Newsletter

March 2024: Routes and Roots

By Katalina Watt | April 1, 2024 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals!

I write this just back from Portugal, where I’ve spent the last fortnight exploring the culture and culinary delights of Lisbon and the Algarve and on a 74km hike around parts of the glorious coastal Rota Vicentina. It’s been a time of unexpected inspiration – this was the first major outdoor adventure I’ve undertaken since getting sick late last year and it was reassuring to carve out a place for myself while travelling and jot down little sparks while I let my revisions percolate.

Writing

During a busy period down in London for the Book Fair and exploring museums and galleries, I had a Very Exciting meeting about hijinks on the high sea which I’m bursting to tell you about, but alas Publishing Secrets strike again.

In pleasant surprises, Haunted Hallways‘ publication has been brought forward to April 2nd, which means you can get your paws on ‘Remain Nameless’ near half-way to Halloween! If you missed out on the Kickstarter you can order your copy here.

If you fancy saving on shipping, To Root Somewhere Beautiful is also available directly from the publisher Outland Entertainment. Bookshop.org. You can also find it on Bookshop.org and in bricks and mortar Barnes and Nobles!

Reading

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

A cross between a Hallmark rom-com and body horror, the novel follows Rory as she puts her city life on hold to return to her small hometown to support her twin sister Scarlett through her pregnancy and recent break-up. There’s women working through their rage and trauma, complex familial relationships tempered by the levity of dark humour, an earnest romance, and fierce love in all forms. This one took me by surprise – I wasn’t sure what to think at first and was lured in by the humour, but found myself connecting with the characters and their journeys through destruction and control.

The Maiden by Kate Foster

I listened to the author at Bloody Scotland’s and was instantly intrigued. Loosely based on a historical crime of passion, Foster’s reimagining of the White Lady of Corstophine is a tantalising dual narrative of two women at opposite ends of 17th century Scottish society: Lady Christian and Violet Blythe; one is a scrappy sex worker, the other an ambitious noblewoman and both are united by their desires for agency and fulfilling their own dreams. The dual narrative voices were so vivid: Violet acerbic and speaking directly to the reader, Christian cerebral and earnest, interspersed with tabloid theatrics. I was rooting for them both even though I knew the story would end in a bloody climax. The bonus Q&A with the author and one of the voice actors was a treat!

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

This was a wild ride in the best way. With shades of Yellowface and a B-movie of a locked door mystery, this novel follows aspiring author Alex, who is fighting writer’s block since her friendship break-up with her co-dependent bestie and fellow writer Wren. Through serendipity/nepotism, both Alex and Wren end up at a coveted women’s writing retreat with their author hero/crush the enigmatic and controversial Roza Vallo. What starts as a heady cocktail of comparanoia turns into a game of deceit where reputation is life or death. With more twists than your favourite psychological thriller, this veered into absurdist melodrama at times but underneath the drama and action, there’s some intriguing meditations on ego, authorial voice, and legacy.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa

This what a lovely little read which accompanied me on jaunts around London. We follow Takako at a quarter-life crossroads after she finds out her boyfriend is marrying someone else. Takako upends her life and accepts her distant uncle’s offer to live and work in Jimbocho, Tokyo’s booklover paradise at his second hand bookshop. Takako learns more about her uncle and estranged aunt, the joy of reading, and matchmakes her new friends. There’s a simple earnestness to this novel which celebrates the empathy and community created through book connections which I really needed this month.

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

I’m so glad I finally made time for this stunning debut: a love letter to Frankenstein by way of queer motherhood, chronic illness, and paleontology. It accompanied me around the Natural History Museum, which was entirely fitting. We follow Mary (nee Brown) Sutherland, great-niece of Victor Frankenstein as she tries to carve a place for herself in 1850s academic scientific circles, finding the perception of her class, gender, and sexuality a barrier for inclusion and recognition, while also acknowledging the racial disparity within these same circles. The characters are so well-drawn, especially the flawed and frustrating men in Mary’s life, and the portrayal of chronic illness through Maisie’s characterisation really struck a chord. It’s sparked some creative energy around my sapphic gothic Victorian novel and I’ll certainly be watching out for C.E. Gill’s next work!

