Q&A: Ten for The TEN with Eleni Kyriacou

'Short goals are the trick'

It was a rare treat to be able to speak with author Eleni Kyriacou for this week’s Ten for The TEN.

Her latest novel, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, inspired by the true-crime story of the penultimate woman to be executed in Britain, is out this week in paperback.

A BBC2 Between the Covers Book Club pick, the novel is a real page-turner, not least because it has its roots in a true crime.

Set in 1954, the book tells the story of Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother accused of killing her daughter-in-law, Hedy. Zina speaks no English so has to rely on Eva, the translator appointed by the Metropolitan Police, to speak for her. The accused insists she’s innocent, despite the overwhelming evidence against her, and as Eva is drawn into Zina’s story and feels a deep sympathy for her, she also bitterly regrets taking on this job. Could this small, unassuming woman really be responsible for such unspeakable crimes? Is Zina a victim or is she a killer?

What fascinates me about the novel is that Eleni, the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, was able to not just draw upon real events but also her own culture to tell the story. She explains more about that below.

We also get into the nuts and bolts of how you go about finding an agent, the importance of that relationship, and how to balance writing a novel whilst holding down a job that also involves writing.

An award-winning editor and journalist, Eleni’s work has appeared in many publications including the Guardian, the Observer, Grazia, and Red. Her debut novel, She Came To Stay, a story of trust and friendship set in 1950’s Soho, was published in 2020.

Your latest novel, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, is inspired by the true-crime story of the penultimate woman to be executed in Britain. Can you explain a little more about that and why you chose to write a novel based on that story?

I came upon the true crime story that inspired this novel by chance. The real women at the centre of this crime were Styllou Christofi, the accused, and her daughter-in-law, Hella.

In 1954, Styllou, a 53-year-old Cypriot woman who was living with her son and his family in London, was accused of brutally murdering Hella. She insisted she was innocent. The accused spoke no English and was also illiterate in her own language, so everything had to be conducted via translators.

Firstly, I was shocked I’d never heard of this story before, especially as it was so grisly, and the execution took place just seven months before Ruth Ellis was hanged. Secondly, I was fascinated that the last person to know the outcome of the trial was the accused herself. It underlined the power of language and the responsibility that lay on the translators’ shoulders.

In the real case, Christofi had at least three male translators, but I thought it would make a stronger story in my fictionalised account if Zina has just one female translator who gets close to her and spends the book trying to decide whether she did it and, if so, why. With Christofi, there was also a question around her sanity and whether she should have been tried by a jury at all, which made it even more compelling. For me, this true crime resonates on so many levels. Yes, it’s set seventy years ago, but the themes of justice, misogyny, racism and immigration all feel relevant today. It’s also about love, family and betrayal.

Once I decided to change names and fictionalise the story, that’s when my writing took off because I was able to free myself from the true account. I’ve used many actual documents as starting points – like Christofi’s letters in and out of prison, newspaper reports, police statements and so – and changed them and woven them throughout the story. At the end of the book is an author’s note explaining what is fact and what is fiction.

It’s set in the ‘Greek diaspora of 1950s London’. How does it inform your writing when you pull from your own roots? Does it ever feel uncomfortable or is it more of a comfort blanket?

I didn’t live through the Fifties, but I understand the immigrant mentality of the people who came here then because that’s what my parents did. Having that background is useful – it means I can draw on my knowledge and write a character like Zina, knowing that the obsessive nature of her personality stems from the kind of love that some Cypriot mothers have towards their children (especially their sons!).

Having this background isn’t uncomfortable – if anything it’s really rewarding being able to explain your culture through storytelling. But I also wouldn’t call it a comfort blanket because there are elements that are difficult to express. For example, through the priest character in the book I explore the occasional hypocrisy of the Orthodox church, and yet I have to also accept that for many people it’s a source of real comfort and joy. The challenge is not to reduce your culture to one thing, but to try to show it from all angles.

Your first novel, She Came to Stay, was published in 2020. How long did that book take to write, and how long was it before you found a publisher?

My debut took around seven years to write, on and off. There were times I wasn’t working on it at all, and others when I was constantly rewriting.

Via Twitter, I heard that a publisher was holding an open submission contest to find underrepresented voices. An open submission is when publishers allow you to send work directly, without an agent in between.

So I entered, all the while still trying to get an agent. When She Came to Stay was picked up by the publisher, I then approached an agency I’d already sent it to, who I was waiting to hear back from, mentioning I already had a publisher interested. Eventually, I signed with that agency, so my experience was back-to-front: usually you find an agent and they try to sell your work to a publisher.

Whilst writing my debut I was also freelancing as a journalist, writing features for newspapers and weekend newspaper supplements. And every now and then I’d also get a contract editing and commissioning on a magazine features desk, such as Marie Claire or Woman and Home. These tended to be long-term maternity cover contracts that lasted nine to 12 months. I found it easier to write fiction while on a contract.

I’d go into the office an hour or so early, sit with a coffee and my laptop, and write. Then at home, I’d print out what I’d done, edit it and move on to the next scene the following day. I worked four days a week so I could also spend Friday focusing just on my fiction. And of course I’d sometimes work nights and weekends too - when you’re in the middle of writing a book and it’s going well, you don’t want to let it go.

When I was freelancing from home rather than on contract, it was much more difficult to write fiction as I was always thinking about where the next job was coming from.

At weekends I’d sometimes write with a friend, and that can work well too – a bit like a mini writing retreat. We’d write for, say, two hours, break for lunch, then carry on. I often get more done with other people around. Libraries are good for this too.

