Five Minutes with Nadia King #LoveAusAuthors

Nadia King says she tends to write about things that upset her. She sometimes writes because she wants to see if she can make herself and her readers uncomfortable and enjoys writing about fascinating historical events. Her first book, a young adult novella titled Jenna’s Truth, was written when she learned about the death of Canadian teen Amanda Todd, who took her life after being cyberbullied over several years.

Coming to Australia as a child migrant from England, Nadia is currently undertaking her PhD and describes herself as a history nerd.

‘I feel like a kid in a grown-up’s body and only recently realised that it’s okay to be vulnerable.’

She likes to experiment with different narrative techniques in her work and says that the challenge of taking what’s in her mind and transferring it to paper motivates her to write.

Her books include Claire Malone Changes the World (children’s picture book), The Lost Smile (children’s picture book) and Jenna’s Truth (YA novella). Later in 2021 she has the following books coming out: Claire Malone Makes a Friend (children’s picture book) and Can the Real JR Stand Up, Please? (YA novel).

Five Things About Nadia’s Current Work

1 I’m writing a short story collection for my PhD.

2 It’s a mash-up of stories with a unifying theme centred around what it means to be Australian.

3. Each story is a discrete story in its own right.

4. Each of the protagonists in the collection are entirely different to each other.

5. I am obsessed with the idea of writing a poetic truth in each story I attempt to write.

Five Things That Help Nadia Keep Writing

1. Anne Lamott once said something about viewing writing as a gift and not having the perspective that it needs to be monetised. That sentiment really resonated with me.
2. I have long-term goals for my writing which help keep me focused.
3. I primarily write for myself – I’m interested in pushing my boundaries and not necessarily concerned about publication.
4. Recognising that my journey is my own and that my goals and expectations for my writing are intensely personal.
5. Reading excellent writing motivates me to strive harder.

In the future, Nadia is optimistic that publishing can change shape to include diverse writing and writers, and that indie small press and self-publishers will be recognised and highly sought after by readers, booksellers, and the writing community.

‘I hope kids everywhere can enjoy reading and have access to a wide variety of literature, that the arts are valued by society as life-affirming, that we always have indie book stores and plenty of stories to read and to write.’

You can find Nadia and her books at her website.