Boy Underground is a story of friendship and forgiveness, told through the adventures of Hugo, a young boy who is on the spectrum, suffers from sensory overload, loves maps and doesn’t always grasp social cues. When Hugo learns about the underground world of Paris during a school trip, he sets off on an adventure through the muted world below the surface.

Writing about Hugo and how he experiences the world came naturally to Marinov, she tells Delano. After all, the character “is inspired by my son, who is on the spectrum and a real map nerd,” she explains. “Hugo’s voice was in my head and I couldn’t get rid of it. It’s a mixture of my own voice from when I was 12 and my son’s voice.” Her experience as a mother of a child with autism was also the inspiration behind her previous book, Leo and the Octopus.

The children’s picture book, a commercial success, is now being turned into an animation film, with Deal Productions producing it and Melusine Production--who also participated in the Oscar-nominated film Wolfwalkers--directing it. Talks to turn Boy Underground into a live-action film are also on the way, Delano was told.

From lawyer to writer

The success of Leo and the Octopus and the publication of Boy Underground contributes to the list of career achievements for the former lawyer. After writing in secret her entire life, Marinov during her maternity leave decided to give it a serious go. “I didn’t really want to go back to work--I wasn’t really happy with my job. I always wanted to try to be a writer.”

And Marinov’s efforts will continue to be rewarded. Now represented by a literary agent--a difficult feat in the world of publishing--the author has signed a three-book deal with UK publisher Clock Tower Publishing. The first is Boy Underground, and the second is a sequel to this book. Whether the third will also revolve around Hugo’s adventures remains to be seen.

Asked about the switch from lawyer to full-time writer, Marinov said it was “scary to put myself out there,” but that her love for writing superseded the many rejections her scripts met over the years. “I was so driven by wanting to write that I would still be writing even if I hadn’t been published.”

Structure, deadlines and outlines

Born in Luxembourg, where living off being a full-time writer seems impossible, Marinov realises the unusual nature of her situation. As a mother of two young boys, a structured schedule is important to keep up with the deadlines that are now part of her life, she tells Delano. “I try to organise my day as if I was still working as a lawyer. Sometimes I have other stuff like interviews, school visits which can impact my routine, but it’s good to get out too.”

It took Marinov around four years from first formulating the idea for Boy Underground to seeing it published, with illustrations, marketing campaigns and all. “I did a lot of research before I started writing it,” she reminisces. For the sequel, Marinov will have much less time since she will have to finish it for August 2023. “I feel less free because there are expectations and deadlines that weren’t there for the first novel and because I want to stay close to the voice of the first novel. It’s a bit tricky and it gives me a bit of anxiety, I have to say,” Marinov laughs.

But working with an agent--despite the intensive editing that comes with this--is something Marinov is grateful for. Aside from having a more polished product, the collaboration taught Marinov that “sometimes you have to think a bit more like a businessperson. It’s not always just about whatever you want to write--you have to think about the market you write for.”

Boy Underground is set to hit the shelves on 2 March.