What is the title of your latest release?
WITCHSONG
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Witches are hunted in an industrial, turn-of the century society – a runaway girl must find them and confront her family’s history through three trials, if her past doesn’t kill her first.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’ve always loved the folklore and mythology of eastern Europe and Hungary specifically, which was a key part of my childhood, and I wanted to create a world based on its rich source material. I also wanted to incorporate the historical backdrop of the witch burnings in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, which fascinated me during my study of history at university.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
I would! I might have to get her to therapy first, but I think we’d bond over a lot of things (including baking and a love for stories). I’d love to get her to teach me how to garden as well, because I am very bad at it.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Resilient. Soft. Kind.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Don’t make the perfect the enemy of the good. This applies to writing for me in particular, but it can apply to any hobby that you love and want to get better at. It always takes practice and you can never get it completely perfect.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I wait until I’m totally done, and then I always have to rework the entire thing. I do feel like this gives me more distance to be able to make impartial decisions on wider structural and character choices, though.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Hungarian sweet treats – specifically a francia krémes, which is basically a rich, vanilla-flavored custard cake with pastry and a layer of caramel on top.
Describe your writing space/office!
My sofa. Occasionally my living room table with a comfy chair and cushion, surrounded by towers of books and many empty mugs of tea, coffee or other beverages.
Who is an author you admire?
There are so many, but I particularly love Patrick Rothfuss’ style of writing – the way that it flows, and the beautiful imagery he uses. Alternatively, I would say Katherine Addison or Megan Whalen Turner for the depth and complexity of their characters, or Tamsyn Muir for the worlds and twists in her stories that blow my mind every time.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Again, there are so many, but I think one of the most impactful for me was THE GOBLIN EMPEROR by Katherine Addison. I love the character of Maia so much: the strength in his softness and kindness and his genuine unwillingness to be cruel (even when the situation calls for it) has inspired me and my characters so much.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was at my day job (I work full-time as a lawyer)! I was finishing up a big piece of work and just decided to check my emails randomly. I saw an email from Collective Ink, and I immediately ran to the bathrooms to read it properly and do a little happy dance. I couldn’t believe it. I still think it’s one of the happiest moments I can remember having.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Fantasy. Sci-Fi is a close second, especially when the concept is new and exciting, but fantasy will always have my heart because of the escape that it provides, and for the worlds and characters that you can get lost in.
What’s your favorite movie?
Sabrina (1954). Audrey Hepburn is amazing as ever, and Sabrina has a sweetness but also a fierce strength to her that I love – the movie always feels like a warm blanket on a cold, rainy day.
What is your favorite season?
Summer. My birthday is in summer and I always feel like the whole world is a bit brighter and happier (especially when you go on holiday somewhere new)!
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
This year I wrote and organized a murder mystery party with my closest friends for a weekend in a really amazing farmhouse in the countryside. They did manage to guess who did it in the end, and that felt as good as turning twenty-five.
Generally, though, I like to spend it with family and friends, eat good food and possibly be in nature with a coffee.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Interview with the Vampire: it’s such an interesting exploration of time, love, family, cruelty and memory. The historical settings are gorgeous and immersive, and the characters are dark, complex and have so much depth (they are all terrible, but you love them anyway).
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Japanese or Italian, although Hungarian has a soft spot in my heart.
What do you do when you have free time?
I try to read and write as much as I can. Other than that, watching TV, baking, running, playing guitar and spending time with friends.
What can readers expect from you next?
A sequel to WITCHSONG (which is already written and just in the redrafting/editing phases), more fantasy, a darker historical fiction book centered around Erzsébet Báthory (the Blood Countess), and a dark academia mystery centered around what a woman is willing to do to be the best.
WITCHSONG by Zsofia Lazar
A burning means a heretic. A burning means a witch.
Once, there were many. Now, twenty years after the invasion of the Enhavirrim from the West, the witches of Zoldgomb have fled their peaceful existences, hunted by the Virre church that condemns superstition and magic. They hide in the shadows, their ancient power a threat to those who would see it erased. As the Burnings spread and fear takes root, Rozalin of Enhavirre leaves behind the city of her birth ‑ and the blood‑stained past that clings to it. Haunted by visions of witches long dead, she journeys east, where survival is as uncertain as the shifting valleys and suspicious townsfolk. With the reluctant aid of a grim Zoldgombi Hunter, Rozalin must confront the truth hidden in her dreams and unravel the mystery of her connection to the fabled covens of Zoldgomb. To earn the coven’s trust ‑ and claim a place to call home ‑ Rozalin must complete three legendary tasks. In doing so, however, she will face the undeniable truth: that she cannot hide from the horrors of her heritage, nor from her destiny.
Fantasy | Science Fiction [ Our Street Books, On Sale: October 6, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781785356490 / eISBN: 9781917991247 ]
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About Zsofia Lazar
Zsofia Lazar is a London-based writer and legal and compliance analyst. A graduate of UCL and holder of an MA in Law, she draws inspiration from modern history and Hungarian folklore. Her writing blends cultural, historical, and fantastical themes influenced by her studies and lifelong love of storytelling.
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