I’m excited to be joined by Hildur Knútsdóttir, the author of Dead Weight, releasing May 26th. Known for her sharp, unsettling storytelling and ability to blend psychological depth with eerie atmosphere, Hildur has quickly made a name for herself in the horror space. In Dead Weight, she explores themes of body image, control, and the darker sides of self-perception in a way that is both haunting and deeply relatable.
In this interview, we’ll dive into the inspiration behind the novel, her approach to writing horror, and what readers can expect from this chilling new release.
What was the very first spark of Dead Weight — a moment, image, or idea — that made you know this story had to be written?
A friend of mine used to have a cat, they had been living together for years, but one day the cat decided to move in with someone else, another woman a few streets away. My friend had no idea why. The other woman, who the cat moved in with, tried to give the cat back to my friend, but as it was a free-range cat that could come and go as it pleased, it just kept going back to the new house and not my friend’s house. So everyone just had to accept that this was what the cat wanted and there really wasn’t anything that anyone could do about it. And that story is what sparked Dead Weight for me. A cat deciding to move in with somebody is just a perfect way to have two strangers get tangled up in each other’s lives. The other thing is that I – like every other writer I know – have spent a countless hours wondering how I would get rid of a dead body if I had to. And I think I finally found the perfect way! But since there is actually very little chance that I will ever have to get rid of a body, I decided to put it in a book instead.
Reykjavík nights set such a vivid atmosphere in the book. How important is place in your storytelling, especially in horror?
The setting is so important. Especially in horror. I usually think of the setting kind of like it’s one of the characters in the story, with it’s own characteristics, and of course it affects the story profoundly.
The relationship between Unnur and Ásta drives so much of the tension. How did you approach crafting that bond?
Dead Weight actually has a pretty long origin story. I got the original idea about ten years ago, and I started writing it. But I felt like it wasn’t really working, and I thought that the reason was because it was basically just two women talking in a living room. So I decided that it should be a stage play instead of a book. I wrote it as a stage play and then I saw the Reykjavík Art’s Festival had an open call for plawrights, I sent it in, and it was selected for a workshop where I got to spend a whole week working on it with a director and actors. Then there was a live reading of it as a part of the festival. But ultimately, I am not a playwright, I am a novelist and I couldn’t stop thinking about the story so I decided to write it as a novella. And then of course I couldn’t get the voices of the talented actresses that had read Unnur and Ásta out of my head. So I think I was kind of writing it for them, and they really influenced how I saw the characters.
Black cats are classic symbols in folklore — how did the cat in Dead Weight fit into the story for you? Did it take on any deeper meaning?
It’s funny how cats always seem to crop up in my stories. I think one reason is that although I have a dog now, I grew up with cats. I love them and I have always considered myself a cat person. Another reason is that cats are also a great literary device. They are mysterious, they are judgy, they come and go as they please and they often bring strangers together. I have actually written four horror novellas about cats and women. They aren’t sequels exactly, but I would say that they are all thematically related, and I kind of think of them as my cat quadriology. I just published a book in Icelandic and there is no cat in it, only a dog called Fox. But I am pretty sure they will show up in some other works later.
What’s your favorite kind of scary — psychological dread, sudden shock, slow burn horror, or something else entirely?
I love all kinds of scary! As a reader and a viewer, I guess it depends on what kind of mood I’m in. And as a writer I aspire to do all kinds too, although I think a jump scare would be pretty hard to pull off on a page.
If Dead Weight were to be adapted into a film or series, what kind of music or aesthetic would you want it to have?
I have actually sold the film rights already, to an Icelandic production company. So fingers crossed there will be a movie one day! And to be totally honest, I haven’t really thought about music or aesthetics for the adaption. One of the things I find most exciting about the idea of having a book I wrote adapted to film is seeing how it is interpreted by other people who know more about music and movie aesthetics than I do!
Who are some of your horror or thriller influences — either Icelandic or international — and what about their work inspires you?
Ooh, tough question! But there are many horror writers that I love and will basically read everything that they write; Catriona Ward, T. Kingfisher, Rachel Harrison, Monika Kim, Christopher Buehlman and Adam Neville to name a few. I also love horror movies and I will watch anything that has monsters in space. I don’t really know what it is that draws me to horror, I guess I just love being creeped out.
Writing horror can be emotionally intense. Do you have any rituals or routines you use to ground yourself while working on unsettling scenes?
Not really. I think what scares me in real life is not being in control, but as soon as you are the one writing the story you are in control, so I really can’t remember a time that I’ve ever scared myself while writing.
Many readers talk about ‘books they can’t stop thinking about.’ What do you hope readers carry with them after finishing Dead Weight?
The friendship between the two protagonists, Edda and Ásta. That’s definitely the backbone of the story for me. They are really different people, but then they turn out to have much more in common than they thought.
If you had to describe Dead Weight in three emotions rather than three words, what would they be?
Jealousy, fear and anger.
What are you working on next, and is it scarier, stranger, or something completely different from Dead Weight?
It’s my retelling of the myth of Selkolla, a monstrous woman who supposedly terrorized the men of an Icelandic fjord in the 12th century. So I would say that it’s pretty different! I just turned in a draft for that a week ago and it’ll be out in spring 2027. Although it could probably be described as dark fantasy, it’s still horror, and it’s about women, and so it’s thematically related to Dead Weight and The Night Guest in a lot of ways.
