Behind The Skin Thief: Horror, History and the Boo Hag
From the outset I wanted to begin the book with a bit of an origin story and a setting of the scene for what was to come in the main story, which is set in the modern era. Setting the start of the book almost a hundred years earlier also presents the idea of the timelessness and immortality of the Boo Hag in the story.
Helen Andrews
Helen Andrews’ The Skin Thief blends supernatural horror, mystery, crime, and history into a story that stretches from a 1926 mine disaster to a modern-day investigation in Cornwall. At the centre is Emily Peterson, whose discovery of old family records leads her to question what really happened to her great-grandfather.
In this interview, Andrews talks about the inspiration behind the novel, her use of the Boo Hag legend, how Emily evolved as a character, her experience publishing with Tellwell, and how she plans to spend Halloween watching some of her favourite horror films.
The Skin Thief brings together crime, mystery, history, and supernatural horror. When you first began developing the novel, did you always envision it as this blend of genres, or did the story evolve in that direction as you wrote?
It was always intended for the novel to be a supernatural horror story with a historical connection as its foremost genre, but it also evolved into a crime mystery along the way due to the nature of the deaths that occur and the resulting police investigation into them. I like the idea that the story sits across a couple of genres as it hopefully makes it accessible to fans of them both. From the feedback I have had, that certainly seems the case.
The novel opens in 1926 with the Walden Manor mine disaster before jumping forward to the main story in 2019. What inspired you to connect a historical tragedy with a modern-day investigation, and how did you approach weaving those two timelines together?
From the outset I wanted to begin the book with a bit of an origin story and a setting of the scene for what was to come in the main story, which is set in the modern era. Setting the start of the book almost a hundred years earlier also presents the idea of the timelessness and immortality of the Boo Hag in the story. However, in order to weave the two timelines together, I needed something to connect them. That came in the form of Emily Peterson, the great-granddaughter of one of the 1926 victims, who comes across family records casting doubt on the official reason given for her great-grandfather’s death in the mine accident, triggering her own investigation.
The Skin Thief itself draws on the legend of the Boo Hag, but you’ve placed that mythology within a distinctly British—and particularly Cornish—setting. What first introduced you to the Boo Hag legend, and what made you want to reinterpret it for this story?
I came across the story of the Boo Hag while exploring a website on American folk stories, and was really drawn to it. Even though it was born from the Gullah people of the Southern United States, tales of hag witches/spirits are also present in Old English and European folklore, so I felt it would be fun to blend the two together in a British rural setting to see what would happen.
Every author seems to encounter a point where their book changes significantly from what they originally imagined. Was there a character, scene, plot development, or idea in The Skin Thief that changed substantially during the writing process?
At the outset, I had definite ideas about the characters I wanted to write about and their respective personalities. Emily Peterson was intended to be a shy introvert, who was socially distant and awkward around people. Someone no one would pay much attention to. However, as I wrote her, I found that she was much stronger than I thought and, if anything, it is her resolve and focus that ends up driving the story towards its conclusion.
I have been genuinely thrilled to work with the team at Tellwell. My project manager has been there to answer my questions whenever I have had them, and when I decided late on in the process to change the cover the bespoke artwork that was produced was exceptional. I had expected the publishing process to be slow and drawn out, but if anything it has been the complete opposite.
With Halloween just around the corner, what are some of your favourite ways to celebrate the season? Are you a fan of scary movies, haunted attractions, or classic Halloween traditions?
I will no doubt be celebrating Halloween by curling up on my couch with a wine and some chocolate and watching back to back scary movies. As well as modern horror movies, I love some of the classics such as The Exorcist and An American Werewolf in London, so they may well be on my watchlist again this year.
