Lauren Beukes — The Women in My Novel “Aren’t Nameless, Silent Corpses”

From the beginning, I didn’t want to elevate Harper to a slick, sophisticated, Hannibal Lecter-esque serial murderer. I wanted Harper to be more vile and awful, a cringing hyena rather than uber-predator. And it was equally important to me that I give each of Harper’s victims a voice: They aren’t nameless, silent corpses, and a lot of my research focused on finding out what makes these authentic, real-to-life women ‘shine’ in their time. They’re all exceptional in their respective eras, straining against their social or political circumstances. I took a lot of care to show that they had real lives, to present what their lives meant and convey how tragic it is that their potential has been cut short.” —

Read full interview in Oprah Magazine

Lauren Beukes is considered to be Africa’s Sci-fi queen. Her novel, Shinning Girls, was officially released in the US last month and is making considerable waves. Shinning Girls is a story about a time-travelling serial killer set in Chicago.