Until April, stay soft, light, slow,

Kat x

February 2024: An Extra Day to While Away

By Katalina Watt | February 29, 2024 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals!

February was a glorious blur of book events and festivals, supporting pals in celebrating their book launches and exciting announcements, speaking on panels at Granite Noir, and a career talk for the postgrad students at Strathclyde. Being among engaged and curious audiences has been so nourishing for me.

Writing

Much of February has been ideas percolating as I’ve listened to other authors speak about craft. I’ve got my edits for hijinks on the high sea and I’m chipping away at this first round of edits, focusing on chronolgy and worldbuilding. I’m having fun drawing maps, pinning down the timelines, and delving into the settings and characters in even more depth.

Also a reminder you can pre-order To Root Somewhere Beautiful in print or e-book to read ‘Mango Heart’, publishing March 5th.

Reading

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Set in a near future where convicts battle-royale for the prize of their freedom. The reader follows the ‘Links’ in their ‘Chain-Gangs’ as they rise through the ranks, where the only currency is death. But they also find connection and collective action. The narrative makes us complicit: screenplay directions, horrific statistics, and head-hopping between the Links, protestors, spectators, and employees of the show. The cognitive dissonance of the prison industrial complex playing out as live entertainment is an unfortunately familiar dystopian theme and yet Adjei-Brenyah’s novel is frenetic, messy, and to quote itself ‘a wild flood of energy running everywhere’.

Gathering: Women of Colour on Nature edited by Durre Shahwar and Nasia Sarwar-Skuse

I have a review of this anthology in the forthcoming March edition of The Skinny and I found this such an essential and thought-provoking collection of essays. I learned so much without it feeling didactic, and there is as much celebration and hope in these pages as rallying cries for change. I love pretty much everything 404 Ink publish and this book introduced me to many creatives whose work I’ll be following going forward!

It’s Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World by Mikaela Loach

This short punchy non-fiction book was a balm for the soul. Grounded and hopeful, Loach is an inspiring figure and approaches climate activism through an intersectional lens. I’m always looking for more books like this, describing practical ways to educate and empower ‘climate delayers’. This is a great primer which centres intersectionality and the work of BPOC communities and I’d recommend to anyone who feels hopeless and overwhelmed by climate action.

No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

This one’s for the chronically online girlies. The first half of this novel is a stream-of-consciousness fever dream in the mind of the protagonist, who is a minor internet celebrity who spends every waking hour in The Portal. There are hyperspecific references to internet scandals and memes – I had a visceral reaction to how many I recognised. In the second half our unnamed protagonist spends more time IRL supporting her sister through pregnancy complications. The tone shifts to a more existential, grief-stricken, and raw prose style. The move from ironic cynicism to genuine earnestness was striking and speaks to the novel’s theme of allowing space for sincerity to come in, because with it will come real pain but also real pleasure.

Until March, stay soft, light, slow,

Kat x

January 2024: Greeting the Year

By Katalina Watt | January 31, 2024 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals!

I hope you’ve all had some time for rest and joy over the winter break. We decided to stay in Edinburgh for the festive period, and it was so lovely being at tourist at home and catching up with pals. I went for my first run and yoga sessions since becoming unwell and it was great to gently become refamiliar with my body’s movements. This month is full of wonderful book events for author pals and it’s such a delight to get together and celebrate.

Writing

Print and e-book cover wraparound for To Root Somewhere Beautiful anthology showing a reclaimed urban space covered in moss, vines, and flowers — Cover artwork by Chris Yarbrough

2023 was full of some real challenges to my mental and physical health, but also the highest of highs with [redacted] news about hijinks on the high seas, a Hugo nomination for my work with khōréō, and two successful Kickstarters for anthologies including my short stories ‘Mango Heart’ (March) and ‘Remain Nameless’ (October). I’m working on revisions for book one of my seafaring duology, and dreaming of warmer climes and summer.

You can pre-order To Root Somewhere Beautiful in print or e-book to read ‘Mango Heart’, publishing March 5th.

