Tartarus Press is delighted to announce the publication on 18th Septermber of Sophia J. Unsworth's debut collection, The Silent House and Other Strange Stories. Drawing on elements of the weird, the uncanny, and the psychological, Unsworth offers unsettling narratives of creeping unease and psychological depth.
To introduce the author, we asked her a few questions:
To introduce the author, we asked her a few questions:
Q. Why write strange and supernatural stories?
A. I can’t help it! Ideas come to me in a continuous flow . . . Reality is haunted in many ways–memories, feelings, unfinished business, guilt and, of course, ghosts–they all haunt. And reality is a kaleidoscope, twist it anyway you like . . . it’s all there, in the eye of the beholder, like beauty, only strange . . . !
So ideas come to me constantly, and in my head I am forever ‘writing’ or ‘recounting’ them to myself, putting into words whatever it is that has piqued my imagination. Most of it goes no further, but now and then one idea will germinate into a story with a setting and atmosphere that give it life. There’s freedom in storytelling! Anything can be said, suggested and explored . . . even the most far-fetched idea can have its chance . . . at least to be believed for the while it takes the tale to unfold. And, you never know, once a seed has been sown, even the most unconvinced reader may, with time, go on to wonder whether there might not be some truth in it, after all . . .!
A. I can’t help it! Ideas come to me in a continuous flow . . . Reality is haunted in many ways–memories, feelings, unfinished business, guilt and, of course, ghosts–they all haunt. And reality is a kaleidoscope, twist it anyway you like . . . it’s all there, in the eye of the beholder, like beauty, only strange . . . !
So ideas come to me constantly, and in my head I am forever ‘writing’ or ‘recounting’ them to myself, putting into words whatever it is that has piqued my imagination. Most of it goes no further, but now and then one idea will germinate into a story with a setting and atmosphere that give it life. There’s freedom in storytelling! Anything can be said, suggested and explored . . . even the most far-fetched idea can have its chance . . . at least to be believed for the while it takes the tale to unfold. And, you never know, once a seed has been sown, even the most unconvinced reader may, with time, go on to wonder whether there might not be some truth in it, after all . . .!
Q. Have you always written stories? You've obviously led a full life, training, then working as a professional pianist, travelling, raising a family . . . Or has writing fiction been a more recent interest?
A. Until about the age of sixteen I was always scribbling something or other… stories, poetry… Writing is my default mode. There are some surviving 'Thank You' letters sent to my German Grandparents when I was little which reveal an inclination to be entertaining!
Around the age of sixteen/seventeen however, the music 'fever' set in and for a professional musician (especially pianists) 'free time' is a sort of alien notion. There are no free evenings, no weekends, no fiestas or holidays - you ask my ex- kids! A pianist is constantly practising against the clock... So there was no writing, at least no writing down or, if I did, it was rarely. I can remember instances however, moments sat at the piano practising or rehearsing, when I would stop and jot down onto the score before me, a thought, an idea, or an analogy that had just popped into my head, so that I wouldn't forget (although I probably did anyway!) My scores were full of pencilled cryptic phrases! I suppose one might say that throughout my music career, writing was brewing in the wings. And now that I have time, I have a dilemma: I have too many ideas - a full blown embouteillage, and I'm very aware that the clock is ticking...
Q. Which particular writers do you admire? And which writers do you think may have influenced your writing?
A. I feel that if I so much as mentioned in passing the name of any author, the real picture would be distorted. There would be comparisons, a search for specific influences, when in fact many voices (oral and written, alive or long dead) have contributed to make me what I am and what my writing is…
One quaint idea, however, I will share. Some time back, I made a decision: I decided that whenever I felt like reading a book that I would need to read in translation, (for example Russian authors) I would limit myself to Spanish translations (and believe me, my Spanish is far from perfect!) It’s a decision that may have subtle and (I think) potentially interesting ‘consequences’...!
