NAME: Christina Rosso
CREATIVE FIELD: Author
WEBSITE: christina-rosso.com
AUTHOR LINKS:
Instagram: @christinarossoschneider
AUTHOR BIO:
Christina Rosso (she/they) is a queer, disabled writer based outside Philadelphia. She is the author of CREOLE CONJURE and SHE IS A BEAST. Her debut folk horror novel, THE LAST SHEAF, is forthcoming from Blackstone Publishing in 2027.
Her fiction and nonfiction—often exploring gender, sexuality, fairy tales, and the occult—have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions. She is also the co-owner of A Novel Idea, an independent bookstore and event space on Passyunk named one of the best bookstores in the region by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Learn more at christina-rosso.com.
INTERVIEW
What got you into horror to begin with – what’s your core Horror memory?
I’ve always loved all things spooky, mysterious, and occult, but my first horror memory is watching The Shining at an elementary school sleepover. I was terrified and didn’t watch the movie again until I was an adult. Yet I kept reading and watching horror, I think because it felt both taboo and exciting. There was an escapism to it, yet also a healing. I always rooted for the final girl. It gave me hope that I could survive the atrocities of the world, too.
Do you have a favourite horror subgenre (or more than one) and if so, what is it? What/Who are your favourite books/films/podcasts/artists/creatives working in that subgenre?
I love folk horror because I love fairy tales and stories set in remote landscapes.
The Witch and Midsommar are two of my favorite folk horror films.
For my 30th birthday, my party theme was Midsommar (there was a bear pinata filled with red streamers). It was everything.
What is the horror project of your heart – perhaps something you’ve already got out there, something you’re working on now, or something you’d like to do?
My debut folk horror novel, THE LAST SHEAF, is being published by Blackstone Publishing in Fall 2027.
It allowed me to explore my love of the genre, return to my research roots, and learn about the maternal side of my family–and specifically the lore from Austria and Hungary–for the creation of the book’s cult. Writing this book has felt like coming home in a lot of ways.
Which 5 horror books can you not stop thinking about, or have influenced you most in some way? (If not books, you can pick 5 films, 5 pieces of art, 5 songs… or mix & match!)
Slewfoot
Tender is the Flesh,
Hex,
The Honeys,
and Ring Shout.
If you had to describe the tones and themes of your own work in terms of movies, books, songs, or art, what would you choose and why?
So much of my work is inspired by fairy tales, so I would have to say The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.
In terms of straight horror, the movie Companion accomplishes so much that I strive for in my work – strong, unhinged, angry femmes and queers who are done being told what to do and who to be. I seek to write characters who, not only fight back, but prosper in their authenticity.
Introduce us to something you’ve created, and pitch it to the audience!
I want to shoutout my full-length short story collection, CREOLE CONJURE. Published in 2021, and set in New Orleans (my favorite place), it follows femme and nonbinary characters trying to survive both literal forces of evil and the evils of the patriarchy. Think dark fairy tale mashups meet bone-chilling horror.