{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/689b7bcb290bdec8f9696fb1/6a7ad94c616564bf00d100d1?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Summer Rewind: Sequels, Superstition and Surviving Publishing with Laura Purcell","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/689b7bcb290bdec8f9696fb1/1786435338570-45e5d3de-4f77-4cc2-ab40-9e1049268cbb.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>This week on The Conversation, we're revisiting one of our favourite gothic conversations with bestselling author <a href=\"https://www.laurapurcell.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Laura Purcell.</a></p><p>Laura is known for her atmospheric, unsettling fiction, and in this episode we talk about her novel <a href=\"https://amzn.to/45RckKf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">House of Splinters</a>, a prequel to her hit book <a href=\"https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14776/9781408888032\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Silent Companions</a>. Set in a haunted house in 1775, the story follows Belinda as she uncovers dark family secrets while trying to protect her children from the shadows of the past.</p><p><br></p><p>We talk about what it takes to write a prequel that has to honour a beloved original while still standing on its own, and Laura is refreshingly honest about the pressure that comes with that. She also opens up about her writing journey more broadly, from self-publishing her first book to finding her way into traditional publishing, and how she went from historical fiction into the gothic genre that's now her signature.</p><p><br></p><p>Some of the moments that stayed with us:</p><ul><li>Laura on constantly reinventing herself as a writer, and why that adaptability matters in a market that never stays still</li><li>The particular sting of \"good\" rejections, the kind where an editor praises the writing but says no anyway, and how she's learned to sit with that</li><li>Why she refuses to write to trends: \"by the time you've finished the book, that trend will be over\"</li><li>The pressure of writing House of Splinters and staying true to her own mythology while giving readers something new</li><li>Her advice for authors navigating a publishing industry that can feel relentless: patience, flexibility, and trusting your own voice</li></ul><p><br></p><p>This one's for anyone who loves gothic fiction, or anyone who's ever wondered what it really takes to build a career as a novelist. </p><p><br></p><p>Sit back and enjoy this rewind while we get ready for Season 5, back on 8 September.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow Laura Purcell</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://amzn.to/45RckKf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Buy House of Splinters</a></p><p><a href=\"https://amzn.to/3TTnZpc\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Pre-Order 'House of Splinters' Paperback </a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>","author_name":"Nadine Matheson"}