Elin Olausson is an author of the weird and unsettling. Elin’s rural childhood made her love and fear the woods, and she firmly believes that a cat is your best companion in life.
She has a brand new short story collection, ‘Growth’, out now!
Do you recall the first Book/TV Show/Film that scared you?
I watched Gremlins at a young age and was absolutely terrified of it. The
children’s TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark? was another early encounter with horror that I loved, even though it gave me nightmares.
Do you have a piece of your own work that you’re particularly proud or satisfied with?
I’m satisfied with Lineage that ends my new short story collection Growth. It’s the longest story in the collection and it has been with me for a very long time. I’m very fond of the characters in it even though they are, of course, detestable.
Who is your favourite horror author/authors and why?
This is such a difficult question! I read all of Poppy Z. Brite’s books in my teens and still love them a lot. As a psychological horror writer, I naturally adore Shirley Jackson. I’m also very fond of classics in general, and I’ll never grow tired of Poe, Lovecraft and William Hope Hodgson. Some contemporary horror writers I love are Laura Purcell and John Ajvide Lindqvist.
What/who do you think influences your work?
My dad is a historian so I grew up hearing a lot of stories about local murders,
paranormal encounters and the like. History has always interested me, and I’ve always felt a connection to the past. I’m also influenced by nature since I grew up in a rural area and recently moved back there.
Do you remember when you decided you wanted to write stories?
I must have been 5-6 years old. As a child I wrote plays, short fiction and poetry, drew comics and fantasy-world maps, then started writing novel-length stories when I was twelve. Writing was a part of my life from early on, even though the quality has improved quite a bit.
Recommend a recent book to our readers.
I loved Rebecca Netley’s The Whistling—a chilling, atmospheric Gothic horror
novel I could not put down.
When do you write?
I prefer writing early in the day, but I’ll write whenever I have time, really. Never at night, though, since I’m a morning person.
What was your favourite book as a child?
I had so many favourites! One was The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, which remains one of the books I love the most.
Who is your favourite/s non-horror author?
Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, who was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in 1909. A master storyteller who has inspired me a lot.
What is your favourite part of the writing process? What is your least favourite?
I love writing the first draft, but I’m not as fond of editing, simply because I’ve got so many ideas and I just want to write them all down.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on two big projects in Swedish, but I also have a novella/novel in
English that I’ll hopefully have time to get back to soon.
AUTHOR BIO: Elin Olausson has had stories featured in Curiouser Magazine, Luna Station Quarterly, and anthologies such as Dark Ink Books’ Unburied, Nightscript 7, and Scare Street’s Night Terrors Vol. 4. Her debut short story collection, ‘Growth’, is available now.
Elin’s Links: Website | Twitter
talesfrombetween.wordpress.com 