Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first book, ‘The Balancing Game: A Child Between Two Worlds, A Society Approaching War,’ was published on Amazon in 2014. It describes the internal and external worlds of a child growing up in an orthodox Jewish family in post-war London, and the experiences of a young woman who is living in Jerusalem and in the final stages of pregnancy in the period leading up to and including the Six Day War of 1967. My second book, ‘Time Out of Joint, the Fate of a Family,’ was published on Amazon in 2015. It describes the experiences of the members of a German-Jewish family in Europe starting in 1924, in the context of the political, economic and social events of the time. It is based on considerable research, as well as on my family’s correspondence and documents.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, ‘Levi Koenig, A Contemporary King Lear,’ is very roughly based on my own experiences. I am the eldest of three sisters, and at one stage we were involved in caring for our elderly widowed father. Beyond that basic situation, of course, the characters bear no resemblance to any of us. I studied Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ at school but it never occurred to me then that I would find myself in a similar situation. I think that the Bard of Avon has done a great injustice in the way he portrays the three sisters, with two who are entirely evil and one a perfect angel, and I have sought to right that wrong by portraying each sister as human, i.e., a mixture of good and bad.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write quite quickly, and then try to carefully edit and rewrite what I’ve produced.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Virginia Woolf is my model of a writer, although my writing isn’t anywhere near as good as hers. She was highly intelligent and I can’t possibly compete with her, but I try to devote my time and energies to improving my writing. I think the main thing is to keep going and never give up. There are a great many factors out there that tend to discourage one, so the trick is to try to overcome them and not succumb to the tendency to give up.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a novel about English people living in France. It is suppposed to be humorous, but I’m afraid that there are tragic undertones. Inadequacy and ignorance of the local culture and language are the principal themes.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I wish I knew. I would like to devote my time to writing rather than marketing, but it seems that this is not an option at present.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is just keep going and don’t let the bastards get you down.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever had is “show don’t tell.”
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading ‘A Song for Issy Bradley’ by Carys Bray, which I’m enjoying for the insights it gives into a family affected by the tragic loss of a child. The fact that the family are Mormons adds another interesting dimension to the text.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to continue writing, despite the setbacks I encounter along the way, as it’s something I feel I was always destined to do. I’ve been an avid reader since childhood and I still feel that I have something to say.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
‘Mrs. Dalloway,’ by Virginia Woolf. ‘The Tempest’ by Shakespeare. The collected works of Oscar Wilde.
Author Websites and Profiles
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson Website