GREETINGS, BOOKWORMS! I’m Aisha Kandisha, Head Librarian at Kandisha Press. Join me in the dusty stacks of the library I will never leave again as I chat with some of my favorite Women in Horror. Today we feature author Eva Roslin! Eva’s story “Shahmaran” is featured in PRETEND YOU DON’T SEE HER: THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (Kandisha Press 2025 Women of Horror Anthology.)
EVA ROSLIN is a disabled, neurodivergent, queer writer of fantasy and horror. She is a Canadian author of Armenian and Iranian descent by way of the Great Surgun, Isfahan, and Lori. A previous Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship recipient, her work has appeared in “Slay and Slay Again” (Sliced Up Press), “Literally Dead: a Halloween anthology” (Alienhead Press), and “Under Her Skin” (Black Spot Books) among others. She works as a librarian and researcher.
Your story, Shahmaran, features a creature from Persian folklore. Can you tell us more about the legend behind this creature?
The Shahmaran’s name comes from the Persian words ‘Shah’ which means king, and mārān, which means snakes, so it literally means “king of snakes,” even though she is a female creature. Many West and Central Asian cultures venerate her as a goddess of wisdom and protector, especially Kurdish people, and her story is included in One Thousand and One Nights. There are also the Greek Echidna, Lamia, Nagin Malka, and many others, so even though the Shahmaran is not the only iteration of a half-woman and half-serpent, she is unique, and much more than a woman betrayed by a man who then lures him someplace to devour.
Western culture mostly thinks of snakes as evil because of the association with the Bible, and the Devil taking on the form of the Serpent to tempt Eve whereas for many, the Shahmaran is someone whose wisdom and grace are stolen. In most accounts, a man finds her in a well or cave and they become lovers. He promises not to reveal her secret, but when it’s his life on the chopping block, the only thing that can save him is the head or the blood of the Shahmaran. So of course, he betrays her, and then he ends up gaining all her knowledge, which is terribly unfair.
The story also seems very personal, meaningful, and emotional. Tell us how you created it, and what the process was like. How can the ordinary “invisible woman” relate to what Roya is going through in her life?
Thank you so much! This is a story that has many meanings for me because of my own family history. Like Roya’s aunt, the relative I based this on is emotionally manipulative and coercive, and I wanted to show the real obstacles her Persian culture presents, even outside of Iran, and the control her family maintains over her. I think many women, particularly those SWANA, Asian, and other cultures can relate to because of the themes of families or spouses who try to keep them under a close watch and prevent them from thriving, from gaining independence, and living their lives on their own terms because they want to maintain their control over that person forever.
What does your creative process look like when you’re writing? Do you have any special rituals or routines?
My creative process is evolving and looks different at many times. Because I’m neurodiverse and physically disabled, the common advice of “write every day” or “write before or after work” or “make your goal X number of words” doesn’t quite work for me. I tend to have sporadic bursts of creative energy which means I can’t do a little bit at a time. Like for instance the advice to set a timer and write for 10 minutes or to “write when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store” has never worked for me because I can’t be half in and half out. I need to be fully immersed in the world of the story I’m creating, and I need to be physically comfortable. Often times, this also means I need a soundtrack, usually dark ambient, and I can only write with instrumental music. If there are lyrics, I find it too distracting. But when I’m working on an essay or non-fiction, I can sometimes tolerate regular music beyond just ambient. Otherwise, I try to carve out time where I can and go from there!
What else are you working on? Any projects you’re especially excited about?
I am very excited about my current work-in-progress, which I am calling my Canadian Gothic novel. It’s historical horror set in early 1800s Montreal, Canada, about a witch who can control and manipulate stone, and the gargoyle that comes to life from her menagerie, and together they have to stop an ancient demon from escaping the house where she lives with her family. There’s disability and queerness in there, some fun ballroom scenes, frilly gowns, lots of pining and angst, and some spicy material in there, as well!
KANDISHA PRESS 
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