In 2012, Taylor Swift had an 'epiphany'. It's sparked a new fan theory.

It's been a big 24 hours for Taylor Swift fans, who have had their tin foil hats out over a new theory.

Let us take a minute to explain.

In late August, rumours began flying that Taylor Swift would be swapping her globetrotting superstar persona after the Eras Tour ended, for that of a quiet literary novelist. It followed reports that she had trademarked the name of a novel she wrote when she was just 14.

As a talented lyricist, it was unsurprising to fans that Swift would want to turn her pen to something longer-form. 

Plus, in 2012, she spoke openly about how she loved writing fiction. During her Red tour, Swift said that she had "nothing to do" before her music got picked up and signed.

"All my friends were back in Pennsylvania, so I had nothing to do," she said, likely referencing her family's move to Nashville so she could pursue music. 

"I had this epiphany: I’m going to be a novelist and I’m going to write novels. That's going to be my career path."

Swift reportedly wrote the book when she was just 14. Image: Getty

Swift first trademarked the name of the novel in question, which is reportedly in the care of her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, back in 2015.

Titled A Girl Called Girl, the story follows a young woman who grows up knowing that her mother had always truly wanted a son instead of a daughter. 

Fans have never had a glimpse inside the book, so the details are hazy, to say the least.

But on August 28, 2024, The Sun reported that Swift extended the trademark she had on A Girl Called Girl, covering merchandise for the book, as well as audio versions. This move made it appear that Swift may be getting ready to create a brand new fictional franchise.

Naturally, fans were over the moon that they would soon get their hands on another of Swift's projects. 

However, that hope was dashed over the following two days, when multiple outlets including US Weekly and Entertainment Tonight shared that Swift was not swapping her microphone for a typewriter, and had no intentions of releasing her book.

"Us Weekly can confirm that Swift, 34, is not planning to add 'novelist' to the long list of titles she can claim, despite reports to the contrary," they reported, without naming the source of the information.

Is Taylor Swift about to release a novel? 

Swift is quite the wordsmith. But are books on the agenda? Image: 'Fortnight' music video.

By the looks of things, it's unlikely that Taylor Swift will release a new novel anytime soon, but it's not impossible. It's  more likely that her move to expand the trademarks would be to block any accidental clashes if someone else were to write a book called A Girl Called Girl.

Like saving an Instagram handle or an internet URL, it means that if she did ever choose to do something with the novel down the line, she wouldn't have to deal with infringing on someone else's copyright.

So, no — she might not be releasing a book just yet, but she could be protecting her options if she chooses to later on. 

Was Taylor Swift involved in Argylle? 

Coincidence? Swifties thought not. Image: Argylle/Miss Americana

It's not the first time Taylor Swift has gone viral for rumours about a move into writing novels. 

When Elly Conway's novel Argylle was adapted into a film, fans quickly went into a frenzy of conspiracy theories that Swift was the true writer behind the pseudonym, and the powering force behind the film.

You see, the adaptation was announced before the book was actually released, and drew in a mega-celebrity cast including Henry Cavill, Ariana DeBose, Bryan Cranston, Dua Lipa, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway herself.

Essentially, Apple paid $200 million for a deal when the books themselves hadn't been proven. Why would they do this unless they had star power backing it?

Then the trailer came out with a truly Swiftian aesthetic. There were fall colours, gingham, and the presence of a cat that looked suspiciously like her Scottish Fold cats Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button. The cat even sits in a backpack with a window that it can look out of that is almost identical to the one Swift used in Miss Americana.

Many fans were completely convinced, saying they'd 'die dead' if the book happened to be written by a 'random author'.

@activista.media 👀After many late night deep-dives on whether Taylor Swift wrote this book or not, we read “Argylle” and this is what we think.🤔💭 #bookreview #bookstagram #Argylle #taylorswift #book #review #news #espectáculos #singer #taylor #swift ♬ News, news, seriousness, tension(1077866) - Lyrebirds music

On The Graham Norton Show, Bryce Dallas Howard did admit to similarities between the show and Swift, but said that the two weren't connected. 

"We can't pretend she was involved," she said. "The reality is she was, in many ways, a great inspiration. She is a cat lady. She's got this awesome backpack with a cat in [it] that she walks around with. She loves a good argyle sweater, and there is a sort of unapologetic dorkiness about her. That's a little bit like what my character is like."

Since the film came out, The Telegraph uncovered that the novel is actually written by I Am Pilgrim's Terry Hayes and When She Was Bad's Tammy Cohen. Not Swift at all. 

"God, I hope all the people that pre-ordered on the basis that Taylor wrote it aren’t disappointed," Cohen said.

And so, the loss of A Girl Called Girl is just another blow to the Swifties who desperately want to read a long-form novel from their idol.

It's safe to say that if Swift ever does come out with a tome of her own, it will be sure to fly off the shelves.

Featured Image: 'All Too Well'; 'Fortnight'/Taylor Swift.