Shortlist spotlight – Amanda Smyth
23rd May, 2022
Shortlister Amanda Smyth spoke to Sheila Averbuch about her brilliant novel Fortune, how it was inspired by her own family history, showed us some fascinating photographs of the period, and introduced us to some of the evocative terminology used by the early oil explorers. There’s a chance to see the conversation again above or on our facebook page.
Amanda also answered our written questions in this fascinating Q&A.
Q: How do you feel about being shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction? Do you consider yourself an historical novelist?
A: I am absolutely thrilled to be on the shortlist, especially after seeing such a strong longlist. My first novel was also historical fiction, but I had never before now considered myself to be a historical novelist.
Q: How did the people and times you write about in this novel first lodge in your imagination?
A: I was captivated by the story of the Dome Fire after reading about it in a collection of essays 6 years ago. I also knew people who were affected by the disaster—including my great grandfather, who should have been there on the night of the explosion but happened to be elsewhere. The more I researched, the more I felt compelled to tell the story.
Q: What place does research have in your writing? When does the fiction take over from the facts?
Researching early oil exploration was key in my first drafts of FORTUNE. I wanted to learn the technical terms of oil drilling methods and understand the process of drilling for oil, but then forget about it. I was conscious of getting bogged down in dry, technical language and worried about boring my readers. So I tried to understand the mechanics, enjoy the terminology—great words, like roustabout, diamond bit, derrick floor—and let the rest go. The wonderful thing about research is how it takes you off piste—for months I found myself immersed in 1920s Beaumont Texas and much of this world fed into Eddie’s character.
Q: Can writing about the past help us to deal with the present and think about the future?
A: I believe so. I suspect that many of the lessons learned by my characters here in FORTUNE are relevant today. Apart from the obvious environmental threats, the main characters are all overreaching in some way, risking all they have for a dream/fantasy of some kind. They are full of longing and driven by their desires. Perhaps that’s something we can all relate to.