Introducing… Holly Robbins
Meet Holly Robbins, today’s featured author from the MAWFYP 2025 cohort.
Holly grew up in Somerset in a house nestled between the moors and the sea and still feels most happy when she is near a body of water. Nowadays, she lives on a cosy narrowboat on the River Avon. Inspired by a deep love of mythology, she went to university to do Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Studies. She writes stories inspired by British folklore, the sea, music and friends, as well as Vikings, monks, mandrakes and other historical curiosities. Her imagination is entirely fuelled by tea and daydreams. When she's not writing you’ll find her painting flowers on things, or desperately trying to catch the attention of a nearby dog.
What is your writing routine?
I need to write first thing in the morning (not counting breakfast, of course) before the rest of the world seeps into my day. This way I avoid over-thinking and experiencing The Doubt about my current work, and I find it much easier to stay focussed. I get myself comfy and cozy with a huge mug of tea, so I have no excuse to fidget or get up. I suppose it’s less of a routine and more of a battle of wills: me versus my own attention span. However, currently I am winning!
Who is your favorite author and how have they inspired you?
My very favourite book is The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, which I last read over a decade ago. I had almost forgotten about it until my tutor mentioned that my WIP, Werewolf, had a lot in common with it, which was both surprising and encouraging. I love anything dark and historical and read a lot of murder-mysteries, so I wanted to challenge myself to write one.
What was the inspiration for your manuscript?
I’ve had a fascination with medieval and renaissance occultism and the psychology behind witch trials since I was a young teenager. I remember reading The Book of Werewolves by Sabine Baring Gould and finding the concept of communities believing wholeheartedly in werewolves so puzzling. The kernel of inspiration was reading about a man who admitted in court, under no duress, to being a werewolf himself! How could you prove that werewolves don’t exist when those accused of the demonic transformation confess to it? It felt like an interesting conundrum.
Who is your favourite character in your book?
My protagonist, Mara, has a pet dog called Moon who is the embodiment of a Good Dog (although, aren’t all dogs?) He is a sweet and gentle thing and inspired by an anxious lurcher of mine. I also love Bishop Olaus, who is based on a historical figure - Olaus Magnus, a writer and exiled archbishop of Uppsala - but acts as a sort of Sherlock Holmes figure in Werewolf. He is the first person to see how insightful and intelligent Mara truly is, despite her upbringing, and is as much of an animal lover as she is.
What inspires you first: character or plot?
Plot comes first for me. It takes me a little while to get into the heads of characters. Sometimes you have to see how they respond to things before you understand them. (A bit like people, really.)
Describe your perfect day.
It’s sunny, warm and autumnal. The leaves are turning golden. I have breakfast out on the towpath, then easily hit my word-count goal for the day. With the help of my partner and some friends, I move my narrowboat along a picturesque stretch of canal and end up in a town with an excellent vegan restaurant and one hundred second-hand book shops!