David Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father of three who loves humor and a clever turn of phrase. Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication. Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face.
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Author Interview
When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
I first knew I wanted to be an author when I was six, sitting at the kitchen table with pencil in hand. It’s been a long and meandering journey from those early stories through corporate writing, journalism, advertising and copywriting but forty years later now I’m back where I started, writing stories that fire my imagination.
When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?
I wear more hats than your average hatstand. I am, in no particular order:
- A husband and Dad with a teenage family of three kids and a greyhound.
- A freelance copywriter with my own business. My clients range from Government to corporate to schools and non-profits, and I put words on the screen for them so I can put food on my table.
- A lecturer of international students at the University of South Australia. I teach public relations, writing and intercultural communication.
- A bass guitarist in our church’s worship band.
And what do I do for fun? I write and come up ideas for new stories. Seriously. Oh, and I love sport and music – both playing and watching. Particularly sport – it’s in the Australian DNA. I have a favorite team in every league in the world almost. And I’m passionate about music – my tastes are wide-ranging from movie soundtracks to early rock; classical to indie.
What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?
I read widely, so I don’t gravitate to one particular genre, but seeing as you asked I would probably favor non-fiction. I love a well-written biography, learning how people have approached the challenges they face in life.
What is your favorite place to visit? And why?
I love to travel … anywhere. When you’re based in Australia, anything is exotic as it’s all so far away. My favorite places I’ve visited in the past few years are:
- I lectured there for 15 years and visited 28 times. It’s my second home, and I love the culture.
- Any place where you can eat ribs, watch sport on TV and listen to live music gets my vote. Every time.
- I spoke at a conference there and just fell in love with the people and the landscape.
- The Outback of Australia. It’s the heart of my country, and it’s mesmerizing. In fact, my third novel (following on from The Camera Never Lies in June 2020) is based there.
Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
I write modern-day parables, designed get people thinking. With The Baggage Handler (named the best debut Christian novel of 2019), it revolved around this question: what would you do if you discovered you were carrying baggage?
The Camera Never Lies is also based around a question like that: what would you do if your secrets were revealed to those around you, and you couldn’t stop it?
It’s a story of a marriage counselor who encourages his clients to be honest with their partners while keeping secrets of his own. I was thinking about the concept of honesty and this story evolved. Plus, I’ve loved photography since I was in school.
Who did you have in mind as you wrote the book?
The same readers as The Baggage Handler – people who like to think a bit deeper about life. We live in a very polarized world in which issues aren’t often discussed at any depth. Maybe it’s a culture of disagreement or a culture that scans headlines and absorbs 280 characters of any given topic, but I’m interested in reaching anyone who’d like to think deeper about something that we value: truth and honesty.
Because I am a K-12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?
Because I’m an Aussie, it would have to be Storm Boy, which is Australian tale of an orphaned boy who adopts an orphaned pelican named Mr Percival. Or anything by CS Lewis, who is one of my literary heroes. I also remember fondly a book called The White Mountains by John Christopher. It’s a very old story, but I still remember it being a great read.
Every year I organize a Young Authors Day for the kids at our school. What advice would you give to a child who wants to be a writer?
Just write. Even if you don’t show anyone, it’s a chance for you to practice your expression and develop your skills. Back when I was six, I just wrote. And it started a passion that’s with me now, given me a career in corporate writing and now a career in fiction.
And read. The best writers are fans of the written word as well.
This interview was originally part of a blog tour.
While his books aren’t necessarily written for the K-12 Christian school audience, there may be something that will work for your audience.
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