Ahmad Ardalan Interview Published on: 14, Mar 2019
Born in Baghdad in 1979, when did you move to Vienna, Austria? Which is your favorite memory, while growing up with your parents in Austria?
I moved at the age of two. My primary school years at the Vienna International School, growing up with children from all around the world. I remember my class of two-four students were from twenty countries.
How was your experience of graduating from the University of Dentistry? How did it help you to hold several senior roles within the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries?Graduating from dentistry gave me some clout among my piers of the same age. I have always loved business, interaction with others, and with my dental background and general medical knowledge it helped me succeed in the field of sales and business development.
How did your early childhood in a mixed cultural environment inspire you to start writing?My daily exposure with kids from all over the world, and continuous learning about the different cultures, habits and history provided me with a vast knowledge of general information that lead in the future for a rich base to work on
What inspired you to pen your first novel, The Clout of Gen? Did you ever dream of becoming a writer?The Clout of Gen is a time travel novel. While I was watching tv as a child, at the age of eight to be precise, I came upon an America TV series called The Time Tunnel, a show about two scientists traveling through time to make things better for humanity. It got my attention from the start, an episode on the Titanic, another on a battlefield during the Roman times fascinated me with the idea, and after twenty five years I penned a novel about the time travel theory myself.
Was the writing process different and what challenges did you face while writing crime fiction genre?Yes and no. The creativity is the same for any genres, as we are talking about fiction, but the simulation was a bit different as it requires studying of total different material than what I was used to in the past.
What challenges did you face while writing a short novella thriller series, "Matt?" Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or to write the subsequent novels?Writing a short series was less demanding and more of ease. The material was there in my head, I just had to organize it well on paper.
How do you come up with the titles to your books? What is the significance of the title, "The Art Collector of Le Marais?"Some come spontaneous, some with deep meaning. The Art Collector of Le Marais” represent a beautiful area in Paris, where you can find some of the best galleries in this city. Thus the name.
What real life experience did you share in your book, "The Gardener of Baghdad?"The tragic downfall of the quality of life in the past twenty years, and the hope that still lies within.
Who inspired the character of Manic Matt? How do you select the names of your characters?Jack the Ripper in kind of way. That character always held some interest since my teenage years. As for the name Matt? It is related to death in Arabic.
How did you begin writing the "Matt" series? What is the most difficult part about writing crime fiction for you?Mentioned above.
What inspired the plot of "Baghdad: The Final Gathering?" How much did you research to give an insight to the readers how the Iraqi people dealt with the war there?The unjust embargo during the nineties, and the continuous hurdles I saw all those around me from family and friends facing on a daily faces as well as the deathly anticipation of an upcoming war. Most of what was written about the war, it’s aftermath was part of what I had lived as a teenager.
What was the hardest scene to write in "The Boy of the Mosque" portraying the love one man had for his country, it’s history and it’s people?The moment your history gets wiped away in a second.
How has the idea of being a writer changed for you over the years? Is there anything you wish you could take back and change?It has matured me a lot as a person. It has also feed my continuous eagerness to learn more about the cultures and history all over with a real purpose.
How were you first acquainted with the AllAuthor website? What motivated you to sign up and how would you rate your experience with it so far?Through social media. I like the website, the marketing approach. I would give it a solid 4/5.
