A Q&A with Virginia Feito, Author of February Indie Next List Top Pick “Victorian Psycho”

Bookselling This Week: I’d love to hear a little about how you created Winifred. How did you navigate making readers feel empathy towards a character that is utterly without empathy herself?

Virginia Feito: I couldn’t help liking Winifred myself. I think it’s her sense of humor. It disarms me. The fact that she gives absolutely zero fucks is also very inspiring. But I think it’s reading about her violently awful childhood and how her caretakers have hated her since she was born that might make her a sympathetic character to many readers. Also, the people around her are just vile, and less delightful than she is. Or so we’re told. Winifred is manipulating us through her narrative into empathizing with her so we’ll somewhat justify her terrible actions.

BTW: I think part of the appeal of this novel is that it holds nothing back. But because of that, I’d also love to hear what the editing process looked like. How different is the finished novel from earlier versions?

VF: The first draft was harsher, more violent, and relentlessly repetitive. There was no plot, no twists, just endless hopelessness. So believe it or not I did actually censor myself throughout the (long, as long as a dark winter night) editing process. I also tried a version where it was written in the third person — big mistake, obviously — but it did allow me the distance to more easily structure it closer to how it stands today.

BTW: And Victorian Psycho has already been picked up for a movie adaptation! Congratulations! Will you be involved in the production of the movie? Or do you have any hopes for the film that you want to share?

VF: Thank you, it’s very exciting! I have adapted the script myself and am also involved as executive producer. But honestly my greatest hope is just to watch it happen. We have an incredible team and I just love listening to everybody’s ideas. The director Zach Wigon has excellent taste — in terms of ideas, shots, and also, say, in terms of curtains and china patterns. I cannot wait to see his vision brought to life.

BTW: Would you tell us a bit about the role of books and indie bookstores in your life?

VF: Books are one of the most important things in my life, both as a reader and as a writer. And there’s nothing quite like having a regular indie bookstore where you feel at home and comfortable enough to explore titles you might otherwise never have approached, or found. As someone who reads and writes in English but lives in Spain, where most bookstores are lacking English-language stock, the indie bookstores I turn to are an especially valuable resource for me to discover new (and old) titles from English-language markets.