Yiğit Turhan might not be a household name—yet—but the Turkish author has been working on his craft since the age of six, when he wrote a love story about turtles for his grandmother. Since then, his work has taken a turn toward slightly darker realms. His grandmother, though, has remained an inspiration. In 2015, he published his first horror novel in Turkish, and now with Their Monstrous Hearts, he's making his English-language debut. The eerie and mysterious gothic horror novel set in Milan, the city Turhan now calls home, has already received an ecstatic welcome from critics and some very well-known horror fans, Dua Lipa among them. While Turhan, who is an executive at a renowned fashion house in Italy, admits the journey to publish his novel hasn't been easy, it is "a dream come true."

This is a suspenseful horror book, but it also explores how a struggling writer copes with a turbulent time in his life, including the death of his grandmother and his inheritance of her mysterious Italian villa. Where did you get the idea for this book?

I was very close to my grandmother, a larger-than-life character who had a flair for the unexpected. She would douse herself in extravagant amounts of fragrance before bed because, as she put it, "one never knows who one might meet in their dreams," and she had an uncanny obsession with collecting outrageous shoes. In her later years, she suffered from dementia and could no longer recognize any of us. It felt unfair that someone so vibrant and full of life could lose her memories like that.

It struck me how cruel it was to experience life in these decaying vessels we call bodies, which are inevitably bound to expire. To cope with this, I began imagining stories with my grandmother as the central character. It became my way of building new memories with her, envisioning her in unexpected situations.

One such scenario took root in my imagination: what if she transformed into a powerful antagonist, someone who would go to extraordinary lengths to keep living—or perhaps to keep creating memories with me? That was the spark.

The book opens with a swarm of monarch butterflies at a villa, but the tone is ominous and dark. What are you hoping to communicate about the relationship between beauty and danger? What about this dichotomy interests you?

Evil isn’t always obvious; it often hides behind things we see as beautiful or normal. Today’s monsters don’t look like the ones in stories—they have charming faces, perfect appearances, successful careers, loving families, and peaceful Sunday lunches. They live next door, share our homes, and sometimes even sit at our family tables. This kind of evil is hard to recognize because it blends so well with everything we trust.

That’s why I was drawn to the butterfly. Everyone loves butterflies—they’re beautiful. But they’re still just insects, no different from cockroaches or spiders, which people avoid. The butterfly’s beauty makes it seem innocent, and that’s why it’s the perfect symbol for hidden evil.

When I was a kid, I loved hide-and-seek, and I was good at it because I knew a secret: the best hiding place is right in plain sight. People rarely notice what’s right in front of them. So, I thought, what better way to hide something evil than in a butterfly? No one would ever suspect it.

Why did you feel compelled to tell this story? Was there an animating idea or certain theme that drove you?

I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of immortality, especially in the context of an immigrant’s life. For someone like Perihan, life feels like an endless journey to find safety, discover who you truly are, gain confidence in your purpose, and finally break free. But by the time you’ve reached that point, you realize your body is failing you. Not everyone starts life at the same starting line; some of us spend years just trying to get there.

I wanted to imagine a parallel universe where we wouldn’t be limited by our bodies—where life could continue in endless, parallel ways. But then the theme of obsession naturally came into the picture. To seek immortality, you have to be deeply obsessed with life itself. And so I wondered: how far would someone take that obsession if given the chance? That’s the ultimate test for Perihan.

We're immediately drawn into the story by Perihan, Riccardo's glamorous and independent grandmother, who later dies. How did you develop this character or find inspiration for her?

This character felt so alive in my mind that she wouldn’t stop talking to me. She shared her secrets, her desires, and her stories about glamorous parties with Milan’s eclectic crowd. She told me about her childhood and even showed me vivid images from her own memories.

I drew inspiration from incredible women like Jean Smart, Jessica Lange, and Goldie Hawn, as well as the brilliant performances of Toni Collette. The timeless glamour of Lynn Wyatt also influenced her, along with iconic movies like Death Becomes Her. And, of course, there were the real-life stories from my own grandmother, who was just as glamorous as Perihan herself.

What role did your own grandmother play in the development of your point of view as a writer and/or this novel?

The first story I ever wrote was for my grandmother, and she kept it by her bedside for many years. It was a short, five-to-six-page illustrated story about two turtles who fell in love. I was only six years old, and my first attempt at writing wasn’t in the horror genre at all.

If I had to credit someone for my development as a writer, it would be my mother. She constantly bought me books, kept me indoors when I was little, and encouraged me to spend my days reading. That’s what truly shaped me as a writer.

You used to watch horror movies with your grandmother. Does film still influence your writing? Did you watch any horror movies during the writing of this book?

Most of what I write comes from vivid images in my mind. I approach the writing process as if I’m watching an imaginary film and translating its scenes onto paper. Perihan’s wallpaper, the basket of cherries, the gloomy greenhouse, the eccentric party at Mollino’s, and even the iridescent skin of the monster—all of these were incredibly clear in my mind.

I watched a lot of movies while writing this, but the two I revisited most were Hereditary and Death Becomes Her. I often pictured these characters on the big screen. If this ever became a film, some of Perihan’s traits would undoubtedly draw from Jean Smart, Goldie Hawn, and Jessica Lange.

What is it about horror that intrigues you? Why do you feel drawn to the genre?

Horror is pure adrenaline—it sparks the imagination in endless ways, transforming shadows into monsters. My fascination with the genre might have started before I was even born. My mum told me she watched Jaws obsessively while pregnant with me, though no one could figure out why. Then, as a child, I spent countless nights watching the Freddy Krueger movies with my grandmother.

This is your debut novel, but writing is not your day job—you work in fashion. Have you always been a writer too?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember—short stories, novels, and everything in between. My first big milestone came in 2015 when my debut horror novel was published in Turkish, marking the start of my journey as a writer.

How did you find your way into publishing? What was that journey like?

It was incredibly hard—complicated, painful, and full of setbacks. I faced more than 70 rejections for this very manuscript. Then, one day in LA, everything changed. After returning to my hotel, I jumped on an introductory call with my amazing agent, Lane. It felt like fate—I’d finally found someone who not only understood my world but also believed in my story enough to help me reach a bigger audience for my first work in English.

Meeting Lane was truly a blessing. I’ve learned that if you believe in your story, you should never stop trying to let it find its audience. I’m not someone who gives up easily, and Perihan wouldn’t have let me, even if I wanted to.

Your novel is already receiving a wonderful reception and generating buzz among readers. What has this been like for you?

It’s pure joy. I feel incredibly humbled and grateful every time someone takes the time to leave a comment or reach out with their feedback—it’s deeply rewarding.

How did you feel about the prospect of sharing your first book with the world?

It’s really a dream come true!