CR 044: A.E. Osworth on Using Anger to Fuel Creativity

The author discusses their profoundly unique anti-Harry Potter novel, “Awakened.”

A.E. Osworth, photo by A.J. Lowik

When A.E. Osworth writes a story, they don’t hold back. Awakened, their sophomore novel (after 2021’s fantastic We Are Watching Eliza Bright), follows a coven of trans witches who use their magical powers to fight a nefarious AI that threatens the world at large. Dedicated to “everyone who feels betrayed by J.K. Rowling,” Awakened, Osworth says, was written in opposition to Harry Potter. Set in the very un-Potter world of NYC, Awakened has video game and tarot card references, rampant F-bombs, sex, drag shows, seances, and an incredibly creepy AI villain called the Hex. Clever, funny, and wholly original, Awakened is generating serious buzz. Publishers Weekly has described it as “good fun,” Kirkus calls it “a charming, magical romp,” and AP News refers to it as “a breath of fresh air.”

I recently chatted with Osworth over Zoom about the book’s inception, the use of tarot cards in writing, and why they will never, ever plot out a novel.