Reading

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

I had the pleasure of meeting Thea at her Glasgow launch and was so excited for a high fantasy with nods to Filipino culture and history, and of course a spicy enemies-to-lovers trope. This was such an immersive read following Talasyn and Alaric, a soldier and prince respectively on opposite sides of a war and reluctantly united by their twin complementary powers. Slow-burn romance, courtly intrigue, and a fascinating magic system. Guanzon and this novel have their roots deep in the fandom community, particularly Star Wars, and it’s lovely to see how much fun she has subverting tropes and playing with reader expections.

The Guests by Agnes Ravatn, translated by Rosie Hedger

I picked up this Norwegian psychological suspense as I’m delighted to be chairing Agnes at Granite Noir in February. This slim novel follows Karin and Kai, an unlikely married couple on a vacation at the luxurious summer home of Karin’s old school frenemy Iris. They encounter a reclusive couple of famous writers and tell a white lie which spirals out of control. Ravatn explores themes of comparanoia and class divide with insightful precision, letting the reader inhabit the strained dissatisfaction of Karin’s inner thoughts. I also couldn’t resist the subplot of a successful novelist struggling with writer’s block.

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

I adored Legends and Lattes and thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Travis for Cymera last year. This is a prequel, following Viv as she’s hauled up with an injury in the sleep coastal town of Murk. She encounters a cast of colourful characters including mouthy ratkin bookshop owner Fern and her adorable griffin Potroast. I enjoyed so many of the characters and Viv’s internal struggle with finding herself and not being that person yet was very compelling. While not quite as beloved for me as its sequel, I found this so comforting, funny, and sweet. The audio is read by the author who is a professional narrator, and I had the best time soaking in a bubble bath and listening to the adventures unfold.

Stigma by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, translated by Megan Turney

The fourth in a Norwegian crime series following former detective Alexander Blix and journalist Emma Ramm, this can be read as a standalone as the case is wrapped up in this novel. Despite Blix and Ramm being the protagonists, the reader spends tme in the minds of Samantha and Walter, who crossed paths as teenagers during a summer which changed both their lives. I often struggle with crime fiction (and media generally) which portrays violence against women and it’s integral to this novel’s plot. There’s also some discussions of addiction, mental disability, death of a child, physical violence, and corruption within the justice system. It was a gripping read with a tightly constructed plot and well-drawn character studies and plenty to interrogate for our panel at Granite Noir.

Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimura, translated by Mark Ealey

I’m learning Japanese (very slowly!) and have been seeking out more fiction in translation, so I finally picked up this novel which had been unloved on my bookshelf. This sparse piece of literary fiction follows young boy Isaku in a medieval fishing village where survival is key and the most bounty is gained by luring ships to wreck using salt fires. Certainly a bleak read, but strangely cathartic and it was refreshing to read some historical fiction again.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Return of the King by J.R.R Tolkien

I continued my delightful journey through middle-earth listening to the incredibly talented Andy Serkis. He makes even the excessive tangents into logistics and the umpteenth song enjoyable and his talent for conveying the characters and the world are second to none. Some of my favourite parts include Serkis voicing Theoden’s transformation after being freed from Sauron’s grasp, Pippin’s impression of Gandalf, and of course his iconic voicing of Gollum. It’s been surprisingly useful paying attention to the sense of scale and minutaie of middle-earth for my own world-building.

Off Page: Events

Katalina Watt reading from Femme Fatale anthology at Nighttime Noir panel wearing turquoise velvet dress and sitting on black leather sofa — Nighttime Noir at Granite Noir 2023, photography by Richard Frew

I’m back at one of my favourite Scottish book festivals: Granite Noir! This year I’m chairing Norwegian Noir with Agnes Ravatn and Jørn Lier Horst and A Damaged World with Kate Simant, Lauren James, and Oisín McGann. I’m also appearing as a panellist at the Nighttime Noir panel with Scottish BPOC Writers Network. Join me 22nd-24th February in Aberdeen to delve into the darker parts of our world and perhaps find a glimmer of hope.

Until February, stay soft, light, slow,

Kat x

December 2023: Glitter and Velvet

By Katalina Watt | December 13, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals!

Important news: Tinyletter’s parent company Mailchimp have decided to close Tinyletter, which feels like the end of an internet era. Therefore, this newsletter will be moving to my website. You should automatically be transferred over and as always you’re welcome to unsubscribe anytime if you no longer want to receive Soft Light Slow. Apologies, as that may mean you get this month’s newsletter from both Tinyletter and WordPress.

