YOUNG BLOOD in YOUNG ADULT An interview with Chloe Gong

Publishing is often seen as a “mature” person’s game, so much so that writers who successfully claim a seat at the Big-Kids Table and achieve critical success before crossing particular age thresholds are lauded as rarities, prodigies who beat the odds by creating something noteworthy despite their young years. How else would we justify the National Book Foundation’s annual 5 Under 35 list?

But unlike voting, driving, or drinking, there is no age requirement for having a story in your heart nor for knowing how to tell it.

Enter Chloe Gong, University of Pennsylvania undergrad student and author of the forthcoming YA historical fantasy These Violent Delights. Set in 1920s Shanghai, this Romeo and Juliet retelling features rival gangs, longstanding grudges, and a monster dwelling in the depths of the Huangpu River.

The following is a conversation with New Zealand’s favorite knife enthusiast about what it’s like debuting a novel when you still have midterms creeping up on you.

Your debut novel, , drops this November – almost smack dab in the middle of your senior year of college. How does it feel to be hitting such a huge milestone before you’ve even