Emma Hinds

I always say that I write Queer historical fiction, but from October 2025, I will also be publishing my first contemporary novel for young adults, a queer fantasy. So I would now say that I write queer fiction that crosses genres.

Where I grew up is not a constant influence on my writing now. I am much more influenced by my current hometown, Manchester, and the stories I have uncovered here in the city.

An escapist. I was an anxious child and reading provided solace and a fantasy world to create my own stories in.

I think the battle of every author's life is to write entirely as themselves.

Being asked to only choose five is brutal.

Hilary Mantel - Not only has her prose been incredibly influential on my own style, but her autiobiography, Giving Up the Ghost, gave me tremendous hope. She suffered with the same chronic illness as me her entire life and the way she navigated both that and her career inspired me greatly.

Sarah Waters - She is the gold standard of queer historical fiction and her dedication to bringing the past vividly to life has egged on so many historical fiction writers, including myself.

Andre Aciman - Aciman explores bisexuality in a way that was revelatory to me, personally, but also dives into the divine in a manner that I have always longed to echo in my own work. He is one of the only writers who can move me to tears with the beauty of his prose.

Jane Austen - She is so clever and always, always, makes me laugh! Whenever I am low, whenever I am dull and listless, Austen revitalises me.

Arundhati Roy - I read The God of Small Things when I was a teenager and it changed my life. Roy is not only a superb novelist she is also an example of how a novelist can be an activist, and their work can speak beyond their characters, out into the wider political word.

The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker. It tends to land so well with so many people who like different things – crime, action, thrillers, romance, queer storylines – it has a bit of everything. Pat Barker is a genius of our time, and if you'd asked for my top 6, she would be on the list!

All of my characters have a sliver of me in, but the character of Faith in PURE, a play I wrote back in 2019, is the most autobiographical. I am a playwright as well as a novelist.

It changes! Depending on the year, the month, the day ...

Due to chronic illness, it's mostly been my sofa! But I have a beautiful vintage bureau that I inherited from my grandparents which is my 'good health day' writing space.

A window seat that overlooks the sea or the lakes. I have a particular favourite in Bude, Cornwall, and also one in Rydal, in the Lake District.