THOMASVILLE — Thomasville native and award-winning author Delia Owens’ 2018 debut novel “Where the Crawdads Sing” is set to premiere as a major motion picture on July 13. 

“Where the Crawdads Sing” follows the story of Kya, an isolated girl growing up in the marshlands of North Carolina. According to Owens, the book is about exploring the raw core of human nature through a story of drama, mystery and romance. 

“It’s about how much we can learn about human nature from nature itself,” Owens said. “We forget that we’re part of nature. We’re not separate from it. Nature, we talk about mother nature, but we don’t really treat nature as though she’s mother, our mother, and it’s important to remember that.”

With her debut novel spending more than a year as a No. 1 New York Times bestseller and more than 10 million copies sold worldwide,Owens said that her writing began in oak forests around Thomasville.

“My mother would encourage me and Libby Wine to go as far as we could into the woods,” Owens said. “She would say, ‘go way out yonder where the crawdads sing.’ I knew the woods, the creeks, and the trails by heart and they have lived in my heart ever since. This childhood gave me courage and wisdom, and inspired me to follow a career as a wildlife scientist.”

Having studied wildlife in Africa for more than 20 years, Owens said that she drew from her time and experiences in the Georgia wilderness while away from home.

“During all those years I drew from my years in the Georgia woods. As far as Libby and I rode our horses, we never got lost,” she said. “We always knew how to get back home. And home was a town where we knew everyone. I had the wild at my fingertips on one hand, and on the other, I had the support and love of a community. During all those long, hard years of isolation in Africa, I knew my friends were rooting for me, were concerned for me.”  

A strong trust in her community back home, Owens said that it was the support from bonds so far away that ended up being such a big inspiration for her novel.

“I knew I could call on them if I needed help,” she said. “During one hard time in Botswana, it was difficult to get food, so I sent one letter home and weeks later I received more than 20 jars of peanut butter! I became determined to write a novel that would show how important community is to a person, and I did this by writing about a little girl who lives in the wild with no group, and how much that isolation and loneliness changed her. That was how Kya was born.”

Even today, Owens said that she retains these strong connections, despite the distance, and she has dedicated her debut novel to long-time friends in Thomasville. 

“People all over this country are amazed when I tell them that my best friends in the world are from the second grade in my hometown of Thomasville. But it is true,” Owens said. “My family moved away from Thomasville in 1965, but I have kept up with my friends all these years. They are as true today as they were then. They are my most valued treasure. I dedicated ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ to three very dear friends from Thomasville. When I came back home to give a talk about my novel in the old auditorium where I used to watch the Follies, one thousand people came from Thomasville to hear me speak. It was the greatest honor of my life.”  

As “Where the Crawdads Sing” gears up for its nearing premiere, Owens said that it was amazing to see the story of Kya come to life and letting her meet the amazing women working together to get it done. 

“I’m so excited that this movie is being produced,” Owens said. “The studio, with Elizabeth Gabler representing, and Reese (Witherspoon) producing, and many other women producing as well. There’s a long list. And the director Olivia (Newman), the screenwriter Lucy (Alibar). It’s this powerhouse of women and I’m so glad that we’re all connected. We’re a troop working together.”

Arriving on set for the first time, she said that it was an astounding moment for her, one that she owed to her novel being brought to life as a major motion picture.

“To arrive here and to see the production of the movie actually happening was one of the most astounding moments in my life. I mean, I’ve known this story for a long time. I knew there was going to be the crew and the cast, and all the people making the food, and setting everything up,” she said. “And I’m thinking, oh my gosh, all of this is because of the book being made into a movie. It was very emotional and rewarding.”

Payton Fletcher can be reached at 229-226-2400, ext. 1826