Frequently Asked Questions about Endling
What inspired this novel?
Many seeds: a rare snail in the UK whose mutation inspired a global quest to find him a suitable mate; the wild kidnapping-as-activism of Deb Olin Unferth’s Barn 8; the structural derailment in Salvador Plascencia’s The People of Paper, and more.
How did the war in Ukraine shape or reshape the novel?
Back in 2018, I set out to write a novel about the art of rare snail breeding and the equally perplexing world of modern dating. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion and my relatives called from across Ukraine hearing blasts, I gave up on the novel. For a while I gave up on fiction altogether. All I could think about was the war. How could I continue writing my novel when its setting was being destroyed in real time? But slowly, I found my way back. Endling became a tale of collisions—between fiction and reality, devastation and hope, the political and the personal. Humour became my weapon, as it has been for many Ukrainians.
Is there a connection between this book and German biologist/author Jasmin Schreiber’s Endling?
One of the most joyous parts of publishing Endling was finding out about Jasmin Schreiber’s novel of the same name. We’ve recently struck up a correspondence about pet snails, the evolution of ideas, and how we both took inspiration from Ed Yong’s article in The Atlantic, “Last of Its Kind,” about snail endlings. Jasmin’s book is set in dystopian Germany and is written in German. A LitHub interview between Ed, Jasmin and me is in the works for summer 2025—stay tuned!
Will you be doing a reading in my city?
Tour updates are posted to my Instagram page, @revawrites. You can also find them on the US Penguin Random House website and on the Canadian PRH website.
Where can I buy the book?
You can order Endling in Canada or in the US from your favorite bookseller, and you can pre-order it in the UK (it releases there in July 2025). The book is also available in ebook and audiobook formats.
What’s the difference between writing a book and an opera?
An opera libretto (script) is only one layer of the many required for the art form. After the libretto comes the music, the interpretation by the director and singers, the set design, etc. It’s a collaboration. When I write a novel, I have a lot more control over the world-building, but it’s also a more isolating experience. I’m glad I get to do both.