Catholics, Queers, and The Cosmos: The World According to Emily Austin

In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary literature, few voices resonate with the raw authenticity and wry humor of Emily Austin. As we dive into the pages of our latest issue, we're thrilled to present an intimate conversation with this rising star of CanLit, whose work fearlessly explores the intersections of mental health, queer identity, and the often absurd realities of modern life. From her breakout novel "Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead" to her latest offering "Interesting Facts About Space," Austin has carved out a unique niche in the literary world, blending visceral depictions of anxiety and depression with moments of laugh-out-loud comedy. In this exclusive interview conducted by our own Rosie Accola, Austin opens up about her writing process, the challenges of balancing creativity with a day job, and the unexpected inspirations behind her work. As you'll discover, Emily Austin isn't just writing stories – she's crafting a new narrative around mental health, one that's as honest as it is hopeful. Prepare to be enlightened, entertained, and perhaps even a little uncomfortable as we peel back the layers of one of Canada's most intriguing literary voices.

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I first became acquainted with Canadian author Emily Austin’s work during the winter of 2020, when I was working at a bookstore and going to grad school. My then-boss handed me a galley of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead. The book follows Gilda, an anxious twenty-something atheist lesbian who accidentally gets a job at a Catholic church. Gilda gets fired from her bookstore job in the first ten pages, and after I realized my boss wasn’t trying to tell me something, I fell in love with the book. Austin’s writing is equal parts visceral and hilarious. Her descriptions of mental illness, specifically anxiety and depression, are unflinching. At one point in the book, Gilda allows a small pyramid of moldy cups and plates to take over her bedside table. This tiny detail stuck with me as someone who has done the exact same thing. When most writers depict depression, they talk about the mental fog of a depressive episode. They rarely focus on the tangible manifestations of depression in one's home: the stacks of dirty cups and clothes.

Austin’s sophomore novel, Interesting Facts about Space, follows Enid, another twenty-something lesbian with an irrational fear of bald men, which she combats by telling herself interesting facts about space. The book was initially inspired by the line: If you cut a hole into my skull/ do you hate what you see? In the song “Souvenir” by Boygenius.

Austin and I sat down over Zoom to discuss our writing rituals, her recent poetry collection, Gay Girl Prayers, and the place pop culture has in literature.