Interview With Author Vera Persiyanova
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I haven’t always been a writer. In fact, I’m an artist. But I wasn’t always an artist either. It’s quite a long story, but I’ll try to keep it brief.
I was born in a country that no longer exists, and for the past 10 years, I’ve been living in the Kingdom of Wonder. This isn’t a joke. I was born in the Soviet Union, in Siberia, and now I live in Cambodia, which is also known as the Kingdom of Wonder.
I spent the first half of my life dedicated to medicine and science, I even completed my PhD thesis, but that’s a long story in itself and not particularly relevant to the present.
As I approached 50, I moved to Cambodia and picked up a paintbrush, and that’s where I became an artist. This passion led me around the world, and now my paintings can be found in 20 countries.
Recently, I’ve been captivated by a new passion – writing.
Currently, I have two book series.
The first is about my journey as an artist, my travels, encounters, and paintings. At the moment, there are three books in this series, with a fourth one planned.
The second series is science fiction and adventure. So far, the first book in this series has been published, and I’m working on the second. The third one exists too, but only in my mind for now.
What surprised me recently while editing the second book was the realization that it incorporates Kant’s philosophical paradigm of the “thing-in-itself” and some references to Schopenhauer’s “On the Basis of Morality.” These elements are naturally woven into the plot. I used to be seriously interested in philosophy, but I never consciously intended to include it in the book. It happened subtly and organically. Well, I suppose that’s how it’s meant to be.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is “Insomnia: Strange Faces and Lost Dreams.” I’m not sure if I can call it a full-fledged book; it’s more like an expanded chapter from the previous book, “Fate and Art: Bridging Time.” I wouldn’t say it was inspired, per se. It was more about the state of insomnia being so exhausting that I decided to write about it, to share my thoughts, feelings, and… paintings. After all, insomnia doesn’t just steal sleep, but dreams too… it changes one’s personality, and that’s dangerous, not just in a medical sense.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if this counts as an unusual writing habit, but I usually write in bed. Half-sitting, half-lying down, with my laptop on my knees. This position allows me to stay in one place for a long time, as it’s quite comfortable and relaxed. There are downsides, though. Taking more frequent breaks would make the writing process more effective, but sometimes I’m just too lazy to get up…
I also write down dreams that I manage to remember, and nighttime thoughts that sometimes turn out to be unexpectedly interesting, which then naturally fit into the plot of my next book. Although sometimes a thought seems almost genius at night, only to look like complete nonsense in the morning. But that’s normal; it’s just consciousness playing tricks along with the subconscious…
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ah, here too, it turns out to be a strange cocktail with very different ingredients, but for me, it leaves a long, deep aftertaste, a sense of the beauty of the world and humanity.
The good old fantasy classic – Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” saga literally consumed me in its time. I don’t know if I’ll reread it, but it left something grand, unusual, warm, and heroic in my memory.
Erich Maria Remarque also made an indelible impression on me in his time.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – definitely. But not so much “The Little Prince,” although that fairy tale is wonderful in itself. Rather, “Wind, Sand and Stars” and “Night Flight.” The author was a pilot himself, and he opens up a world from above for the reader, where there are no unnecessary details, and everything comes together in a fascinating picture.
And lastly, I’ll mention “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality” by Eliezer S. Yudkowsky. At first glance, it’s just fanfiction. But since it was written not by a writer, but by a scientist who was at the forefront of AI, it turned out to be an absolutely amazing work. This book is not for children, unlike the original. You can reread it several times, and each time something new is revealed.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the second and third books in the “Primordial Flow” series. It seems there will be a fourth one as well, but I’m not sure what it will be about yet. I just feel it coming. This series seems to write itself, emerging from nowhere, and its plot twists sometimes surprise even me.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a new author, I’m currently testing all methods of promoting my books. I don’t think there are ready-made solutions or links for this. A book needs to find its specific audience, and I don’t know where that will happen. Not yet, anyway. Maybe I’ll never know. But time will tell.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a new author myself… But I suppose I can share some advice. It’s not necessary to follow it, as with any advice.
Author, don’t stop. Don’t give up. Work on your book until you start to get engrossed in it yourself, until it becomes the book you would want to read. And remember, this is only the first part of the journey. The main obstacles await your book after publication… And this is where it’s especially important not to stop.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oh, this was funny. It wasn’t even advice. It was more of a friendly conversation, and it happened in France, at the home of a good friend I met in Cambodia. He offered to let me paint a wall in his restaurant in France, and naturally, I agreed.
One evening, we were sitting in his house by the extinguished fireplace, and he said to me, “I’ll do it, even if it’s not normal. Because I want to do it.”
This thought is dangerous, like a sharp knife. But we use knives every day to make salads, for example… It all depends on whose hands the knife is in, doesn’t it?
What are you reading now?
I’m rereading Yudkowsky again. He has not only fanfiction but also several original works.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have some ideas about this, but first I need to finish my two book series. I think it will be some kind of mix of art and science fiction. Because this is close to me, as an artist, as a former scientist, as a person who never ceases to be amazed by this world.
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?
I would take several books by Yudkowsky and Saint-Exupéry. To not forget how amazing the world is.
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