Where would you say your love for writing and storytelling comes from? Do your parents like to write?
My parents weren’t writers or great readers, but as an only child I spent a lot of my time immersed in books. I think the desire to write just grew out of that exposure.
Did you expect your debut novel, An Idea About My Dead Uncle, to win the inaugural Guernica Prize?
No. It was a delightful surprise.
What sparked the idea for your novel, An Idea About My Dead Uncle?
Years ago my wife and I travelled to China to adopt our daughter. The core narrative of An Idea About My Dead Uncle—in which the narrator travels through parts of China to try to find out what happened to his long-missing uncle—grew out of that experience, though the book itself isn’t about adoption.
How would you describe your experience of writing a series?
At this point I’m still working on the first sequel to Call Me Stan, so my experience writing a series is somewhat limited. What I am finding is that it takes some effort to maintain the tone of the original while creating something fresh.
How much time did you spend writing the first draft of your novel, Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia (Essential Prose Series Book 188)?
Call Me Stan probably took me about six years to write. That’s partly a function of the fact that it took so much research (because it’s weird historical fiction spread over various time periods in various places) and partly because the time available for writing can be pretty limited when you have a demanding job and family responsibilities.
What are some things to remember when writing a historical fiction novel?
Don’t feel the need to include every shiny thing you unearth during your research. The fact that it takes you a long time to find something isn’t, on its own, a good reason to include it. Always ask yourself if it serves the narrative.
Who is your target audience? What are some things you wish your readers would take away from your books?
My target audience, if I have one, is probably readers who like thought-provoking writing with a cheeky sense of humour.
What is your writing kryptonite? Inversely, what is something that never fails to inspire you?
History is my sandbox. I’m often inspired by little-known areas of history where I can have some fun with unusual situations and/or intriguing—though not always necessarily appealing—characters.
How do you feel about the rise in digital books in recent years?
I like them for how they expand access to books and make large books in particular more portable. That being said, I generally prefer the physicality of a physical, paper book. With a digital book you only ever see the specific page you’re on, whereas with a physical book you always have a sense of the sweep of the entire thing right there in your hand.
