Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am is a scientist, prolific inventor and aspiring writer who currently resides in the beautiful Dutch city of Utrecht, where I am an avid runner, squash player and rock climber. I am the author of Squash Diary: The Story of How Squash Saved My Life (2010), Fresh Ereba: A Collection of Caribbean Bedtime Stories for Children (2013&2020) and Walking in Footsteps of Promise (2019).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is the 2nd edition of Fresh Ereba: A Collection of Caribbean Bedtime Stories for Children. I originally published Fresh Ereba in 2012 as an e-book only. Eight years later, I decided to dust it off and revitalize it for publication as a paperback. I figured it was time to give it another shot.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often write late at night till early in the morning since this is when my mind is most often in flow.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are quite many. A few notable ones are: Haruki Murakami, Leo Tolstoy, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, C. L. R. James, Rumi, Maryse Conde
What are you working on now?
I am working on three books right now. A yet to be named children’s bedtime story book as a follow up to Fresh Ereba. A book about running called What I Think About When I Run. And my most ambitious book of all The Ashes From Our Tears. This will be a historical fiction novel about some of my ancestors called the Garifuna (also known as the Black Caribs). They have a compelling yet tragic story that has been largely untold. Among their many extraordinary achievements was their armed resistance against European colonization of the Caribbean island of St Vincent for nearly two centuries. Equally remarkable, the Garifuna were also the first non-white/indigenous people to ever sign an accord with a European colonial power (Great Britain). Adding further intrigue to their story is the as yet unresolved mystery surrounding the origin of the Garifuna, which remains the subject of historical and anthropological debate to this day.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still exploring and learning more about book promotion. So far, I have found a combination of my author website (launched in March 2020) and social media (LinkedIn, Facebook) has been quite effective at getting the word out. However, I think there is definitely a long way to go!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your heart in your writing. Don’t write something because it will fit with what is popular now or because you feel it will sell like hot cakes. I believe if you write from a passionate authentic place people will always appreciate it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get an author website! It will give you agency and control of your message to the world. (For years I ignored this advice until I finally took the plunge this year and paid for a professional website. It is worth every penny!)
What are you reading now?
As part of my research for my upcoming book The Ashes From Our Tears I am reading Hiroona: An Historical Romance in Poetic Form. It is an epic poem based around the Second Carib War between the British and the Garifuna, which is the focus of my novel. So it is a wonderful history lesson and a great starting point for the development of The Ashes From Our Tears.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing, reading, travelling and more writing. I have a couple more books in me.
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?
Good question. At the moment I would probably choose an eclectic mix of books: War and Peace, Kafka on the Shore, Crime and Punishment and The Black Jacobins.
Author Websites and Profiles
Kiran Dellimore Website
Kiran Dellimore’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile