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Song of the Nightingale:
Interview with Screenwriter/
Director/Novelist Annika Pampel
By Carin Chea
Annika Pampel is the embodiment of the multi-faceted artist.
Named as one of 25 Writers to Watch by the International Screenwriters Association, she is also an actor, filmmaker, novelist, and: She has arrived.
This month welcomes Pampel’s first novel, Death of a Nightingale.
Though classified as a Young Adult book, Death of a Nightingale cleverly uses tropes of romance and humor to address universal matters – grief and loss, sexual awakenings, mental illness, and suicide.
As if addressing such heavy topics wasn’t monumental enough, Pampel does it effortlessly in the guise of a neo-noir vampire love story.
As it turns out, Annika Pampel’s Death of a Nightingale is also the birth of a brilliant author.
Which came first, the acting, directing, or writing?
Storytelling has been an all-arounder for me. Writing came first, and then directing came later.
For any form of performance art, a woman in our culture still has a certain expiration date, at least when you’re front-facing. But, as a director, you can grow in your career as you get older.
Have you ever acted in something you’ve written or directed?
I need to be in either one headspace or another. I need to fully let go if I’m acting and trust the director. That’s just me; I can’t see myself doing both.
What inspired you to finally write your first novel? And where does this title come from?
I tend to veer toward true stories. I like the idea of coming from the real world. I know it’s a vampire book, but hear me out: It’s inspired by a dear friend of mine who, in high school, took his own life.
He had plenty of reasons to do it, but he also had this absurd sense of humor, this lightness in the dark. I loved it.
Back then, I didn’t know what to say to him to help him. I wish he was around now because I’ve learned how to participate in the conversation better. Sometimes, just being present and listening is the one real thing you can do.
When people talk about death, we don’t listen because it makes us feel uncomfortable. We make it all about us.
I wanted to write something that honors his sense of humor, which talks about death, but in an escapist way, and also makes it fun and sexy. Vampires are a wonderful vehicle to do that.
I mean, in my book, I have a vampire calling a suicide hotline asking for advice on how to die. It’s sexy, fun, sometimes serious, and with a little bit of action. After all, you can’t have vampires and not have any action.
What inspired your title?
It’s this idea of a nightingale, which is a songbird that sings at night and is dead by morning. It’s a metaphor mixed in with a little Edgar Allen Poe romance.
Are you one of the main characters in Death of a Nightingale?
I’m not. I’m a little bit of every character.
That’s so interesting. I’m used to hearing writers say that they’re the protagonist.
I don’t think I could write like that, just being one character. I want to love and root for my villain equally. I think it would also be too vulnerable to me, having everyone know so much about me.
I appreciate that perspective. I think a villain is just a misunderstood hero.
Yeah. Most of the time, if you wrote the story from the villain’s perspective, he would be the hero. A good villain has a good reason for being a villain in the first place.
Cormac McCarthy is one of the best villain authors of all time. He portrays them as real people, and with lots of grit. This is a guy who must’ve just watched a lot of people and spent hours listening to them.
What would you say is the main message of Death of a Nightingale?
It’s about discovering love, sexuality, and yourself. I want readers to feel the fun and the romance of this love story. It also explores growing pains and the idea that once you’re faced with death, you might now want to see it.
It’s also a trilogy. They’re both outlined, and I’ve recently started on the second book.
Do you have any other upcoming projects?
I am about to direct my first feature film. It’s been a long time coming. I love my team. It’s going to be exciting.
It’s a psychological thriller, a slow burn, very much Gone Girl meets We Need to Talk About Kevin. It centers around a criminal psychologist who specializes in teen psychopathy.
Who would you like to play your protagonists if Death of a Nightingale is ever turned into a series?
I’d love for Tati Gabrielle to play Ness. She plays that character well, someone who is ominous and dangerous. The way she moves is very specific.
For the character of Grace, I had Sydney Sweeney in mind.
This next question is very sensitive, so I understand if you don’t want to answer. But, if you could say something to your friend today, what would you say to him?
I reacted very differently from our other friends. I’m still at the phase where I’m so mad at him for doing it and not trying any other route. I don’t know what I’d say. I think I’d stare at him.
Thank you for sharing. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Death of a Nightingale is a love story, a story that involves two different people from two very different points of reality, which doesn’t happen a lot these days.
Nowadays, you don’t see people who run in different circles fall in love and create something together. It feels rare these days. It seems we only meet people in our circles.
For more information, please visit www.deathofanightingale.net.
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