Kalynn Bayron
About Author
Kalynn Bayron is a debut author and a classically trained vocalist. She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska.
When she's not writing, you can find her listening to Ella Fitzgerald on loop, going
to the theatre, watching scary movies and spending time with her kids.
She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her family.
You can follow her @KalynnBayron on Twitter.
Interview
CINDERELLA IS DEAD
BLOOMSBURY YA
AUGUST 2020
One of the most iconic of Grimms Brothers' fairy tales, Cinderella, is revisited in this dramatic retelling by debut author KALYNN BAYRON, in which she tears down the traditional constructs of the story and reveals a hidden story behind Cinderella's life that turns the story on its head.
With its searing reflections on toxic masculinity, representations of LGBTQIA+ characters and starring a black girl who is determined to tear down the constructs that threaten to destroy her chance for a future, this retelling of Cinderella is unlike any other.
We ask KALYNN BAYRON to tell us more about CINDERELLA IS DEAD:
Q: Have you always been a writer?
A: I think I've always been a storyteller. I've told stories through lots of different mediums; poetry, song writing, short stories, flash fiction. I've been writing those kinds of things since I was a kid. Writing a novel was something I attempted when I was 19, and it was terrible, but I knew it was something I wanted to keep working on and getting better at.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your debut book, Cinderella is Dead?
A: Cinderella Is Dead is a YA fantasy about 16-year-old Sophia Grimmins, a young girl living in the Kingdom of Mersailles which happens to be the place where Cinderella lived and died 200 years before.
Cinderella's story has become the backbone of this kingdom and all women are expected to model their lives after the fabled princess. Sophia is preparing to attend the annual ball, which is now a mandatory event, and is grappling with having to exist in a society that is violently oppressive for women.
Her decisions during the night of the ball put her in direct opposition to Mersailles's ruler, King Manford, and she goes on the run to uncover the truth about Cinderella's story.
Q: Why did you want to retell a fairy tale, and this particular fairy tale?
A: I've always loved fairy tales but I didn't have an opportunity to see Black girls in fairy tales for the entirety of my childhood. I didn't get to see Black Disney princess until Princess Tiana and she's a frog for most of the movie! I was 26 when that came out.
Because we are exposed to fairy tales from the time we're young, they absolutely have the potential to affect how we see the world and our place in it. What does it say to us when there is no representation? It tells us that we don't belong, that there isn't room for us, that our existence is an afterthought. So, I took this well known, hugely popular fairy tale, Cinderella, and I used it to explore the ways stories affect us, while also allowing my main character Sophia to uncover a truth that sheds new light on the Cinderella story itself.
Q: Can you comment on how exclusive traditional / Disney fairy tales were for you as a child - something you have touched on via social media?
A: I think it's natural to want to see yourself in the media you consume. I grew up in the 80's and 90's and that was a great time for those classic Disney princesses. I devoured those movies, partly because I loved music and partly because I love the magic of Disney films. But there is no getting around the fact that there was no though given to diversity and inclusion.
When you're a kid, you don't look at it like that-you only see that there's no one who looks like you and wonder why. You start to question if you really belong. Imagine the privilege in never having to ask yourself that question. I want that for us. I don't want our kids wondering why there's no one who represents them in the stories, shows, and movies they consume.
Q: How did you approach your retelling - what was core for you? Was Cinderella is Dead always going to be a feminist retelling, and celebrating a gay relationship?
A: It was always going to be about empowering women and girls. It was always going to center queer relationships. This story, at its core, a love letter to LGBTQIA+ youth. I want them to have the representation that I didn't have. I want them to know there's a place for them and it's not as the sidekick or the best friend...it's front and center.
Q: Your story explores how the community in Lille is led to do bad things; are you reflecting on the leadership in our current world, and the structures that implicitly support toxic masculinity ?
A: I'm absolutely reflecting on that. The majority of the horrendous things that occur in Cinderella Is Dead are taken from real-world examples. If I had a dollar for every time some random man told me to smile, I'd have a nice little chunk of change.
The set of decrees put forth by Mersailles's ruler says that women can't own property or drive or refuse their husbands for any reason. Public humiliation of women who have broken the rules serves to keep the wider population fearful which leads to compliance for fear of punishment. And the concept of being a forfeit isn't radical either. People, especially those in marginalized communities, are often disowned, cast out if they don't conform to societal norms.
The way these rules function completely erases gender identities that don't conform to binary constructs. And along the way, there are those who see these atrocities being committed and do nothing-out of fear, self-preservation, shame, or in some cases, a genuine belief that they are doing the right thing.
Cinderella Is Dead is me laying all of this bare and it's ugly. Enter Sophia - who decides that she is willing to risk everything to try and make things better.
Q: What would you like your readers - boys and girls - to take from your story?
A: I'd like all readers to have a good time watching Sophia unravel the mysteries of Mersailles. I hope this book is enjoyable for everyone who loves fantasy and fairy tales. I hope readers have a chance to see themselves reflected and that they feel seen.
Q: What has the route to being published been like for you?
A: It has been a long and, sometimes very tough, road. I'm wrote a YA fantasy that centers Sophia and Constance, two Black queer girls challenging patriarchy, misogyny, and societal expectations while deconstructing one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time.
I was told early on that a story like this wouldn't get me agent, wouldn't catch the eye of an editor, wouldn't sell, but I had to write it. I refused to believe that stories like this one were too niche. I wrote the story I wanted and needed to tell and Cinderella Is Dead is now a bestseller! Don't ever give up on your dreams.
Q: Where and when do you do most of your writing, and what are your writing now?
A: I try to keep a writing schedule, Monday through Friday. But since COVID, all planning has gone out the window! I write whenever I can and I try not to give myself a hard time if I get a little behind. There's a lot going on right now.
Right now, I'm finishing up edits on my second YA novel. It will be out next year! It's a contemporary fantasy set in upstate New York, and I like to tell people it is a combination of Little Shop of Horrors meets The Secret Garden with a dash of Hadestown. It's a creepy, atmospheric, magical story and I'm very excited to announce a title and cover soon!
Q: Do you plan to revisit any more fairy tales and do you have a specific one that you'd like to tackle next?
A: I'd love to tackle every story in Constance's book of fairy tales. Each of them contains a truth hidden in plain sight, much like the Cinderella story. At some point I'd also like to tackle the creators of that book because they have a hugely interesting backstory.
Q: Cinderella is Dead is a very inspiring book for changing our world - are there other YA books / writers you would recommend for those interested in changing systems? Which writers have inspired you the most?
A: I have so many authors that I respect and admire. Some of my favorites are Audre Lord, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston. More recently, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Dhonielle Clayton, LL McKinney, Bethany C. Morrow, Kim Johnson, Renee Watson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Leah Johnson.
I'd encourage people to read all of these amazing authors. Sometimes changing systems of oppression means engaging with content in a way you haven't before. Read work by BIPOC because we tell wonderful stories across myriad genres and our stories aren't always centered on pain or the struggle. We write horror, mystery, fantasy, rom-coms, adventures, romance, sci-fi, etc. When you pick up a book by a Black author, re-examine your own biases, your own defaults. That's a step in the right direction.
Q: What do you enjoy doing when you're not busy writing?
A: I love music, especially musical theatre. Wicked is my favorite musical. I'm also a big fan of horror movies and I really enjoy watching creepy films! Also, I really enjoy writing, so even though it's my job, I still write for fun. I love writing horror short fiction pieces and I have one called Yellow Cake that will be published later this year with Midnight and Indigo.
Cinderella Is Dead
