South African-born writer Shaun Levin creates dream-like prose that takes readers into and out of a maze of personal relationships fraught with nostalgia and brimming with sexual tension.
From the semi-autobiographical nature of his writing, one gleans a picture of youth spent in Port Elizabeth under apartheid before Jewish families, such as his, upped and left for Israel. In his recent A Year of Two Summers, Levin tells of his disorientation as an immigrant in that tough country. The stories move with him to London where he finds some sense of personal freedom away from social and political constraints. He is the author of the novel Seven Sweet Things and the editor of the literary magazine Chroma.
Describe yourself in a sentence.
A writer who spends quite a bit of time wanting to be something else: an adventurer, a dancer, an addict.
Describe your book in a sentence.
A collection of stories set in PE, Los Angeles, New York, London and Tel Aviv, reflecting my history.
Describe your ideal reader.
Someone who enjoys the way a story is told, and is intrigued by other people and what makes them tick.
What was the originating idea for the book?
My grappling with what it is like to be an immigrant, live in two languages, be a gay man, believe that a good life is possible and what happens to us when people we love die.
Describe the process of writing and publishing the book. How long did it take?
The stories have been written over the past 12 years. After winning an Arts Council of England Writers Award for the book as a work in progress, I had the confidence to send it to publishers as a collection. They liked it, dumped a few stories, added a few, changed the title and that was it.
Name some writers who have inspired you.
Andrew Holleran for his honesty, Zora Neale Hurston for her loud voice, Damon Galgut for his cautious voice, Salman Rushdie for his playfulness and Sei Shonagon for her snobbery and delicacy.
What are you reading?
I’m in Tasmania at the moment working on a novel about three Jewish artists — Isaac Rosenberg, Mark Gertler and David Bomberg — so I’m reading their biographies and letters. In between, I’m reading Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas.
Do you write by hand or use a typewriter or computer?
Always first by hand, then I type it up on my computer. Although, for the first time, I’ve employed someone to type for me. It’s great.
What is the purpose of fiction?
Fiction expands our imagination and our range of choices. It stops us from being stagnant.