Writing:
I’m so pleased to share Haunted Hallways was successfully fully funded and will be published in October 2024. More exciting secret things have been happening behind the scenes for hijinks on the high seas novel.
I’ve also starting working slowly on something new: a theme park horror novel set between the 1980s and 1990s. It’s about the beautiful nightmare of capitalist consumption, sisterhood, and the joy and toxicity of teenage friendships. Here’s a taster of the aesthetic:

80s aesthet

Reading:

This month’s reading is probably the year’s most eclectic.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
I think the atmospher of Garland’s film adaptation (of which I was a fan prior to reading the book) captures the style of VanderMeer’s novel well. Our narrator is an unnamed biologist who is part of an expert team of women sent into the enigmatic Area X. The previous expeditions have ended in bizarre tragedies, but the narrator is harbouring a secret: her husband was on one of the previous missions and came back – wrong. It’s a surreal story with lush prose and uncanny imagery.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Baby One More Time was one of the first songs I remember hearing on the radio and I’ve been a Britney fan ever since. Coming of age in the 00s was a difficult experience and reflecting back on the cruelty around mental health and the misogynistic framework of so many cultural conversations at the time was fascinating andcathartic. The clear-eyed level-headedness in Spears’ writing and the grace with which she reflects on the past were really striking and I was glad to hear it in her own words after she was silenced for so long. I listened to the audiobook, deftly read by Michelle Williams with the introduction by the author herself.

Emma by Jane Austen
This one is a beloved regular re-read and my favourite Austen novel. My fiance hadn’t read it, despite seeing countless adaptations, so we’ve been reading it together – or rather I’ve been reading it aloud to him. It’s terribly fun for me and I think one of the liveliest ways to read Austen. For those unfamiliar, the story follows Emma Woodhouse as she meddles in the personal lives of her social circle to much heartbreak and hilarity. It’s incredibly funny, with some of the sharpest retorts, comedies of error, and excellent romantic speeches.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
I had the pleasure of Andy Serkis reading this beast of a fantasy classic to me. I associate this time of year with The Lord of the Rings and it was fun to compare the film adaptations with the source material. I enjoy how much Tolkien is a fan of logistics and getting lost in the detail of his world-building. This makes for excellent bedtime or bathtime reading (perhaps slightly sped-up) and I was thoroughly whisked away on the advneture.

Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright
One of my WIPs features botanical poisons and since becoming more actively interested in all things witchy and occult, I’ve been particuarly interested in herblore. This is a brief history and alphabetical index of a selection of plants and their uses, predominantly when used for harm. It was less narrative than I prefer in my non-fiction but I found the historical anecdotes intriguing and it was certainly educational.

Til next year stay soft light slow,
Kat x

November 2023: Alright Then, Keep Your Secrets

By Katalina Watt | November 10, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals!

“I recall late November, holding my breath” – Call It What You Want. A fun non-writing update is I’ve launched a podcast with my pal all about the life and lyrics of Taylor Swift: Swift Tea.

I’ve also been greatly enjoying excellent book events including It Came From the Closet, the Glasgow launch of The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon, and a plethora of fantastic panels from Radical Book Fair. This month is also the Cymera Writers’ Conference, which is sure to be a delight.

Writing:

Publishing is such a hurry-up-and-wait type of business, and the past wee while has been much waiting and anticipating and fretting. I am SO excited to be able to say vague publishing news! I can’t wait to share more details with you as soon as I can.

On Samhain, I could finally announce Haunted Hallways, a shared-world academic horror anthology by Asian authors featuring my story about female rage ‘Remain Nameless’. The cover is so eerie and evocative and I’m delighted to share a ToC with so many cool authors. It’s coming October 2024 and the Kickstarter closes at the end of November. I’m so proud of this dark cathartic story so please share and support if you can!

