Interviewing Ida Keogh
Hellooo!!!
Just before the end of the year I talked about the excellent novella Fish! by Ida Keogh a wonderfully smart tale exploring a UK where Merfolk arrive on our shores seeking shelter. The UK’s views though on this magical event are very mixed. Ida very kindly agreed to talk to me about this story I heartily recommend
Well, hello there, Womble!
How would you booktempt Fish!?
Fish! explores a modern Merfolk refugee crisis from multiple viewpoints. How will humanity respond to these newcomers? Will they be compassionate or intolerant? Sympathetic or exploitative? As one reader put it, “It’s queer, it’s clear-eyed about the complexities of our society, but ultimately optimistic about how diverse cultures and communities can co-exist.”
What did you want to explore in this story?
The novella ranges from stories of queer love to political machinations; from military and legal responses to those of the general public. I wanted to explore all the possible implications of an unfolding refugee crisis, both positive and negative, while maintaining a sense of the fantastical.
How much of a challenge was getting your various character’s voices and perspectives?
I have never done so much research. The novella covers nineteen different viewpoints, including those of Merfolk themselves. I had to construct a unique linguistic system for them and still differentiate between individual personalities. The favourite chapter for readers so far is one written from the perspective of a child. The one which required the most degrading research was reading dozens of newspaper articles to try to get that sense of moral superiority which comes with staunch patriotism. I explored Hansard to ensure the House of Commons was correctly portrayed, took notes from taxi drivers, read up on prostitution, and watched a whole bunch of make-up tutorials on Youtube. It was so rewarding to see it all take shape in the end!
What is the attraction of merfolk?
Mermaids have always held a magical place in my heart, and there have been countless stories told about them. I wanted to do something different with my Merfolk. I did a lot of research into protandry (the ability of some fish to change gender at will), chromatophores (my Merfolk can change their skin colour and mimic patterns like an octopus), and pheromones (because Merfolk are supposed to be sexy, right?). I hope I managed to produce a vaguely scientifically plausible race while paying homage to classical mermaid traits.
What else can we look forward from you in the future and where can we find out more?
Fish! has appeared in this year’s BSFA longlist, so I’m keeping fingers crossed on that front. I’m currently writing a little horror for Black Shuck Books, and I hope this is the year where I finally start writing The Novel. It’s a near future dystopian sci-fi set in a London beset by climate change and far right politics, and explores found family, the impact of memory on personality, and sacrifice. All my writing updates can be found on my Twitter, @silkyida.
If there was one book (not your own) that you wish everyone in the world could read what would it be and why?
Sticking to the underwater theme, I would recommend China Miéville’s The Scar. It is the second novel set in the Bas-Lag universe and features a wondrous cast of characters and deep, lush description of the floating pirate city Armada both above and below the waves. Above all it is an incredible feat of imagination and Miéville’s signature weirdness.
