Meet Natalie Guttormsson
THE OFFICIAL BIO
Natalie Guttormsson is a writer of fantasy short fiction that focuses on a cast of misfits across magical realms. She leans heavily on the folklore and folk tales of her ancestors from Scotland, England, Iceland, and Northern Europe, turning the fibres of those old tales into new adventures. She’s the creator of the Agnur & Ulfur Universe, featuring stories like In the Company of Elves, The Case of the Missing Selkie, The Deacon of Dark River, and the upcoming Under the Eildon Tree.
When Natalie isn’t busy writing the adventures of her elven friends, she’s usually having real-world adventures with her artist husband and their creative son. She may also be found crafting brand messaging strategies and content for a portfolio of incredible clients at her day job with Fine Point Writing & Editing.
And now, the deeper story…
Hi, I'm Natalie,
and I write fantasy fiction because I love disappearing inside magical worlds.
I’ve been making up stories since I could talk, but my imagination really took off as a kid once I started reading on my own.
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This was largely due to the fabulous collection of folk and fairy tales that were passed down to me, from an old collection of Grimm’s tales to a beautifully illustrated anthology of Hans Christian Andersen to a rather unique collection of fairy tales featuring moral commentary by the fabulous and infamous Angela Carter.
Stories of elves, fairies, giants, and witches filled my dreams (both day and night) throughout my childhood. But then, like so many other pre-teen kids, I “grew up” and “outgrew” those magical worlds and their enchanting creatures.
But, I never wandered too far.
No matter how “mature” I became, I always had one foot in the fantasy doorway through the books I read and the movies I watched.
My Biggest Inspiration
I’ll never forget the summer of 2001 because that was the summer I was introduced to the books of Anne Rice. My incredible Grade 8 teacher, Mr. E, knew I was a voracious reader, so he sent me home for the summer holidays with a stack of books to read. Two in that stack were by Anne Rice. I quickly became obsessed with all her works, but the Vampire Chronicles, in particular, showed me that fantasy didn’t have to be fluff or predictable.
Anne Rice showed me that fantasy books could explore philosophical ideas, provide commentary on social issues, be historical, and entertain.
My Mission as an Author
I began studying the folk tales of both Iceland and Scotland because of my ancestral connection to those lands. I quickly learned that both countries had significant overlap in stories, despite each country promoting their lore as distinct.
It’s common for countries to claim that their legends and myths are unique, mostly due to the 1800s trend of folklorists collecting tales with the goal of promoting nationalistic identities. While that agenda had it’s time and place, I quickly grew tired of reading those claims because stories don’t have borders.
That’s why you’ll find the origin story for the landscape of Iceland in Scottish folklore and why you’ll meet Ash Lad in both Scotland and Norway (Assipattle in Scotland, Askeladden in Norway). It’s also why you’ll encounter similar entities in folk tales all the way from Scandinavia to the British Isles to Europe to the Middle East and beyond—for example, elves, huldufolk, fair folk, fairies, and djinn.
My mission with my stories is to turn the fibres of old tales into new adventures while connecting the threads of shared stories. When the fictional borders between folk tales are dismantled, readers get to meet an array of new creatures, legends, and mysteries.
Who Are the Seelies?
I first heard the term “seelie” while watching the TV show Shadowhunters. Once I learned its meaning, I chose to use it in my stories to encompass all the magical creatures living in the hidden world, while their regional labels being just that, different words to mean the same thing (ie: elves, fair folk, huldufolk, etc.).
In my works, I’ll introduce you to a cast of loveable misfits from best friends in mischief Agnur and Ulfur to Queen Aranara and Thomas the Rhymer to the ambitious Nyk, subversive Nevin, and rebellious Hildur. Meet the whole crew in my collection of short stories.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Want to Connect with Natalie Guttormsson?
Finding Natalie active on social media is like trying to catch a brownie in the act of doing their good deeds—it’s not gonna happen. The best way to reach her is by signing up for her email newsletter. That way, you have a direct line to her each and every week. She shares interesting tidbits about folklore and behind-the-scenes research (not to mention free books!), and you can write back with all your questions, comments, and anecdotes.
She reads every email you send and typically responds within days to respond.