Haunted Hallways Cover

Reading:

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
I was skeptical going into this one but found it so darkly humorous! Heisey was one of the writers on the Canadian comedy show Schitt’s Creek to give you a sense of the tone, and this is an auto-fictional take on her ‘young divorce’ and the fall-out of finding yourself in your late twenties/early thirties. I thought this might be the type of ‘millennial ennui’ novel I find frustratingly navel-gazing but there’s plenty of bitterly funny moments, and refreshing self-deprecating turns of plot that make me root for the protagonist so much (even though she’s a bit of a hot mess). Made the autumnal commutes a bit less dreary.

My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley
I picked this up thinking it was a gothic or horror novel, but it was a surprising gem of a literary novel about difficult familial relationships. We follow Bridget as she reflects on her fraught relationship with her mother throughout her life. Bridget’s father and less so her sister are in the periphery of the novel and there’s such desperation aching between the lines. This is one of the most full and complex character studies of a parent-child relationship, exploring the helplessness we feel when our loved ones become older or fall ill, our neurosis and theirs, and how we mold ourselves and our lives after we leave home. A piercing and cathartic read.

Til December stay soft, light, slow,
Kat x

October 2023: Bodies

By Katalina Watt | October 10, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals,

The recent weeks have been thrown into chaos after an unexpected medical emergency. I’m so grateful to the NHS and my support network, and am now following my care plan and taking each day as it comes.
To that end I’ve been thinking a lot about bodies and how I talk about them in my work, particularly as a writer of speculative fiction. It manifests in different ways in everything I write, but I’m finding new perspective and catharsis. I’ve also been finding levity in the situation by making wry jokes linking going on submission with my hospitalisation.

Writing:
‘Mango Heart’ is a story very much about illness, grief, and healing and it feels strange to be promoting it while in the midst of my own health reflections. That being said, I’m so glad it found the right home and even though it’s a poignant story I also wanted to streak golden flecks of hope throughout. The Kickstarter closes very soon, so please share and support if you can.

‘Remain Nameless’ is my 1990s religious horror set in a Catholic girl’s school, and after seeing the proofs for the anthology, I’ll finally be able to share details about it’s forthcoming publication later this month!

The seafaring novel has been on submission for a few weeks and we’ve received so much exciting and lovely feedback from editors. While I can’t say anything yet, I’m hoping to share more news very soon!

Reading:
Morbid Obsessions by Frankie Miren and Alison Rumfitt
This strange little book was our Queen Fiction Book Club pick and it definitely piqued my interest in reading ‘The Service’ by Frankie Miren and even more keen for Rumfitt’s forthcoming sophomore novel ‘Brainwyrms’. Cipher Press are doing such fascinating publishing. I found the format – a mixture of polemic, interviews, and short stories united by discussions of sex worker and trans rights and the intersection of both – somewhat jarring. It was a taster of so many different things, I almost wished the book had been longer with a wee bit more cohesion. That being said, it’s certainly a work I’ll be recommending to everyone.

Bunny by Mona Awad
Speaking of strange and slightly jarring, I had no idea what a thrill ride ‘Bunny’ was going to be. I was familiar with Awad from my time as a bookseller in Canada, but didn’t expect this novel’s horror and humor to be so on point. Bunny is a campus novel about an MFA cohort from hell which quickly descends into fever-dream levels of body horror and fucked-up sisterhood. The audiobook was deliciously well-narrated and I think I enjoyed this bizarre adventure. It’s certainly Doing Something – fearlessly, grotesquely – but I’m still reeling trying to figure out exactly what.

The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
I really enjoy Purcell’s flavour of historical Gothic writing, and it was a pleasure to delve into the world of the stage and all its superstitions. The story follows Jenny, a dresser at a London theatre, trying to pick up the pieces after her brother steals away with the family savings in pursuit of a glittering life. Purcell did a great job creating intricate morally grey characters with their own plans and agendas. She’s a master of creeping dread and unbearable tension, and here it was mixed with the myth and mystery of the stage to excellent effect.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
This was a short novel which teased a world and characters I’d love to spend more time with. I’ve enjoyed ‘Home’ by Gailey and this is their love letter/subversion of pulp Westerns. Queer librarians in a future American Southwest, a ragtag crew on the run, and a protagonist working through their own identity and finding love and belonging. I adored the elements, I just wanted a bit more time to let everything breathe – it was over too soon!

