Tell me about yourself
I am a writer and university lecturer. I teach writing science fiction, fantasy, and also courses in digital literacies and the workplace of the future. From a young age I have loved fantasy, science fiction and adventure stories. My favourite authors are Arthur C. Clarke and J.R.R. Tolkien. On leaving school I became a soldier, but being a book lover, I went to university to study literature. However, at university I was very bad at poetry appreciation, so I changed my major to Politics and International Relations. I also enjoy hiking with my family, and painting animals and landscapes.
Why did you move to Hong Kong?
I graduated from university in the middle of an economic recession. I didn’t get a single job interview, and was facing a life of unemployment. Then on the university notice board I saw a job advert to be an English teacher in Hong Kong. Exotic places had always appealed to me. As a child, I loved reading adventure novels set in far-off lands, and at university I had studied China. Here was an opportunity to see the places I had dreamed of! I jumped at the chance, used my savings to buy a ticket, and never looked back.
Why do you write?
I have loved books since I was a child, partly because my mother was a librarian. I loved adventure books, starting with the Secret Series and the Famous Five, and moving on to Biggles books, then thrillers. I discovered science fiction, and then fantasy, and was hooked on the imaginative worlds. I wrote stories in English class at school, and then at university, but it was only when I came to Hong Kong that I first got a book published. I write because I have stories to tell, and I love to use my imagination.
What was your first book?
In 1994 I heard that Manhattan Press was looking for authors for a series of readers for children, and as I was teaching children at the time, I phoned the editor and convinced her that I knew the audience and had an idea for an story. That story was ‘Crazy City’, in which a school boy and girl live in a big Asian city that is bad for the environment. The computer that runs the city throws everyone out until they can learn the secret of life on earth, which is sustainability.
How did you find a publisher?
I wrote a couple of short stories for the Hong Kong Writer’s Circle‘s annual anthology. Through them I heard of Earnshaw Books, and I emailed them and asked what they were looking for. They wanted a fantasy for young adults, and that was how ‘The Druid and the Elephant’ got started.
Why does it have an elephant? Why not a dragon?
It’s a historical fantasy, set in the Roman empire, mainly in Britain and Rome. It’s realistic fantasy: many of the characters were real people, and many of the events really happened. To the ancient Britons, an elephant would have been just as magical as a dragon. The magic in the story is that the main character is a druid, and he uses signs from the gods to guide him.
Did the Romans really use war elephants?
Yes, they did. The Emperor Claudius used them in the invasion of Britain, and rode one himself. Later they went out of fashion in Rome because their enemies worked out how to counter them. However, war elephants continued to be used in other places, such as India and Thailand.
Have you ever ridden on an elephant?
Yes, in the 1990s in Nepal and Thailand. Nowadays people are concerned about the welfare of elephants, especially when tourism stopped during the pandemic, and elephant owners were not earning money to pay for the elephants’ upkeep. However, in the 1990s this was not the case. The elephants that I rode on seemed well-looked after.
Tips for riding elephants
If you ride in the howdah (the platform on the elephant’s back), it sways around a lot, and if you get motion sickness, it might affect you.
If you sit on the elephant’s neck, it is very wide, wider than a horse, and it is uncomfortable to spread your legs wide for a long time.
An elephant’s neck is covered in coarse, wiry, black hair, which is very uncomfortable to sit on. Sit on a blanket or thick cloth.
Don’t sit too far forward on the elephant’s neck, such as on its head. I did this, and the elephant sprayed me with a trunkful of half-eaten grass. It was like being sneezed on by a lawn-mower.
Why write about Rome?
The Roman empire was awesome! It was full of confict, drama, dangerous creatures, large-than-life characters, deadly rivalries, and murderous passions. Chariot racing, revolts, raids and full-out war provide a wonderful setting for adventure. Epic films like Ben Hur and Gladiator fire the audience’s imagination. If you want a thrilling read, read about Rome.
Can you summarise the story of ‘The Druid and the Elephant’?
In pre-Roman Britain, a boy is born with different-coloured eyes. His people name him Caz, and send him away to train as a druid, despite his desire to become a warrior. When the Roman Emperor Claudius invades, with his legions and war elephants, the apprentice druid and his master fight against them, but the Romans are unstoppable. Caz’s father is killed, and he swears revenge on the Romans and their allies, the traitorous Iceni tribe. A council of druids decides to send young men to learn the Roman ways and how to defeat them. Caz infiltrates the Roman camp, and becomes friends with the rider of the emperor’s elephant. He joins the emperor’s barbarian bodyguard, takes the name Decimus, and journeys to Rome, where he uses his druid skills and the power of the elephant to take revenge on those who invaded his homeland.
After years of intrigue and adventure around the empire, Decimus is sent back to Britannia when the Iceni King, husband of Queen Boudicca, dies. He finds his druid teachers massacred by the Romans, and the High Druid orders him to join Boudicca’s rebellion. Together they battle the Romans in a bloody race to Londinium. Boudicca’s war chief suspects he is Roman spy, and sows mistrust between him and the Queen, but the druid’s divine guidance leads the Britons to victory after victory. In the climactic battle, the druid reveals his true allegiance, fulfils his mission, and takes revenge upon his enemies.
Any advice for budding authors?
There are lots of ways to get published, but this is what worked for me. Join a writing group, such as the Hong Kong Writer’s Circle, because it’s great for making contacts, discussing your stories, getting critiques and advice, and publishing short stories to build your track record. Then find a publisher who is looking for authors. Ask what they are looking for. Come up with an idea that fits their needs and will be interesting for you to write. They will probably ask for a plan and a sample of your writing. Proof-read your sample: GenAI is good for this – ask it to correct any spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Come up with some interesting characters, follow the three-act plot structure, and add plenty of conflict. Don’t info-dump. I run a blog with lots of videos about writing Science Fiction, and another about writing Fantasy, that authors might find useful. There is also lots of writing advice on social media, such as the Writing Excuses podcast. Finally, be prepared to help out with marketing your work, it’s not something you can just leave to your publisher. Good luck with your writing!
How can the media contact you?
Please use the form on my Contact page, or the one on Earnshaw’s Contact page.
