A childhood love for magic, the desire to see broader representation within children’s fantasy stories, and her own time as a school librarian, served as the seeds of inspiration for Dhonielle Clayton’s debut middle grade novel, The Marvellers (Holt).
The novel, set at a magical school in the sky, explores themes of community, bigotry, and ostracism. But, above all, the book is chock full of playfulness, adventure, and sets out to “remind all readers that they deserve magic… no matter what.”
PW sat down with Clayton to chat about the new book, worldbuilding, and what she’s working on next.
How did you develop the idea for The Marvellers?
This book is a love letter to my 11-year-old self—the tiny, glasses-wearing nerd who used to hide beneath her grandmother’s mahogany dining room table with a stack of books. I was obsessed with all things magic and looking for kids who looked like me in the grand adventures of my favorite stories. I wanted an invitation to magic school so badly, so I wrote a world I would’ve desperately wanted to live in as a young reader. An institute where you could master brewing Indian spice elixirs, practice the art of Caribbean steel drum hypnosis, care for Chinese dragons, or practice bartering with pesky Irish pixies. A place where all people from around the world could come together and share what’s marvelous about their culture and its magical traditions.
The seeds for this world grew out of my time as an elementary and middle school librarian at a charter school in Harlem, New York. I watched my young students struggle to develop a relationship with literature because of the lack of representation in books. They were often afterthoughts and erased in other big, magic book franchises that took up so much space in the canon of children’s books. So, I created this universe to remind all readers that they deserve magic no matter what. I hope you find your place here.
“The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world,” said Rick Riordan. What can you share about your process of worldbuilding?
Rick Riordian’s quote for The Marvellers is an embarrassment of riches because he is a master worldbuilder and all-around amazing human being. I hope to one day have the legacy and impact he’s had on the imaginations of so many children. The Marvellerverse world grew out a deep question: What happens when all the children of the world have magic? Where do they train and learn to harness it? I wanted to deeply think about how communities organize themselves and how human beings ultimately seek categorization and “order” as a governing principle. I wanted to dig into the fact that I believe magical people aren’t immune to bigotry and thus these things would show up in magical spaces that are supposed to be above that sort of behavior.
You’ve primarily written for young adult readers. What surprised you most about the experience of writing for a middle grade audience?
I love writing for my angsty young adult readers, but I’ve always loved middle grade the most, hence why I became an elementary and middle school librarian. The most surprising thing about writing for this age category was how much fun I got to infuse into the world. There were no parameters on just how magical, cheesy, funny, and outlandish it could get because this age group will go down any rabbit hole with you. I love the adventurousness of them as a collective. Oh, there’s a magic school in the sky? Sure, not one second of disbelief. The dumplings in the Dining Hall dance before you eat them? Of course they do. It was so wonderful to truly be able to be playful and know that a middle grade reader will revel in that.
The Marvellers features a global cast of characters who practice magical arts from their individual cultures. As you were writing, did you research cultural and folkloric traditions that were unfamiliar to you? If so, what did you learn along the way?
I did a ton of research to build the world of The Marvellers from spending tons of time in libraries to traveling to working with cultural experts from all around the world. It was important to me that all children can find their place in this universe and self-insert, imagining themselves as a young Marveller headed to study in the skies. I kept an entire notebook of research around global cultures and what their marvels might be based on, including their distinct and unique folkloric traditions as well as their customs, food, and history. I learned a lot about how integral food is in many societies around the world and tried to use my magical Dining Hall as a place to demonstrate the scope of it. I hope that through the series, I’ll be able to learn more and continue to add more inclusivity to this big world.
What can you share about your heroine, Ella Durand? What sets her apart from her peers and what must she overcome in The Marvellers?
Ella Durand is the heroine who I wish I was at ten-years-old. She’s an eternal optimist, very invested in making friends, and determined to pour into her community. I was a grumpy, fussy, and mildly reclusive kid at her age -- more like Harriet the Spy and Turtle Wexler of The Westing Game than anything else. If I could’ve been left to my own devices and not have to deal with the community, I would’ve gladly curled up with a book and ignored everyone. But Ella Durand is the ultimate lovebug and extraordinary global citizen. If you don’t have friends, she’ll always offer you a branch of friendship.
In book one, Ella faces a huge challenge -- she straddles two worlds and functions like a tiny bridge between them. The Marvellian world is uneasy about Conjuror integration into their cities and their school because, for over three hundred years, they’ve remained afraid of how magic manifests in the Conjuror world. Whereas, Conjure folk remain hurt and suspicious of Marvellers, leaving many feeling torn about whether they should even share space with a group of people that have actively ostracized them. Ella is caught in this emotional, political, and social tangle, not unlike how my parents dealt with being the first generation of Black Americans to integrate segregated schools in the American South. Ella must be steadfast and actively hold onto her joy when so many wish to take it from her.
Can you give readers a peak into the next book?
In book two of the Marvellers series, readers should prepare for Marvel Combat, the Marvellians’ legendary sport. A light duel where young Paragon champions battle it out with bright stapiers (think magical rapiers) until they succeed to the final round and use their very own channellors to best their opponent. You’ll want to discover your unique channellor and test if you have what it takes to compete!
