Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
‘Le Berceau’ is my first novella, but not my first foray into publishing. By day, I’m a musician and my music is published (albeit under a different name!) and performed around the world.
My decision to start writing gay romance books was a very spontaneous one. I travel a lot for my work, and along the way, I read a lot of books and meet a lot of interesting people. I wanted these people to express their stories, even if they didn’t want to themselves. And so, after meeting someone particularly interesting – and having just finished reading a particularly inspiring book – I thought, Okay! I’m going to write this. I’m going to write a book. I wrote it in one summer. A year later, after lots of editing, I started to pass it around and almost immediately, Bold Strokes Books got in touch and wanted to contract it. Fast forward another year, and here we are. My book is now making its way around the world! It’s so surreal!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Le Berceau’ is an erotic, gay romance novella. I had just finished reading ‘Call Me By Your Name’ at that time (and like many others, it stayed with me for a long time after!), so I was already feeling the heat of that beautiful, Italian sun in my mind. And then, I met someone shortly after near my home in France and, without wishing to reveal too much about this connection, ‘Le Berceau’ was born – set on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes! I write in complete and total secrecy! I use a pen-name and nobody knows I’m a published author…even my long suffering partner, who lives with me has no idea! It is my naughty, little secret.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, Andre Aciman’s ‘Call Me By Your Name’ was the single greatest influencer of ‘Le Berceau’. But, as someone who is fascinated by queer history, I love to read books by gay authors from before my time, who were writing in a different world to what we now know. Writers such as Oscar Wilde, Gore Vidal, William S. Bourroughs, Thomas Mann. Their writing is beautiful and their lived experiences, in a less progressive time, are insightful and inspiring.
What are you working on now?
I am intensely editing a novel right now, and I also have another first draft and a research project on the go. The novel tells the story of a fifteen-year-old boy from rural North Yorkshire in the early-1990s, who runs away to London and is “adopted” by a small, queer community. It explores our own sense of what family is, the path to acceptance, and the diversity of the queer community. The boy’s newfound family is led by a fierce, but nurturing, drag queen, and includes a transgender, Irish, former-Catholic woman; a flamboyant – but closeted – black, teenage boy from a homophobic Senegalese family; and an octogenarian, straight woman who runs a charity shop and used to be a wardrobe assistant at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It is quite a cast!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My publishers, Bold Strokes Books, have been wonderful, so far. They have really pushed this book far and wide, to favorable reviews. It has touched me, so deeply, to read how ‘Le Berceau’ has moved people. As for myself, I’m a total Twitter addict! You can find me on @EksJulius
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be brave in your writing. Be daring and honest. You may cause controversy, but remember that a book isn’t necessarily a reflection of the author, but a reflection of the characters. To compare, Sir Anthony Hopkins isn’t really a cannibal…but the character he was playing (Hannibal) sure was! So let your characters have their voice, even if it is a little bit shocking to read.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As a composer, my teacher always told me that I don’t have to always try to produce something groundbreaking. But, with each piece I write, I should always try to push myself beyond my comfort zone and create something fresh and groundbreaking for me. Eventually, the freshness will come out in everything you do. I carry that advice forward into my literary writing.
What are you reading now?
I am just about to start ‘Lie With Me’ by Philippe Besson, at the suggestion of a friend.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My plans for this year are to finish editing my new novel, start editing my second work in progress, conclude research for my third and begin writing the darn thing by summer.
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?
You saved the difficult question for last! I think I’d rather take 3 or 4 books that I have hated. I won’t name them here. I’d re-read them with a fresh perspective. I may even learn to love them. And if I don’t, they’ll make a great fire starter!
Author Websites and Profiles
Julius Eks Website
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