Where fantasy meets reality: Kell Woods on After The Forest and her magical wolf encounter
An Aussie mum’s experiences backpacking in the Black Forest – where she came face-to-face with a wolf – prompted her to reboot a classic story. Now her adult retelling is going global.
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If you reckon fairytales are just for children, think again, says KELL WOODS.
The Aussie mum’s new novel After The Forest retells the classic Hansel and Gretel story as a historical fantasy for adults – and is getting a rapturous reception from critics and fans alike.
Today Kell, from south-coast NSW, tells the Sunday Book Club about what inspired it, how she researched it overseas by going in search of wolves and why gingerbread matters.
After the Forest is thrilling, dark and magical. How would you describe it for readers?
Thank you so much, I’m so delighted and humbled by the outpouring of love for my debut novel! After the Forest is a historical fantasy novel for adults that retells the Hansel and Gretel fairytale. Set in the Black Forest region of Germany in the mid-seventeenth century, it tells the story of red-headed gingerbread baker Greta, who along with her brother Hans, survived a terrifying ordeal in the woods when they were children. Their troubles, however, are far from over. When dark magic returns to the woods and the villagers’ mistrust and suspicions deepen, Greta finds that the past might not be as distant as she had thought – and that she might have to fight for her life all over again.
What drew you to the story of Hansel and Gretel?
It’s a familiar tale for most of us but I wanted to explore what things might have been like if Hansel and Gretel were real people living in a real place and time. What kind of people would they be? What would life be like for them? I wondered how the woodcutter could have brought himself to abandon his children. And why the witch chose Hansel, not Gretel, for dinner; how Gretel would have felt after pushing the witch into the oven. And whether any of them would have really been capable of living happily ever after, after all?
Why do you think people keep coming back to classic fairytales?
‘Once upon a time.’ There’s something incredibly comforting about those four little words, which is strange, because at the same time they instantly draw us into another world. Humans love stories – we have been telling them for thousands of years. It’s how we make sense of the world and how we entertain ourselves. Fairy tales are very dark and often strange and brutal, especially the older versions. But they are filled with magic and beauty, too. I think it’s this combination of beauty and brutality that calls us back to them again and again.
Despite its magical themes, After the Forest is set in a real time and place. What kind of research did you do?
I did a lot of reading about the history of Germany and what life would have been like there. Books, articles, images, paintings, a whole range of things. It was important to me to make the setting seem as vivid and detailed as possible. This involved a lot of googling in German, and asking my German friends for help. Luckily they didn’t mind! I was also really lucky to spend some time in Germany.
What was your experience in Germany like?
It was magical! I spent a week backpacking from village to village. I visited an open-air museum that had original seventeenth century houses, went to a bear and wolf sanctuary, and explored the woods with a forest guide. It all helped me paint a picture of what the Black Forest might have been like in the past. The bear sanctuary was really special. The animals have all been rescued from terrible conditions and it’s wonderful to see them wandering happily through the large, forested enclosures on the mountainside. The wolves are reclusive, but they did make an appearance, emerging from the trees in the rain. Such a wondrous moment. (Editors’ note: See the video above for more on Kell’s magical wolf encounter, including her photos)
Fantasy has been on the rise over recent years, particularly romantic fantasy. Why do you think the genre is having such a moment?
I think books and series like Game of Thronescan take the credit for kicking off the current fantasy renaissance. And perhaps the pandemic, too. It’s no surprise to me that Bridgerton was the streaming hit of 2020. We needed something beautiful and escapist to take our minds off things. What’s also wonderful is the changing face of fantasy. There’s so much diversity. Wandering through the fantasy aisle in a bookstore right now is an absolute feast!
After the Forest is being published in the UK and USA as well, how does it feel to see your story read around the world?
It feels amazing! I never expected this to happen, and I am so thrilled and grateful. I have three beautiful covers for each of the different territories too – it’s a dream come true.
Some of Australia’s most beloved and best-selling writers, like Kate Forsyth, Natasha Lester, and Lauren Chater, have described your story as ‘utterly enchanting’ and ‘deliciously irresistible’ What do you want readers to take away?
I’m so grateful for their support – I admire these writers so much and it’s a dream come true that they loved my book as much as I have loved theirs. For readers, I really hope they will care about Greta – and maybe even Hans – and also that they’ll enjoy disappearing into a story with all the darkness and beauty of an old, old fairytale.
You can’t read the book without wanting to bake gingerbread – did you bake a lot while writing?
I’m a terrible cook but I did bake a lot of gingerbread, mostly to see how it looked and felt during the process. My family was very happy!
After the Forest by Kell Woods is on sale now, published by HarperCollins. Drop by the Sunday Book Club on Facebook to join the conversation about it.
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