Episode 47: Interview with author Natasha Siegel

In this episode, Susie sits down with author Natasha Siegel to dive into her dark, atmospheric, and deeply thought-provoking gothic fantasy novel, As Many Souls As Stars. They explore the book’s genre-blending heart - part historical fiction, part sapphic gothic, part Faustian re-imagining, and how Natasha uses three time periods to interrogate the portrayal of women across history.Natasha chats about her writing process, drafting and redrafting her way into the emotional core of the story, and the long and winding path to publication. She discusses the importance of feminist storytelling in fantasy, the challenges of representing complex characters like Sybil and Miriam, and why she intentionally leans into themes of isolation, desire, and power.They also touch on the realities of being an author today. Why Natasha avoids spaces like Goodreads and how she protects her creativity. And of course, there are brilliant book recommendations for anyone who loves intelligent, character-driven fantasy.You can find Natasha here: https://www.instagram.com/natashacsiegel/You can buy As Many Souls As Stars here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/as-many-souls-as-stars-natasha-siegel/7846081?ean=9781526684622&next=tBooks recommended in this episode:Hungerstone by Kat Dunn: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/hungerstone-kat-dunn/71f4d3adb2ad40d0?ean=9781786583949&next=tGlorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/glorious-exploits-ferdia-lennon/7450925?ean=9780241998007&next=t