Danai Christopoulou
Author Interview - Danai Christopoulou
Author of Vile Lady Villains
A queer, gothic horrormantasy that’s perfect for readers of S. T. Gibson and Kiersten White.
With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help. They give her a potion that transports her to an unknown realm. Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood.
Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories.
Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them.
As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction that no author dare write, they have a choice: remain within the confines of their original tales … or burn down the world to pen a new story together …
Author Interview - Danai Christopoulou
Author I draw inspiration from:
So many! From Sir Terry Pratchett to Nnedi Okorafor (I’m still not over how brilliant Binti was), to Alexis Hall, to Saint Gibson and V. E. Schwab (Bury Our Bones In the Midnight Soil feels like it was written specifically for me), I'm always in awe of the way they spin words and create worlds.
Author Interview - Danai Christopoulou | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
I live in the middle of a Swedish forest, so anywhere near a window will do, especially during wintertime when there's snow everywhere.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Gideon, from Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth. I feel like they'd be fun, resourceful, and make good use of that sword and those biceps of theirs to get us out.
Author Interview - Danai Christopoulou | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I think I always knew it, at some level. I spent most of my childhood either reading books or sitting in my room, eyes closed, making up whole worlds and stories in my head, often continuing or changing the stories I'd just read if I wasn't satisfied with their ending. (This was a full two decades before someone would tell me that there is a thing called 'fan fiction' and a website where people do this very same thing!) And I've been writing all my life, just not in a fiction capacity: I started as a copywriter for an advertising agency, then moved to women's magazines for the best part of my 20s, then to lifestyle websites and ghostwriting... It was only in 2020, after I'd ghostwritten a couple of fiction and non-fiction books for clients that I decided there's no reason to not try writing my own books as well.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I read most of my books in ebook format, for ease, as many of the books I read are unpublished manuscripts for clients. But I do love hardbacks and paperbacks equally! Unfortunately I struggle with audiobooks, as my ADHD brain gets distracted and needs to be looking at words on the page to absorb the story.
The last book I read:
By the time this is published, I will have probably finished Hell's Heart by Alexis Hall. I adore it so far!
Author Interview - Danai Christopoulou | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Computer, absolutely. If I had a typewriter, maybe I'd pick that, as I enjoy the clickity sounds of the keyboard. I like the aesthetics of pen and paper, but I tend to edit and research as I go, so I need to be able to easily delete my words without creating a mess on the page.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Honestly, most of my favorite book characters would probably rather try to kill me than befriend me, like Harrow from Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb series, or Zetian from Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow.
Author Interview - Danai Christopoulou | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I also work as an editor and an assistant literary agent, so every conceivable job I can do centers around words and books. Basically my job would be books, perhaps in a different capacity. I did have a brief stint as a baker, and I do miss making cakes, but books win.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I've always loved the pin-up styles of the '50s. I think design- and fashion-wise (but definitely not societal-values-wise) so many things were prettier back then.
Place I’d most like to travel:
I've traveled a lot in my 20s and hit many of my bucket list destinations, but I always yearn to go back to Edinburgh, or visit New Orleans or Kyoto. There are also certain parts of my homeland, Greece, that I'll always miss, like Crete or Thessaloniki.
My signature drink:
These days I'm mostly sober, so it would be most likely a strong dark coffee. That being said, I do miss a good espresso martini!
Favorite artist:
Florence Welch, I worship the ground she walks on.
Number one on my bucket list:
At this point most of my bucket list items involve my book's publication and other author milestones. I'm looking forward to seeing how Vile Lady Villains is received. I'd love to do a book event IRL at some point and meet readers, as I live so far away from everything!
Anything else you'd like to add:
Thank you for having me on Hasty Book List, and I hope you and your readers enjoy Vile Lady Villains!
Find more from the author:
instagram.com/danaiwrites
x.com/danaiwrites
About Danai Christopoulou:
Danai Christopoulou
Danai Christopoulou is a Greek author raised on a diet of myths and tragedies. Danai’s writing has appeared in Glamour, Marie Claire, khōréō, Fusion Fragment, Flame Tree Press, Writer's Digest and more, nominated for a Pushcart Prize and for a Best of Small Fictions, longlisted for a BSFA Award and featured on the Nebula and Stoker recommended reading lists. Vile Lady Villains, Danai’s debut novel, comes out in the UK with Penguin Michael Joseph in April 2026, in the US with Union Square & Co in May 2026, and in Greece with Anubis Books. When not writing, Danai is an editor for Hugo-nominated khōréō magazine, and an assistant literary agent at The Tobias Literary Agency. Growing up amid the ancient ruins of Athens, Greece, Danai currently haunts a forest in Sweden. You can find them on social media at @danaiwrites.