Around the age of sixteen/seventeen however, the music 'fever' set in and for a professional musician (especially pianists) 'free time' is a sort of alien notion. There are no free evenings, no weekends, no fiestas or holidays - you ask my ex- kids! A pianist is constantly practising against the clock... So there was no writing, at least no writing down or, if I did, it was rarely. I can remember instances however, moments sat at the piano practising or rehearsing, when I would stop and jot down onto the score before me, a thought, an idea, or an analogy that had just popped into my head, so that I wouldn't forget (although I probably did anyway!) My scores were full of pencilled cryptic phrases! I suppose one might say that throughout my music career, writing was brewing in the wings. And now that I have time, I have a dilemma: I have too many ideas - a full blown embouteillage, and I'm very aware that the clock is ticking...
Q. Which particular writers do you admire? And which writers do you think may have influenced your writing?
A. I feel that if I so much as mentioned in passing the name of any author, the real picture would be distorted. There would be comparisons, a search for specific influences, when in fact many voices (oral and written, alive or long dead) have contributed to make me what I am and what my writing is…
One quaint idea, however, I will share. Some time back, I made a decision: I decided that whenever I felt like reading a book that I would need to read in translation, (for example Russian authors) I would limit myself to Spanish translations (and believe me, my Spanish is far from perfect!) It’s a decision that may have subtle and (I think) potentially interesting ‘consequences’...!
Q. You were born in Lancashire, but have lived in Tenerife since 1987. Do you think of yourself as a British (even an English, or Lancastrian) writer? Or are you a European writer?
A. Yes, (yes) and yes respectively(!) because I don’t think it’s a question of either or… I’m the sum total of many contrasts and influences - many places and flavours, people and personalities, all alive and kicking deep within me; all vying for expression. And any influence from any place and any time, can be drawn upon for inspiration. I suspect, however, that the ones that surface unbidden, the silent influences (the ones I’m not aware of...) those may well be the most influential.
Q. How much has Spanish culture influenced your writing, do you think?
A. First of all, I should mention that although Tenerife is a Spanish Island, it is not wholly Spanish. It is a stepping stone (and, for some, a stopping stone) in the Atlantic Ocean where for centuries travellers and settlers from far and wide, have contributed something of their homelands and their cultures. It is an international place with a complex history. There is a special connection with South America. Its influence is felt in the open and friendly nature of the Canarian people, and in shared idiosyncrasies in vocabulary and dialect. For those drawn to the strange and supernatural, there is a palpable presence (that came over via the ‘new world’) of Afro-American customs and superstitions. Spells, magico-religious rituals and the like, are practised alongside indigenous Herbal Healing (ancestral wisdom dating back to the Guanches).
How much I have been influenced by Canarian culture I can’t say, but certainly there is a clear influence in the themes of two of my stories.
Q. Is there anything else you would like people to know about your writing or your creative processes?
A. Nope! I'll leave my stories to speak for themselves!
A. Yes, (yes) and yes respectively(!) because I don’t think it’s a question of either or… I’m the sum total of many contrasts and influences - many places and flavours, people and personalities, all alive and kicking deep within me; all vying for expression. And any influence from any place and any time, can be drawn upon for inspiration. I suspect, however, that the ones that surface unbidden, the silent influences (the ones I’m not aware of...) those may well be the most influential.
Q. How much has Spanish culture influenced your writing, do you think?
A. First of all, I should mention that although Tenerife is a Spanish Island, it is not wholly Spanish. It is a stepping stone (and, for some, a stopping stone) in the Atlantic Ocean where for centuries travellers and settlers from far and wide, have contributed something of their homelands and their cultures. It is an international place with a complex history. There is a special connection with South America. Its influence is felt in the open and friendly nature of the Canarian people, and in shared idiosyncrasies in vocabulary and dialect. For those drawn to the strange and supernatural, there is a palpable presence (that came over via the ‘new world’) of Afro-American customs and superstitions. Spells, magico-religious rituals and the like, are practised alongside indigenous Herbal Healing (ancestral wisdom dating back to the Guanches).
How much I have been influenced by Canarian culture I can’t say, but certainly there is a clear influence in the themes of two of my stories.
Q. Is there anything else you would like people to know about your writing or your creative processes?
A. Nope! I'll leave my stories to speak for themselves!
The Silent House and Other Strange Stories by Sophia Unsworth is published September 18th 2025 by Tartarus Press
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