Mala Naidoo Interview Published on: 07, Aug 2020
Where did you grow up? Do you think your background has colored your writing in any way?
I grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era. This horrendous annihilation of a sense of authentic self, visibility and acknowledgement, features in and through my novels in shaping the necessity for inclusivity.
What developed your interest in the suspense genre?I have always enjoyed Crime Fiction and taught Crime Fiction as an Extension English Course which further developed my interest in suspense/mystery/thriller/crime fiction.
What was that one moment in your life when you realized that you wanted to write?I was a closet writer for almost ten years and never thought of publishing my work until I read Stephen King's On Writing and that pushed me over the threshold with my debut novel, Across Time and Space, followed by its sequel, Vindication Across Time.
How has been your experience of working as a teacher in South Africa and Australia in secular and non-secular institutions?With the Group Areas racial segregation in South Africa, the schools I taught in were largely of my demography. My Australian teaching experience has been diverse, but regardless of the geographic location, the time and space, as it were, students are similar in their love of learning or in their need of motivation to learn. Socio-economic status does not make an iota of difference in a student's capacity to learn or to soar to great heights.
When did you publish your website, Mala Naidoo’s Book World?My website was published to coincide with my first book being published in 2017.
Who inspired the character of Viola Bardo in "Aurora Days"?Viola Bardo is a music teacher and vigilante justice seeker -- she is a figment of my imagination although her name was drawn from Shakespeare's Viola in his play, Twelfth Night.
How was the idea for The Sisters Helping Sisters Organisation (SHSO) in "What Change May Come" developed?The need for safe houses with the ever increasing global threat to women in toxic relationships spurred me to create such a fictional organisation to serve the diverse characters in Chosen Lives and What Change may Come.
Would you be friends with someone like Dr Grace Sharvin from "Souls of Her Daughters" in real life?Absolutely! She has phenomenal strength and vulnerabilities that make her endearing as a compassionate being both personally, and as head of ER at City Hospital. A wonderful friend indeed.
Which is your favorite story in "The Rain"?This is a difficult question because I love them all. Every story was written during a week of torrential rain in Sydney so I feel I have lived through each one of the stories. The title story, The Rain is a favourite.
What was your favorite part, and your least favorite part, of the publishing journey?Writing and seeing my book in hand is the favourite part, as is seeing the cover for the first time. Sending my manuscript to strangers in the publishing world and waiting for a response was a nail-biting experience.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?I write a haiku on any topic that comes to mind and then dive into my novel writing.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?I have to let the flow of the story guide the pen. It's almost like being held hostage by the story when the characters dictate their actions.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?A dedicated group of readers will drop me a line about something they connected with in any one of my novels or respond to a blog post I might put out that holds appeal for them.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?An online platform of authors through The Alliance of Independent Authors such as Orna Ross and Joanna Penn are great mentors and recently interacting with Brenda Mohammed has been great .
What is your takeaway based on your experiences with AllAuthor?A very friendly highly active service that I felt a connection to almost immediately.
