In an author’s headspace: Hayley Chewins

THE Highway Mail caught up with the wildly talented South African author, Hayley Chewins, who recently released, The Turnaway Girls.

The book was chosen by Kirkus as one of the best books of 2018, and by the ALA as one of the best feminist books for young readers.

Hayley studied classical voice for a year before she switched to a degree in English and Italian, dabbled in law and completed an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University.

Hayley lives in Johannesburg with her husband and a very small poodle. Her next book, The Sisters of Straygarden Place, will launch in 2020.

How old were you when you wrote your first story and what was it about?

The first story I ever wrote ends with a girl who “cried for the rest of her life,” which I consider a very on brand for me. I wrote it when I was four. My mum recently found it and had it framed, so it’s hanging in my house now.

How did it feel when you learnt that you received your first book deal?

It felt incredible! I still remember the evening my agent called to tell me the news. It was about 9pm and I was already in my pyjamas. When she told me, I just went really quiet. I was speechless! Then we hung up and my husband poured me a whiskey.

What inspired the storyline in your current novel, The Turnaway Girls?

It started with a question: what would it feel like to be a muse? Specifically, what would it feel like to be a muse who wanted to make art herself? The story went through many iterations before I landed on the idea of girls on a stormy island, turning music into gold.

What did you aim to achieve with the book?

I wanted to write about creativity, identity, and music, and I wanted to make something beautiful. I hope I succeeded.

What is your writing process? From developing the characters to the world they inhabit.

I usually start with an image, and I have to try to figure out how that image fits into a story. I like to let ideas marinate for a while, sometimes up to two years, before I start brainstorming them and creating rough outlines. It’s a complicated process, but I love it. I don’t consciously develop characters. It’s more a process of putting them in scenes and watching what they do.

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Who is your favourite author and what is your favourite book?

I love Franny Billingsley’s worlds and knack for language (The Folk Keeper is my favourite). I adore Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, too. I also love Neil Gaiman, David Almond, R.M. Romero, Katherine Rundell, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, KA Reynolds, and Philip Pullman.

How would you describe your style of writing in three words?

Rhythmic, precise and magical.

What is one piece of crucial advice you could impart to aspiring young authors?

In order to connect, you have to be vulnerable. You have to say the things only you can say.

What work did you do before you became an author?

I started working towards becoming an author when I was still at university, but during the journey I’ve done lots of odd jobs, from writing blogs for a digital marketing agency to teaching English to pre-schoolers.

How involved are you with your cover design?

The amazing team at Candlewick chose Sarah J. Coleman to create the jacket, and seeing the process unfold before my eyes was nothing short of magical. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better cover for this story.

Can you give us a brief insight into what we can expect with your next book?

The Sisters of Straygarden Place is a middle grade fantasy novel about three sisters who are cursed with insomnia and abandoned to the care of a magical mansion. When one of them falls grievously ill, they must unravel the mystery of their home’s origins and their parents’ disappearance before she is lost forever.

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