For author Trang Thanh Tran, what started as a fascination with fanfiction turned into a passion for writing that defied expectations. Despite initial resistance from their parents, Tran ultimately carved out a space in publishing, proving that stories rooted in identity and horror have a place in the mainstream.

Tran's debut novel, She Is a Haunting, became a New York Times bestseller, resonating deeply with readers. Now, with They Bloom at Night, Tran explores grief, identity, and transformation through a gothic horror lens, drawing from their own childhood experiences in Louisiana.

Tran discusses with us their path to becoming a writer, belonging, and the power of horror to navigate complex themes.

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How did your journey as a writer begin? Coming from an immigrant family where stability is often prioritized, how did your family react to your career choice, and have their views evolved over time?

My writing journey began with my first computer, at 12 years old. I was really into Sailor Moon and of course immediately typed it into the search engine. The first result was fanfiction, and I learned that anyone can write just for the fun of it! When I told my mom I wanted to be an author at 17, she told me no, that I wouldn’t make enough money to support myself. I understood where she was coming from, because almost all of my family are refugees. I worked in other careers before I took the leap into writing books. When they finally saw me at my book launch, they were very proud.

What draws you to horror and speculative fiction as a way to explore the Vietnamese diaspora experience?

I love horror and other speculative fiction because they make it easier to talk about deeper issues. Often the “monsters” in my book represent something else. The Vietnamese ghost promises the main character that they will finally belong somewhere; the monster isn’t just what has transformed but what has always been there in society. I’m exploring feelings about otherness, which is a common feeling I think among the Vietnamese diaspora.

As a writer who tackles complex themes of belonging and identity, what draws you to these themes and how do you balance making your work accessible to a broad audience while staying true to specific cultural experiences?

I don’t purposely try to make my work accessible to a broad audience at all. I strive for clarity while doing my best to maintain authenticity. I don’t know everything, and no one person can represent a culture. There’s a lot of curiosity in my writing about belonging and identity, so that helps keep the narrative real and open. Readers are looking through the lens of my characters.

Do you have any family traditions or cultural practices that find their way into your books, even in subtle ways?

A family altar and incense always sneak into my books!

Your writing has resonated strongly with readers and your debut novel She Is a Haunting became a New York Times bestseller. What response from readers has surprised or moved you the most?

The moment that moved me the most is when two Vietnamese American teens were excited to meet me because She Is a Haunting reflected some of their experiences. It's something they don't get often in books, and I feel so honored to be writing these stories for young people to find.

Set in Louisiana, They Bloom at Night has been described as a gothic horror novel exploring grief, identity, and transformation. What inspired you to tell this story? Did your own experiences with displacement—like moving from the Northeast to Georgia—influence how you explore belonging in your writing?

I lived in Louisiana for a big chunk of my childhood. My dad was a shrimper in a very small community with many other Vietnamese families along the coast. It was a beautiful place and should have felt so free, but it was confined by the same systematic issues everywhere. I wanted to write about this particular combination of place and emotion. You can love something as much as you hate it. Like me, Nhung has complicated feelings about their town and the body they must live in.

Did anything surprise you or leave a lasting impression as you researched and wrote They Bloom at Night?

One piece of research that has stayed with me is how in the 70s/80s, the Ku Klux Klan tried to intimidate Vietnamese shrimpers in Seadrift, Texas amidst the conflict with white shrimpers. My family emigrated much later, so I didn’t know about this rich history of Boat People from fishing towns in southern Vietnam settling in places other than Louisiana. I’m fascinated by history and how certain elements always show up.

Do you believe in ghosts, and have you ever had a spooky experience yourself?

I became a believer as soon as I had a spooky experience myself. I try not to think about real ghosts!

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*Edited for length and clarity

Photo: Heather Wall Photography. Images provided by Bloomsbury Publishing