Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a journalist who’s reported around the world, mainly from Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Merchants of Hate is my first book. I’ve loved the creative outlet writing has given me. I found it cathartic to dive deeper into issues and reimagine our world in a fictional near-future.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is called Merchants of Hate. I felt compelled to write it after reporting on the impact of fake news and social media on democracy. I think we spend a lot of time focusing on political events themselves, whilst sometimes overlooking the underlying causes. Misinformation, fake news and populism are set to be issues that dominate our times. The advent of social media and the rapidly changing ways people consume information, make it easier than ever before for these to proliferate. It’s something we’ve seen increasingly impact democracies in recent years; and yet there’s still no real consensus on how we navigate this rapidly changing environment. It might be that the issue is too big to tackle, or we’re too distracted by day-to-day crises to focus on something further down the line. Either way, I wanted to create a near-future dystopia that exposes the vulnerabilities of our current world. One where all these issues have already spiralled out of control, and an unprecedented natural disaster is set to provide the spark to insidious elements that have festered unchecked for decades.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would say anxiously overthinking every sentence, though I doubt that’s unusual. Listening to a good history podcast before I start always helps clear my thoughts.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
It probably goes without saying for a dystopian writer, but 1984 for the world building storytelling. Multiple viewpoints are a defining characteristic of Merchants of Hate, allowing readers to experience the unfolding chaos from characters and settings around the world. I took some inspiration from books such as World War Z in trying to give a global perspective of the drama. Finally, This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay, because even dark dystopian fiction needs a bit of light; and I wanted to lace humour throughout Merchants of Hate.
What are you working on now?
Publicising Merchants of Hate and getting it as widely distributed as possible.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Making sure I reserve time each day to promote it.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it, it’s a long process. I remember thinking I’d completed my final draft and edited as much as possible, six months later I had a different manuscript.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If I don’t say I’m the best, tell me who the hell will”- Phife Dawg/ Tribe Called Quest in the song Word Play. I’m a bit of a hip hop junkie. Whilst this is tongue in cheek, and I’m certainly not saying I’m anywhere near the best, writing a novel does require a thick skin. An important part of the process is being able to take criticism on board and self-critique; but ultimately you have to still believe you have a story to tell and are the right person to tell it.
What are you reading now?
Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light. I love her trilogy and find it incredible how she transports the reader to Tudor England.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Sleep. Then a sequel to Merchants of Hate.
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?
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Author Websites and Profiles
Jack Jardel Website
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