With her first two young adult novels, Hafsah Faizal found inspiration for her fantasy world of Arawiya in the map and cultures of the Middle East. (Faizal is the child of Sri Lankan Muslim immigrants and grew up in Florida and California.) Her new book, A Tempest of Tea (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Feb. 20), shifts the setting to a land called Ettenia that gives very proper English vibes, teacups and all, and is “laced with political fire,” as our starred review put it. It made our list of the best young adult books of 2024, and Faizal answered a few questions by email.

What was the original idea that started you working on A Tempest of Tea?

Is it strange for an idea to spark from an aesthetic? I’ve long been a glutton for the visual, beginning with my background as a designer, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to write something dapper. I was drawn to the gaslit streets and cobblestone roads, to the outfits with layered, tailored suits and the glint of a pocket watch. When it came time to finally write the book, I realized that, hey, I kind of need a plot, too.

Tell us about the setting of the novel.

When I wrote the Sands of Arawiya duology, I shied away from a Eurocentric setting in order to stay true to the stories and who I am. With A Tempest of Tea, I moved to a fantasy England to make good on my desire to write that dapper story—but, at the same time, I needed to stay true to who I am, too. Hence Arthie Casimir, my protagonist, is brown. And the plot sort of introduced itself when I realized this brown girl was living during a time when England (fantasy or otherwise) was slowly leashing the world.

What inspired you during the writing of the book? What were you reading, listening to, watching?

I’ve loved the setting and vibes prevalent in A Tempest of Tea since I was a child, but I’d say Peaky Blinders was the final push to get me to write the story. Once I knew I was committed to writing this book, I started consuming all that I could to get into the right headspace and get my creative gears turning. After working with words all day, I didn’t read much. I watched Peaky Blinders again for the vibes, I played Assassin’s Creed Syndicate for research on the setting (yes, research), devoured Castlevania for the vampires, and watched the Ocean’s series for the heists.

Where and when did you write the book? Describe the scene, the time of day, the necessary accoutrements or talismans.

Most of this book was written at night. Not necessarily because my stories are dark, but because that was when my headspace was the most peaceful and free to wander as stories require. During the day, I’d sit at my “official” desktop, but my best writing was at night, jotting down scenes on my phone or surrounded by pillows with my laptop glowing in the dark.

What was most challenging about writing A Tempest of Tea? And most rewarding?

With my previous manuscripts, I declared myself a die-hard pantser—someone who writes by the seat of their pants and doesn’t construct an outline beforehand—but this plot didn’t allow for that. With a heist, I had to plan ahead. I had to balance the pre-heist scheming with the in-the-moment action while also incorporating vampires and colonialism. It was a tall order, but when it all came together in the end, it was more than rewarding!

What book or books published in 2024 were among your favorites?

I’ve been a horrible reader since I began writing, and this was an especially lax reading year with the release of A Tempest of Tea and two deadlines. That said, I absolutely adored Kelly Andrew’s Your Blood, My Bones. Kelly has a way with creating haunting, atmospheric worlds that suck you right in.

Tom Beer is the editor-in-chief.