how important art and culture are to us as humans. I have seen a huge decline in people’s interest in art in general in the past twenty years and this saddens me greatly. Art has been my guiding light my entire life. It’s shown me beauty, a sense of wonder and, at times, given me hope. There is very little humanity in humans without it.

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