Q&A with Susan Stokes-Chapman about her new novel
In this exclusive interview we talk to the bestselling author about her latest novel The Shadow Key
There’s something mysterious about the village of Penhelyg. Will unlocking its truth bring light or darkness?
Meirionydd, 1783. Dr Henry Talbot has been dismissed from his post in London. The only job he can find is in Wales where he can’t speak the language, belief in myth and magic is rife and the villagers treat him with suspicion. When Henry discovers his predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, he is determined to find answers. Linette Tresilian has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is through Henry’s investigations that a truth comes to light that will bind hers and Henry’s destinies together in ways neither thought possible.
Susan Stokes-Chapman was born in 1985 and grew up in the historic Georgian city of Lichfield, Staffordshire. She studied for four years at Aberystwyth University, graduating with a BA in Education & English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing. Her debut novel, Pandora, was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction prize 2020 and the Glass Bell Award and became an instant Sunday Times number-one bestseller.
‘An alluring, immersive Gothic mystery from an impressively talented writer… A simmering, splendid novel’ Jennifer Saint
Order the bookAUTHOR Q&A: Susan Stokes-Chapman
Where did the initial idea for The Shadow Key come from?
The initial idea for the novel had been lingering in my mind since 2006, and began when I would take walks with Mum in the hills behind her house during term breaks from university. My imagination ran riot with stories of Welsh myth and magic, and anyone who has walked the woodland lanes and mountain paths, and experienced Wales’ haunting strangeness and rugged beauty, cannot avoid the country’s folkloric heritage.
Wales is called ‘Land of Dragons’ for a reason – here you’ll find stories of King Arthur and his knights, fearsome lake monsters, loyal hounds, mighty giants and fay folk both pure and mischievous, so it was inevitable I would eventually write a novel set in Wales using these ideas as a springboard.
However, during the course of my research, the idea for the novel began to become a little more nuanced. I soon found that 18th-century Wales was also a deeply Christian country, and while ordinary folk believed in the ancient Tylwyth Teg they equally believed in Satan. But for many Englishmen, the advent of the Grand Tour allowed members of the aristocracy to broaden their understanding of other cultures and religious beliefs, and one result of this was the rise of ‘Hellfire’ clubs.
The most famous Hellfire Club, the ‘Monks of Medmenham Abbey’, was founded around 1755 by Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron le Despencer, and its members famously dressed in exotic costumes and partook in acts of drunkenness and debauchery. Rumour had it that some clubs even included Devil worship, and I found this cultural shift between the English and Welsh – as well as the tension between such belief systems – a wonderful juxtaposition, which gave me an opportunity to explore faith and superstition through a Georgian lens. Ultimately The Shadow Key became a tale of faith, elitism and exploitation.
In a previous interview you talk about how Dora, the heroine of your first novel Pandora, has similar characteristics to you - she’s trapped by circumstance and determined to fulfil her dreams. Would you say that The Shadow Key’s heroine Linette also shares some of these characteristics?
In some ways, yes – I am probably the most stubborn woman I know, much (I’m sure) to the frustration of my family and friends, and I generally speak my mind and sometimes lack tact, so in that sense Linette and I are very alike! I also find myself feeling very trapped if I don’t get out into nature, and love a good long ramble in the hills or on the beach.
However, I probably connect a little more with Henry; I can be very reserved at times, often unsure of myself, and find fitting in somewhere new somewhat difficult. I also can’t abide feeling misunderstood and at a disadvantage! Yes, I felt a lot of shared sympathy with that character, and consequently he was actually the easiest character for me to write.
You live in North Wales, the setting for The Shadow Key. What are your experiences of being an English person living in Wales, and are they similar to what Henry finds when he arrives in Plas Helyg? (Hopefully not!)
Not at all! I love living in Wales and I’ve never once encountered the problems poor Henry does at the start of the novel. The area where I live in Wales especially is rather a tourist hotspot, so for those who have lived in Wales all their lives and speak the language, there is a generally warm acceptance of ‘outsiders’.
However, I've lived in Wales on and off since 2004, and moved here permanently in 2021, and to begin with there were times I found there could be a slight reserve; this was by no means unfriendly, but there was definitely a sort of ‘radar’ where it was noted I was English, something I especially noticed in my local shops… but the minute I spoke a little Welsh I found that reserve shifted completely, and I’m very much considered one of the locals now! I believe that making an effort to speak the native language (no matter what country you find yourself in) goes a very long way.
Plants and their medicinal properties are a large theme in The Shadow Key. Did you have to do a lot of research on this or is herbalism a topic you’re personally knowledgeable about?
This was all completely new to me. Of course, as a historical fiction writer the concept of using ancient holistic methods to heal maladies wasn’t an alien concept, but finding out specifically which herbs treated what and which of the folkloric remedies were used specifically in Wales was a deeply fascinating trip down research lane!
It’s so interesting that jaundice, for instance, was treated by placing a coin in a cup of mead and drinking it, and that putting a clove of garlic in the ear was considered to be a remedy for earache, or that the sap of feverfew helped reduce tenderness in bruises. Many of these archaic remedies were gleaned from two extremely interesting books – Physick and the Family: Health, Medicine and Care in Wales, 1600-1750 by Alun Withey and Welsh Herbal Medicine by David Hoffman – in case you’re interested in finding some of these remedies out for yourself!
Your last two novels have been set in Georgian times, as well as your published short stories. Will you be continuing this historical theme with your next book, or are you planning on travelling to a different era?
The Georgian period is like catnip to me, and I don’t see myself veering off in another direction. Why would I, when I have such a long and rich tapestry of history to play about with? The period started in 1714 and stretched all the way into the 1830s.
During those long years the world saw the rise of great social, political and cultural changes, including the first shift into the Industrial Revolution, the rise of Romanticism in literature and art, as well as the growth and domination of the British Empire through exploration and war. It’s a period of history that offers so much creativity in terms of representing these events and the people who experienced them, and I find the opportunity to keep doing that incredibly exciting and fulfilling.
