Stephanie Wrobel
Author Interview - Stephanie Wrobel
Author I draw inspiration from: There are so many. If I have to pick just one, I’ll go with Shirley Jackson. Her storytelling manages to be creepy, whimsical, and thought-provoking all at once. She simultaneously fascinates and terrifies.
Favorite place to read a book: On my couch under a blanket in cozy clothes.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Evelyn Hugo from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Imagine the tales she’d have.
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I can’t remember ever not wanting to be an author. That said, I remember perfectly the moment I decided to take it seriously. I was walking back from the gym in London (where I live). After months of hemming and hawing over whether I should apply to MFA programs, I gave myself permission to do it, to take two years to write my first novel. Darling Rose Gold is the result!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Hardback. They may be impractical to tote around but I love the jackets, the endpapers, the regal look of them.
The last book I read: The Power by Naomi Alderman. Its premise is one I’ve obsessed over for years: what would happen if women were as physically strong as, or stronger than, men? The novel is so considered, from the individual perspective all the way up to a global one.
Pen & paper or computer: If I’m brainstorming, pen and paper. If I’m struggling to get my writing day started, pen and paper. But once things are rolling, my computer.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Eleanor Oliphant because she’s hilarious… but she’d probably rebuff my friendship advances.
If I wasn’t an author, I’d be a: My dream job, for which I have no talent nor qualifications, is a backup dancer. I’m also a thousand percent onboard if the role of professional dog petter ever comes into existence.
Favorite decade in fashion history: Ooh. Fashion looked the most fun to me in the 1920s: flapper dresses! beads! feathered headbands! But the 1960s are more compatible with my actual style: bold colors! shorter dresses! pointy flats!
Place I’d most like to travel: Japan is next on my list, and I’m determined to make it happen in 2021.
My signature drink: I love an old-fashioned.
Favorite artist: Hieronymus Bosch. His paintings, especially The Garden of Earthly Delights, get my imagination spinning. I stumbled upon it at the Prado and stared for a good half hour.
Number one on my bucket list: Publish a book, which I’m so thrilled to finally get to do this year!
Anything else you'd like to add: Thanks so much for the opportunity!
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