Death of a Nightingale is a steamy goth, young-adult novel about a melancholic vampire calling a suicide hotline asking for advice on how to die, because who would know better? Instead of getting detailed instructions to her rather absurd request, she connects with the phone operator and they spark something deep within each other. It’s a Romeo & Juliet story but with two Juliettes and a lot more teeth. It also plays with our old ideas of the genre specificities of what a vampire is, and what their rules are, and goes back a lot further than Bram Stoker into Greek history and medical discoveries and where the idea of “the undead” comes from.
Today we talk about Death of a Nightingale, a book by Annika Pampel published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Annika Pampel, to get to know her better, if there was a particular moment that brought her to the writing of her book Death of a Nightingale, as well as what is her definition of “Love”.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- What is the moment that brought you to the writing of your book?
I had a wonderful, vivaciously funny friend in high school. He was the smartest and brightest light I knew. We had a lot of adventures together as we came of age and grew into ourselves and because that time is so significant, he became like a brother to me. He died by suicide at the age of 23 and left me with both anger and a lot of unanswered questions. I’ve thought a lot about how we talk about depression and suicidal thoughts and how we as a people shy away from truly hearing about the different depths of it. In order to chat about both, the darkness and my friends’ absurdly morbid sarcasm, I wanted to write an escapist story that can embrace all of those different shades. It’s much easier to digest those ideas and embrace death in a fictional story. There is a lot of my friend in the book. Quotes, small stories, and jokes we came up with together a lifetime ago.
- What is the message you want to communicate to your readers?
There is beauty in just being present. Sometimes we can’t solve a problem no matter how hard we try. The toughest thing to do can be to just be there and truly give your energy into that moment. Not to run, not to hide, to just be present. There are a lot of pieces of teenage angst in the story and relationship struggles as well as questions of growing into one’s own sexuality without judging oneself too harshly. I want audiences to just enjoy the ride. It’s a fun adventure with sexy dark shadows and characters from a different world. If after reading you can see vulnerability as a strength, then it did more than I could ask for.
- How much is there of you in the protagonist of your novel?
Ness, the main character is the operator at a suicide helpline. She decided to help the chronicle depressed after her own father died by suicide. It affected her deeply. She fled into structure and rules and made a very strict plan for her life and how it was supposed to be. When a vampire calls her one night, it is so surreal and absurd it puts her on the spot. There are no rules for that moment. It takes her out of her own world, her self-inflicted prison, and starts her on a journey of wild, sexy, and dangerous self-discovery. There is not much of me in the protagonist, just bits and pieces. I love all my characters and all of them have little personal sprinkles of me. That’s the magic, I think.
- How would you define your writing style?
It’s hard to define my own writing style. Especially because I use different mediums. I write scripts and decks too, so I almost don’t want to pin it down. But I can tell you about writers I adore and why. If I ever get anywhere near their incredible work, I’m very happy. I continue to get inspired by so many different, brilliant voices. I love Cormack McCarthy and his dark, modern American Westerns. He paints villains like no other. But I also always love Dave Eggers and the range he can write. He brings journalistic integrity to all of his stories and I will work hard to do something similar. There is a core of truth to everything he does and it’s gorgeous. Sometimes I just need good world-building and re-read any Sarah J. Maas book. Whenever I do, I get asked by female strangers in a hush-hush voice, which one I’m reading and it’s become my favorite underground cult. It’s fantastic.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
I am about to direct my first feature film, a story I’ve also written called Odium. We’ve just finally been greenlit. It’s been a long time coming. I love my team. It’s going to be exciting. It’s a psychological thriller, a slow burn, very much Gone Girl meets We Need to Talk About Kevin. It centers around a criminal psychologist who specializes in teen psychopathy.
Europe Books thanks the author, Annika Pampel, once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book Death of a Nightingale,. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my readers, I hope that this book will allow you to reflect on the importance of always being present to yourself and knowing how to preserve and direct your energies in the best way, without running away from them but welcoming them and trying to make the most out of them. Sometimes this process is not immediate, but “staying present” then comes that turning point to enjoy the journey of life in its entirety and joy.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!