The Birth of a Story

What emerged from that return is Daughters of the Mire, a gothic debut that is as much about confronting darkness as it is about enduring it. Influenced by works such as Circe, The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451, Shareen gravitates toward narratives that resist neat resolution. Instead, she prefers endings that linger—unsettling, but not without hope. “I’m drawn to narratives that aren’t neatly resolved, but still carry a glimmer of hope—something that asks what we, as readers, might do differently to avoid this ‘ending’. I believe confronting harsher realities can make that sense of hope feel more meaningful,” she told POPClub in an exclusive interview.

It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that Shareen chose horror—more specifically, gothic horror—as the vehicle for her debut. For her, the genre is not about spectacle, but truth. Horror, she argues, compels confrontation. It strips away comfort and forces both writer and reader to reckon with the darker aspects of the human experience. “I’m more interested in the ‘vengeful ghost’—what happened to them and what pushed them there,” she explained.

This impulse shapes the world of her novel Daughters of the Mire, where the supernatural is inseparable from the emotional lives of its characters. The novel follows two sisters navigating a haunting landscape—both literal and psychological—where buried truths surface slowly, and the past refuses to remain hidden. Originally conceived in the swamps of New Orleans, the setting was later relocated to the mires of the United Kingdom, a shift Shareen felt lent greater authenticity to the story.

As the sisters move through fog and murky waters, they also navigate memory, trauma, and the fragile terrain of their relationship. The mire reflects their journey: uncertain, obscured, yet rich with meaning beneath the surface. At the heart of the novel lies this relationship—complex, strained, yet undeniably bound by love. “Whether it’s siblings, family, or friends, all relationships carry both connection and conflict. In the novel, it takes a more tragic turn when that balance is lost,” she added. Told through diaries, letters, and fragmented documents, the story unfolds in layers, inviting readers to piece together its mysteries. Shareen admits that this structure emerged instinctively rather than deliberately; only later did she learn it aligned with the epistolary tradition.

“It was definitely a challenge. I wanted to maintain a sense of mystery, where readers uncover the story… but at the same time, I didn’t want to leave too many gaps for readers to fill in themselves, which can feel frustrating, or even lazy,” she explained.

If the novel’s structure reflects fragmentation, its themes seek to give voice to what is often left unspoken. Central to Shareen’s work is a commitment to exploring women’s experiences, particularly those surrounding trauma and survival. In societies where such conversations remain taboo, she sees storytelling as both a necessity and a responsibility. “I’ve seen how difficult it is for people to share their stories,” she said, “but also the relief that comes after.” Writing Daughters of the Mire became, in part, an act of advocacy. The novel addresses issues such as abuse and harassment with care, avoiding sensationalism while still acknowledging their emotional weight.