V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab: The Only Thing You Can’t Fix Is A Blank Page

Phil Treagus-Evans

V.E. Schwab’s reading list

10 books mentioned in this interview

  1. Grunt · Mary Roach
  2. The Paying Guests · Sarah Waters
  3. Harry Potter · J.K RowlingRecommended 20 times
  4. Lab Girl · Hope Jahren
  5. Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience · William Blake
  6. Just Kids · Patti SmithRecommended 7 times
  7. The Tiger’s Daughter · K. Arsenault Rivera
  8. Neverwhere · Neil GaimanRecommended 4 times
  9. The Curse Workers series · Holly Black
  10. The Queen of Attolia · Megan Whalen Turner

Books by V.E. Schwab: Vicious, A Darker Shade of Magic, Everyday Angel

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V.E. Schwab is a fantasy author who has dabbled with both young-adult and adult fiction. She is perhaps most known for her well received novel Vicious, which she released in 2013. Vicious was described as ‘a brilliant exploration of the superhero mythos and a riveting revenge thriller’ by The Guardian. On top of that, the novel was also named as one of the best books of 2013 for SF/Fantasy/Horror by Publishers Weekly. The rights for a film adaptation of the popular novel were purchased in late 2013. In her own own words, V.E. Schwab is the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father and a southern upbringing. Other novels by V.E. Schwab that have been welcomed with open arms by her fans also include the two series A Darker Shade of Magic, a series about a magician who can move through multiple versions of London, and the Everyday Angel series which was written for a younger audience. Wildly popular, I was excited to welcome V.E. Schwab to our ever growing collection of writers who have submitted their reading lists. Please enjoy my interview with V.E. Schwab…

When someone asks you ‘what do you do for a living?’ – How do you respond?

I tell them I’m a tiny god.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m currently on The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters and Grunt by Mary Roach.

When you think about your childhood, what book comes to mind?

It’s going to sound trite, I know, but I grew up with Harry Potter by J.K Rowling in the most literal sense. I was 11 when the first book came out, and got to spend my teen years growing with those books.

Can you remember the first story you ever wrote?

When I was 10 I wrote a short story about two brothers, one the angel of life and the other the angel of death. The angel of death got jealous of the love everyone showed his brother, so he killed him, but then the whole world died, and he was all alone, and thus pretty bummed out.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A tiny god. Or an interrogator. Or a wizard.

What do you think your school aged self would think of the present day you?

I like to think they’d be pretty happy to know they survived high school AND college, and got to do the thing they wanted most.

If you could wrap up a single book and gift it to yourself as you left education – which book would it be?

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.

Does your reading have routine? Is there a particular time or place that you like to read?

I consider reading part of my job, so I carve out time for it every single day. Most of the time I read in the evening before bed, though I often have an audiobook on my phone for when I’m wandering or running errands or working out.

Which book has had the biggest impact on your career so far?

When I was a teenager I read some short stories by Neil Gaiman, whom I thought of as a novelist, and as a comic book writer, and seeing him work in so many genres and formats was one of the most empowering discoveries for a young writer who didn’t know what form her work would take, but thought it had to take ONE form.

What two pieces of advice would you give a young aspiring writer?

Get to the end no matter what, because the only thing you can’t fix is a blank page. And embrace rejection as a necessary part of this journey, a litmus test for whether or not you’re emotionally ready to press on.

Do you have any books that you strongly associate with someone important in your life?

I associate Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake with one of my first literary advocates in school.

Just Kids by Patti Smith.

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

Honestly, I feed on both. I tend to lean into non-fiction when I’m heavily immersed in fiction work, so that my brain doesn’t get cluttered by plotting and style.

Do you think reading is important?

I think reading is a non-negotiable part of a writer’s life, but story itself, in all its forms, is a vital part of a human’s world. The more acquainted we are with stories that don’t mirror our own, the more empathetic we are as people.

What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?

The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera.

Do you prefer real books or digital books?

Real, but I travel so much that I have to take an e-reader. My first one was named Judas.

Name a book that you feel every human should have to read by law.

I couldn’t, only because there is no ONE book for everyone, despite my belief that there is A book for everyone.

What is the book that you feel has had the single biggest impact on your life?

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren hit me at exactly the right moment, and made me ask exactly the right questions.

Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?

I’d have to also include;

The Curse Workers series by Holly Black, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, and The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner.

What books or subject matter do you plan on reading in the next year?

I have a feeling, given my deadlines, that this is going to be a non-fiction heavy year.

If you were to write an autobiography – what would it be called?

How Did I End Up Here?

If you’d like to learn more about V.E. Schwab, you can find her on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

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