Can you explain how you found your agent and the importance of that relationship?

My agent is Abi Fellows, who is now at DHH Literary Agency, as am I. I approached the Good Literary Agency, where she first worked because they were specifically looking for writers from underrepresented backgrounds.

If you’re self-publishing, or writing non-fiction, you may not need an agent, but for a novelist it’s the most important working relationship you’ll have. Your agent is there to back you, to advise, have a view on your long-term career and to help if things go wrong. I couldn’t have done this without Abi’s support. Anyone who is writing fiction and wants to be published in the traditional way needs an agent because, the truth is, without one publishers will not consider your material. Every agent wants to be approached in a different manner (check out their website for details) and you must put the work into doing it properly. It’s time-consuming but there’s no way around that.

My debut novel was only a one-book deal, so when I was writing The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, I knew Abi would need to go out and find a new publisher.

Some agents have editorial input, and Abi helped me redraft and redraft until I got it right. Then she went out to sell it, and her enthusiasm and optimism really helped me through what was a long, difficult process. It took several months to sell this book. There were many times I felt like giving up, thinking perhaps the story was just too dark or sad to tell.

But finally, we found a publisher - Head of Zeus loved it. They were as fascinated by the true crime angle as were we, and immediately had strong ideas on how they’d publish it.

The fact that The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou was later chosen for BBC2’s Between the Covers book club programme was amazing, and it goes to show that publishing is subjective, and things can change!

What part of your writing process did you change when writing your second novel?

I thought more clearly about my preoccupations and what themes I wanted to draw out. This story was a gift, because so many of the original documents were available through libraries and archives. But it was also a double-edged sword, because I had to keep reminding myself that this was a work of fiction and I didn’t need to adhere to the true story. When using a true story for inspiration, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of obligation and responsibility. 

I think with the second book, my writing was tighter and I was more focused. I had less time to do it in and had learned a lot about pacing, and so on, so I started later in the story. That’s always good advice. I think I also had a stronger idea of how I wanted readers to feel when reading it and made sure every chapter delivered on that.

Can you describe your typical daily writing routine?

It really depends on where I am with a book. I write historical crime, so there’s a lot of research to be done, which I love. If I’m in those early stages of research, I might be reading various books, maybe I’ll go to an exhibition that’s connected with the subject I’m writing on or watch a film. I take notes on everything.

If I’m in the writing phase I tend to have a rough list of scenes that need to be written(I’m a planner, but my plans do change! And I’ll choose the one I feel like writing, knowing nobody else needs to look at it at this point.

I might go to the British Library to do that, a local café or work from home – it really depends on how stir-crazy I am and what I feel like. I like to get out at least once or twice a week. I tend to start around 9am and finish by 4ish – then get some air or exercise. Sometimes I’ll go out for a walk halfway through the day. I often come back to the writing in the evening to re-read it and do a quick edit before moving on. But when I’m in deadline hell I’ve been known to get up and start writing ridiculously early, like 4.30am, if I can’t sleep and am feeling a bit panicky.

I do procrastinate, which means I create more stress for myself as the deadline looms closer, but it seems to work in some warped way!

What is your revision and editing process like, and how many drafts do you typically go through?

I love editing and rewriting. I think it’s the most creative part of the process and I will go over and over something until I can’t do any more. I like to print out, have an hour’s break and then come back and re-read and scribble all over it.

Some people like to read it out loud – I can hear it in my head, though occasionally I read out dialogue. I enjoy writing dialogue and am fascinated by the way people speak. My books are always dialogue-heavy. I also like to be able to see a scene – if I can’t see it, I can’t write it. I know I’ve got it right if it plays like a movie in my head when I’m reading it back.

I’d say I do dozens of drafts; there’s no limit and I don’t count them, I just date them so I’m working on the latest one. That sounds daunting but I consider any changes a new draft. So, for example, if I’m making sure someone’s speech patterns are consistent and they sound definitively like themselves, rather than like all the other characters, I’ll go through all the scenes in which they appear and check them – that can be a draft. I back up by emailing myself at the end of every writing session and attaching my work. Every now and then I back up properly, too but probably not as much as I should.

How do you stay motivated throughout because there’s always a point during the process at which you’ve done a lot of work but there’s still so much left to do?

I try to remember what attracted me to the project/ story in the first place. What was the initial inspiration? What did I want to say? Why am I the right writer to say it? What’s important about this story? Usually, I’ll find something about it that makes me feel excited again and reignites my enthusiasm.

I do like to see how far I’ve come, so a list of scenes that I’m ticking off always helps too. Short goals are the trick; tell yourself you must write 800 words per session, but then you can stop. Chances are you’ll do much more.

What are you reading now and what books can you recommend?

I’m currently reading So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, by Jon Ronson, and None of This Is True, by Lisa Jewell. They’re both excellent.

Also, for researching the next book: lots of Hollywood biographies.

My two favourite books last year included Notes on an Execution, by Danya Kukafka and Other Women, by Emma Flint. And, along with the rest of the world, I’m impatiently waiting for another book from Sarah Waters and Donna Tartt.

Have you started on a third novel yet and can you tell us anything about it?

Yes! It’s set in Hollywood in the 1950s and it’s very glamorous and also horribly dark. Power-hungry actors, corrupt studio execs, gorgeous frocks and, of course, murder.

The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is published by Head of Zeus and available in paperback, audio, eBook and hardback.

Visit Eleni’s website at www.elenikwriter.com and follow her on Instagram and Twitter/X.

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