An idea squeezed into my head in 2023, after seeing so many of the book community gathering at conventions across the US and UK. And once my FOMO subsided, I got to thinking about who might be gathered together if we had similar conventions closer to home. Pending the master planning required to arrange a massive convention, I thought the next best thing might be to run an Australian & New Zealand author showcase. So, I sent out the call, with the only prerequisite for participating being the author had to have been born in either country or currently live there.
Its now 2024 and the Aussie / New Zealand Author Showcase is gathering steam again. Just when I thought it was over even more talent has emerged, at this rate its threatening to become year long event! I will continue to post their individual showcases at regular intervals. So hopefully you will enjoy these interactions with some very talented people. Please be sure to check out their work, sign up to their newsletters and follow them on their social media of choice. I make no apologies for any damage inflicted to your TBR’s!
Showcase No 21 finds me chatting soon to be debut author Aman Bedi. A truly global citizen having been born in India, studied in Bangalore, lived in Bangkok and New Zealand. He is literally in the process of relocating to Australia! His first book KAVITHRI is due out on 16th May (Aust & NZ) and 17th Sept (US)
- Do you feel that being an Aussie / Kiwi (or residing there) influences your writing?
Yes, it does. I’ve lived in New Zealand for almost a decade and a half, and there is this feeling of otherness that most immigrants experience (to varying degrees) that has never really disappeared. I’ve tapped into this ‘feeling’ for my first two books.
- What are some of the challenges being located so far away from the rest of the world, do have any tips for overcoming these?
In terms of my publishing journey so far, none of the challenges I’ve faced have been due to my location. Of course, my book is not out yet, we’re three months away from release, so this might change in the future.
- How do you go about establishing connections in the book community? (any tips / suggestions)
I’ve been following your Aus/NZ Author Showcase and taking notes on the responses to Q3! This is a WIP for me.
- Do you have a favourite character to write? And conversely are there any of your characters that are the more of a struggle?
Tehol Beddict from Malazan and Arataka Reigen from Mob Psycho 100 are among of my favourite characters in fiction (both have offbeat personalities an odd sense of humour). I have a character in KAVITHRI loosely inspired by them who was a lot of fun to write.
None of my characters were a struggle to write. If it started to feel that way I would stop and rethink what I was doing.
- So aliens finally reveal themselves to us and your work is presented to them as example of what humanity has to offer, what do you hope they will take away from this intergalactic exchange?
That humanity is full of contradictions. We can be violent, cruel, selfish, and prejudiced, but we also have a great sense of humour and a whole lot of heart.
- Tell us something about yourself that not many people know?
I worked at a bubble tea shop for four years while I was a student. Taro milk tea was my favourite to both make and drink.
- What would you say is the best thing about being an author and the worst?
Best thing: I’ve always dreamed of walking down the fantasy aisle in a bookstore, past all the books by my favourite authors — past the rows of Sandersons and Eriksons and Abercrombies, and seeing my book on those same shelves. In three months, it will finally happen.
Worst: The rejection cycle: Sending your book out, getting rejected by agents/editors/publishers, feeling demoralized, picking yourself back up, working on your craft, and sending it out again.
On the flipside, failure and rejection have been the best writing teachers I’ve had, and they were both free.
- Any other Aussie / Kiwi creatives you’d like to give a shout out for? (let’s spread the love)
Katharine J. Adams. If you’ve recently visited a bookstore in NZ or Australia you might’ve seen her book, TONIGHT, I BURN, on shelves. Great writer, ever better human.
- What’s your favourite quote or passage from one of your books?
I was trying to capture the fragmented nature of trauma and how sometimes a piece of the puzzle will feel within your grasp, but when you try to wrestle it into place, it squirms and slips away. I think it turned out okay.
‘A fist closed around Kavi’s lungs and slowly, painfully, squeezed the air out. A memory, fluid and ancient, lost its camouflage and slithered up to her. She reached out to it. It thrashed, slipped through her fingers, and sank into a writhing mass of images and emotions.’
- What can you say about your current project or what you are planning next?
The current epic fantasy series I’m writing, Ghosts of Ethuran, is a planned trilogy with each book having its own distinct theme (but the same POV character.) The first is a warped hero’s journey, the second is a hard-boiled gangster tale, and the third is a mecha story with mages.
The first two books are complete, and when I’m done with the third, I plan to get started on a dark fantasy noir — Minority Report meets John Constantine in a mage academy is the best way I can describe it.
Bonus Question: Lastly Vegemite* yes or no?
No. Tried it once, never again.
* An iconic dark salty spread that (most) Australians slap on toast for breakfast (NB explanation for the rest of the world)
Author Bio:
Aman was born in Mysore, India. He grew up in Vizag, studied in Bangalore, lived in Bangkok, completed a PhD in experimental psychology at the University of Canterbury, and has settled (for now) in Melbourne, Australia. His writing draws from modern Indian history and is influenced by writers and artists like David Gemmell, Brandon Sanderson, Takehiko Inoue, and Kentaro Miura.
Book Links
KAVITHRI releases on 16th May 2024 (17th September for the US) from Gollancz
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/123654897
Social Media Links
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