Events:
I’ve been thinking a lot about non-Western and queer vampirism, and more recently the knife-edge of life and death, resurrection, and the abject – particularly blood. I’m excited to join a panel for Writing the Occult: Vampires with a stellar line-up: Jewelle Gomez, A.W. Earl, Scott J Moses, chaired by Rebecca Wojturska.

Join us on Saturday 28 October for Writing the Occult: Vampires and our panel Tropes: Re-Vamped to round off the conference at 8pm.

Until November, stay soft, light, slow,
Kat x

September 2023: Deep Breath Before the Plunge

By Katalina Watt | September 10, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Hi pals,

August was a beautiful culture haze of Fringe, book events, and international professional exchanges and I was happy to bask in it. Now I’m glad to be in the onset of autumn, a time where I feel my creative energy building.

Writing:
I have completed the final draft (for now) of hijinks on the high seas!! My agent has sent out the pitch to editors, which means I’m officially on submission! And very aptly on International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Hopefully it finds the right home and readers, but whatever happens next I’m so proud of this novel and had a whale of a time writing it. This project contains some of my most ambitious world-building and has allowed me to experiment and remember the joy of discovery and play.

WIP aesthetic featuring ships, Asian outfits and swords, maps, treasure chest, hills, oceans breezes, caves with shafts of sunlight

I’m delighted to finally share the Kickstarter launch for To Root Somewhere Beautiful featuring my story ‘Mango Heart’. Check out the beautiful cover below! It’s an eco fiction anthology featuring authors traditionally underrepresented in nature writing, and my story focuses on a queer couple navigating grief and joy at the end of one of their lives. Or fondly: ‘sad lesbians by the sea’. We only have 30 days to raise ‘all or nothing’ funds, so I’m hugely grateful to everyone who shares and supports the anthology. I’m overjoyed to be sharing these pages with some of my most admired peers who are creating such exciting work.

An Anthology of Reclamation Cover
Reading:
Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake
I had so much fun with Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and I’m happy to see more shared universe romantic comedy novels. We’re back in Bright Falls, following Delilah’s step-sister Astrid after the nuptial fall-out of the first novel. It was so nice to hang out with the pals again and a queer romance about figuring it out later in life and second chances at happiness made me so soft and hopeful. Baking, interior design, and meet uglies to boot. A little bit of spice and a lot of heart.

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars by Caris Avendaño Cruz
A quest adventure, beautiful and complex family dynamics – particular mother-daughter, and so much heart and magic Marikit lives with her mother, a skilled seamstress struggling to make ends meet after the death of Marikit’s father and brother. Marikit wishes for a pretty outfit for her tenth birthday and is disappointed by the recycled patchwork dress her mother makes instead. But she realises there’s more to the dress, her mother, and the stories she’s heard about magical beings.

What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher
A genderqueer retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, this short atmospheric novel hits the mark, especially if you’re a fan of the mycological horror of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic. I read Poe’s short story as a (morbid) child, but you don’t need to be familiar with the original to enjoy Kingfisher’s retelling. The unnamed narrator is a genderqueer soldier who answers their friend’s letter and arrives at the moldering Usher estate to tend the ill – their childhood friends, siblings Madeline and Roderik Usher.

Children of Paradise by Camila Grudova
I’ve been waiting for the next book by Camila since loving The Doll’s Alphabet, her short story collection. This is a strange fever dream of a novel following a group of cinema workers at the Paradise filmhouse, a decrepit movie theatre long past the glamour of its prime. There’s much which will resonate with anyone who’s worked in customer-facing roles in hospitality or retail: co-dependent bonds forged through a love of cinema in the fire of toxic workplace environments.

Events:
I’m still on a break from chairing but delighted to be invited to a panel exploring the vampire in fiction for Writing the Occult. I’m on the panel I’ve fondly nicknamed Tropes: Re-Vamped alongside Jewelle Gomez, A.W. Earl, Scott J. Moses, and chaired by Rebecca Wojturska of Haunt Publishing. Join us on Saturday October 28th at 8pm UK time.

I’m so excited we’re in autumn and the lead-up to Halloween, my absolute favourite time of the year.

Til October, stay soft, light, slow,
Kat x

August 2023: The City is Loud

By Katalina Watt | August 10, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals!

