By Kathryne McCann
This past Saturday, on the second floor of the Old South Church on Boylston Street, Hafsah Faizal captivated rows of fantasy fans and hopeful writers. The audience ranged from teens and tweens to adults of all ages, each and every one enthralled by the 32-year-old author who has taken the YA fantasy scene by storm.
Faizal, author of the New York Times-bestseller We Hunt the Flame, was the Young Adult Keynote speaker at the Boston Book Festival, held on October 25. In a moderated session with Sarah Farizan, Faizal talked about her latest release, A Steeping of Blood, which is the second book of the Blood and Tea duology.
Her latest duology takes a deep dive into colonialism, features a pulse-pounding heist, found family, and of course, vampires. The book was built off of her desire to write something “dapper,” taking inspiration from media such as Peaky Blinders. Originally, the book was not supposed to have vampires, however in a brainstorming session with her sisters the idea was suggested and it stuck. It seemed a bold choice, considering that vampire novels had disappeared from shelves for a good while (though they have since seen a powerful revival), but Faizal has never been one to write with the market in mind. She encouraged writers in the audience to avoid writing based on trends as the market is constantly changing.
For Faizal, character is everything. She spoke about how she spent four years writing We Hunt the Flame, her debut novel published at age 26. During the initial writing phase, she started with her two main characters and was interested in seeing how they would interact, allowing them to drive the narrative and make choices as their voices, pasts, and intentions became clear. This was a challenge with her latest duology, Faizal shared, because the project was more deadline-focused. The Blood and Tea books were pitched to her publisher with an outline so there was less time to explore, however the voices of her characters are always in the driver’s seat.
Fans of Faizal’s books know that she is an expert at building slow burn romances. She told the audience that she often gets bored when couples unite too soon, that once they are together the suspense is sucked out and there isn’t much to root for. That is the allure of regency-era tales, she said, noting the lasting impact of those little moments when there is a flash of ankle, a lingering touch, a forbidden look. Stringing us along for the ride of the romance is what makes the relationship engaging.
With 35 minutes left in the discussion, the mic was turned to the audience for the Q&A portion. Many fans asked Faizal about expanding her work, if she would ever consider adding to the duologies she has created or if she has considered writing a novella. Faizal shared that she is not a fan of writing novellas, however she did let the audience know that there could be a future where the We Hunt the Flame universe may be expanded.
When asked about how to handle writer’s block, Faizal responded that she too experiences moments when she struggles to produce, however she reminded audiences that if you want to create something you’re proud of, “you need something changeable to work with.” This is really valuable advice: You can’t fix what hasn’t been written yet.
The talk was incredibly uplifting. Many young readers approached the mic to share that Faizal’s books helped them find a passion for reading, that her books provided much needed representation within a genre long dominated by Eurocentric settings and characters. Many writers, myself included, left feeling inspired and motivated to set pen to paper and see what worlds can be created.
