Q&A: Helena Haywoode Henry, Author of ‘Last Chance Live!’

We chat with author Helena Haywoode Henry about Last Chance Live!, which is an explosive young adult novel about a teenage girl on death row who competes on a reality show in hopes of winning her freedom, think Squid Game meets Dear Justyce!

Hi, Helena! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m a mom of three, former attorney, and the author of YA speculative fiction novel titled Last Chance LIVE!

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I have loved to write since I was a child—I had the privilege of connecting with my sixth grade English teacher recently, and she noted that, based on the stories I wrote in her class (mostly about my younger brother and cookies), she was confident writing would be in my future! My stories and skills have matured since then.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Reading independently – The Phantom Tollbooth
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Chronicles of Narnia
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower

Your debut novel, Last Chance Live!, is out October 7^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Death row teens TV competition

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect that my books will offer a framework of how to think, but not what to think. My books invite readers to examine the issues raised in my books and decide for themselves what the right answers are (or identify more questions). My books examine an aspect of our individual lives and our collective existence in American society that needs our attention; they are written as tools to help us repair what’s broken.

Where did the inspiration for Last Chance Live! come from?

Last Chance LIVE!’s premise was inspired by real-world death penalty reform efforts to raise the minimum age for capital punishment. Last Chance LIVE’s protagonist, Eternity Price, was inspired by a little girl I met during my undergraduate years at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, I volunteered in Head Start classrooms in a West Philadelphia public school, and met a four-year-old girl whose vivacious spirit deeply impacted me. I spent years contemplating how she was growing up in an impoverished neighborhood right next to an Ivy League university, but she would likely be unable to access most of its privileges and resources—and the trajectory of her life would likely be very different than the lives of most Penn students. To my knowledge, that little girl has not experienced or done anything like what Eternity has, but she and Eternity both grew up in the shadow of power and privilege. My hope for this young girl, and all children, is that they have what Eternity never did—confidence in who they are and what they are worth, and a community that reinforces this truth.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I loved writing Eternity Price. In some ways, it doesn’t feel like I invented her—it feels like she told me what she thinks, and I just wrote it down on her behalf. Eternity captures the full range of our interiority, the parts we don’t often show in public—our rage, our fear, our despair, our deep hope. My aim is that readers recognize their internal selves and existential condition in Eternity, even if their lives’ circumstances are different from hers.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Writer’s block! Eternity and I are very, very different, and there were times that writing from her perspective was challenging. The way I overcame it for this book was just listening to Eternity–seeing the world, even parts of it unrelated to the book, through her eyes.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

I am very grateful to have had a great journey to publication! I started writing Last Chance LIVE! in 2018. I began querying in late January 2022, and signed with my fantastic agents in early February 2022. We worked on revisions for a few months, went on submission in April, and got a deal in May. I have a dream team at Penguin, and am just so appreciative of everything my editor and team has done in support of me and this book!

What’s next for you?

I can’t say much about the next project, but it is a standalone book that examines whether our current national turmoil suggests America needs a third founding with a new animating principle. The first founding was 1787 (anchored by the underlying principle that all men are created equal), the second founding was 1865 (the 13th-15th amendments of the US Constitution), and the third founding is . . . perhaps, 2028.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve loved This Is The Honey, an anthology of Black poets, compiled by Kwame Alexander. I’ve also loved Linda Beatrice Brown’s Black Angels, and Out of the Silent Planet. Really excited to read Fortress of Ambrose by J. Elle!

Will you be picking up Last Chance Live!? Tell us in the comments below!