Things have ramped up for me since returning to Edinburgh. I held my breath at the end of July, waiting for the waves of wonder and overwhelm which accompany August in this city. There’s an abundance of arts festivals and I’m involved in lots of events for work plus supporting friends and peers. I’m doing a reading at an event for Edinburgh International Book Festival, details below!

Writing
I’m working on the final touches for Book 1 after feedback from my agent and looks like we’ll be ready to submit to publishers imminently. It’s both exciting and terrifying – hopefully more news soon!

I’ve been keen to work on materials for Book 2 while still immersed in the world, creating world ‘bibles’ for the two new places our characters will be exploring. It’s been so fun experimenting with societal structures and landscapes and thinking about how they will feed into the plot of Book 2, which takes place some years after the first book and will be more epic in scale.

Aesthetic for Book 2 featuring desert and mountains, stilt houses, magic warrior, and skulls

Reading
Again another (very) light reading month, mostly because I’ve been working on my novel and attending lots of arts events!

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
For years folk have recommended this to me and after loving the Monk and Robot novellas, I decided to dive into the first book in the Wayfarers series. It was everything. I read this one slowly, savouring it like a warm homecooked meal. It’s been fascinating working my way back to this book after reading other books touched by its magic. I was impressed by Chambers’ world-building, especially around alien life-forms, which is done with both deft and respect. Her weaving of political tensions was also done with nuance and balance. I’m kicking myself for waiting this long to get to it and will definitely be picking up the rest of the series!

Events
Scottish BPOC Writers Network invited me to read at Our City, Our Stories on Friday 25th and I’ll be sharing a stage with some of my favourite literary folks. I’m planning to share the opening of my Edinburgh-set Gothic-Fantasy Victorian sapphic WIP, which is my next big project. The event is free but ticketed and I’m so looking forward to it!

Until September, stay soft, light, slow,
Kat x

July 2023: By Turns Slow and Spontaneous

By Katalina Watt | July 16, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello pals!

July has seen me on the mend, slowly coming back to myself. I took a spontaneous trip with my fiancé to Gothenburg in Sweden full of many delights including writing research opportunities at the Maritime Museum and Aquarium and Lisenburg: a theme park established in 1923. Many of these details have made their way into hijinks on the high seas novel and a backburner theme-park horror project!

Aberdeenshire beach

Writing
I'm currently on a wee writing retreat by the Scottish coast with a fellow writer, which has been such a balm. I'm absolutely ecstatic to have completed the second draft of my seafaring novel! These revisions have really helped me hammer it all into shape, especially thanks to my agent's frustratingly astute comments on worldbuilding and the logistics of sailing. It's been a heady combination of steady plodding and flurries of inspiration. I'm going to let this draft breathe, and ride this feeling for a bit before sending it off.

Reading
This month's been fairly light on reading as I've replaced much of my reading time with podcasts and video games.

This is My Body, Given For You by Heather Parry
Ever since sharing a stage with Heather, I knew we were swimming in similar strange waters. I keep coming back to many themes in this collection in my own writing – femininity, eroticism, queer parenthood, abject, body horror, monstrosity, religion, and identity. The titular story is a stand-out for me but the whole collection is darkly comedic, visceral, and disgusting in all the best ways.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
I had been buzzing for this book ever since I heard about it. I was familiar with Kuang's other work, having chaired her for The Poppy War and enjoyed Babel. I read this addictive and pacey literary thriller in a couple of days. If you live for Twitterati drama or devoured Cat Person and Bad Art Friend, check out Kuang's heady cocktail of unlikeable characters, unreliable narrators, and a meta evisceration/dissection of the ugly sides of writing and publishing.

Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval
I read this in a couple of sittings in Sweden and enjoyed the lyrical dream-like quality of the prose, which is translated from Norwegian by Marjam Idriss. The story follows international biology student Jo as she studies abroad and is enveloped into an intoxicating relationship with her flatmate Carral. It's visceral, abject, and perfectly encapsulates toxic queer longing, disconnect, and morbid obsession all in a bite-sized surreal reading experience.

Next month is a busy one as I'm phasing back to work and will be around the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Fringe.

Until August, stay soft, light, slow
Kat x