Eva Asprakis is the contemporary fiction author of Thirty-Eight Days of Rain. Currently based in Cyprus, she has won acclaim for her explorations of identity, belonging and familial relationships. Following the release of Thirty-Eight Days of Rain, What We Reading sat down with Eva to talk through everything from the inspirations behind the book, her appearance on the Cyprus Diaspora Forum, as well her love for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie!
Thanks for speaking with us, Eva! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
Thank you for having me! I have written for as long as I can remember. When I was eight years old, I won a competition with my short story about a girl who became a mermaid and couldn’t decide whether she belonged in the sea or on land. Subconsciously, I think I’ve been writing that same story – about women unsure of where they belong – ever since. Hopefully to better effect!
My fascination with identity conflicts began when I was a child, living in South London with my American mother and Cypriot stepfather, who later adopted me. Existing between cultures and households – as I also made biweekly visits to my biological father’s home at that time – gave me a fractured sense of self. This was something I began to explore through writing from an early age, in both diary and story format, and which informs my work to this day.
Talk to us about Thirty-Eight Days of Rain. What is it about, and where did the inspiration for it come from?
Thirty-Eight Days of Rain follows Androulla Demetriou, who is twenty-four and newly married when she learns that she is infertile. In a bid for Cypriot citizenship, she is undergoing adoption by her stepfather, and wondering if she will have to adopt a child one day herself. As this reality sets in, Androulla’s marriage unravels. Between migration departments and doctors’ appointments, she must question what it means to be from somewhere, what it means to be a woman and, when an impossible choice presents itself, which of those things means the most to her.
Last May, I suffered a missed abortion due to complications with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Prior to that, three doctors had told me that I would never conceive. As a writer, I tend to process emotions through my work. This was how I coped in the weeks following my pregnancy loss when my partner and I were forced apart due to visa restrictions. We could not grieve together, and so I channeled my frustration into writing a contemporary story, inspired by our experiences. Imagination took over, and that story became Androulla’s.
What is the number one goal you want your work to have with readers?
There is no greater feeling than finding yourself in the pages of a book. Whether it is a character, a setting or one sentence that makes you feel seen, that book will stay with you for a long time. Only a handful of stories have ever struck me in this way, and I think of them often. If I can represent a small number of people in this way through my writing, I will have achieved my goal.
What do you think makes you stand out as an author?
I think I am authentic in my writing, often drawing on topics that are personal to me without shying away for fear of judgment. This is something that people in my life have found shocking at times, but which readers say makes them feel deeply connected to my characters.
What would you say has been your biggest success so far?
This March, I received an invitation to the Cyprus Diaspora Forum. There, I spoke on the Literature Panel alongside six other authors, each of whom had their own, somewhat nonlinear connections to Cyprus. We discussed our writing processes and books, and how our transnational relationships to Cyprus had informed our work. I felt at home among people from multicultural backgrounds like mine, and honored by the brilliance of their work!
If you could go back in time to one book you read for the first time, what would it be and why?
The impossible question! I think my answer has to be Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The first time I read that book, I was in the midst of moving from post-Brexit Britain to Cyprus. The Migration Department had advised my partner and I that we should secure our status from within Cyprus, and so we arrived in good faith only to face insurmountable obstacles. We were forced apart for four months – myself unable to leave the country and my partner unable to re-enter – and in that time Americanah haunted me. The characters’ experiences felt painfully familiar, so much so that I read them in a state of horror. To this day, I’m not sure I was able to appreciate the book as it deserved. Adichie is one of my favorite writers, and I would love to start it again.
What’s one tip you would give your younger self if you had the opportunity?
With regards to writing, I would tell my younger self to keep focused and ignore those external voices of doubt. Finishing a first draft is hard enough without letting unhelpful opinions get to you. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of the fact that you’re writing, only that you are writing.
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
Through my writing, I hope to continue exploring themes of immigration and cultural identity, as well as sexual politics and complex familial relationships. I have begun work on a new story, which I intend to publish this year. If anyone is interested in learning more, I’ll be posting updates on Instagram at @eva.asprakis, and on my website!
Follow Eva and all of her work on Instagram and on her website!
Check out our interview with Denise Brown
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
