Who wants to learn about a pretty grand author who wrote a pretty grand book?
This week’s Author Highlight, the first of all the highlights, I’m focusing on the incredible (and underrated) Aussie Author, Holden Sheppard.
“A lifelong misfit, Holden has always been a walking contradiction: a gym junkie who has played Pokemon competitively; a sensitive geek who loves aggressive punk rock; and a bogan who learned to speak French. He believes the best writing comes straight from the heart: unabashed, unfettered and unafraid.” (Quoted from Holden’s webiste: https://www.holdensheppard.com/)
PART ONE: Writing and Reading
His debut book: The Invisible Boys (2019)
His most popular book: The Invisible Boys (2019)
Other books: None, as of yet.
Writing achievements:
– His debut novel, Invisible Boys is a multi-award winner
– Holden has short stories published in Page Seventeen and The Indigo Journal.
– Holden has written for Ten Daily, Huffington Post, the ABC, DNA Magazine, and FasterLouder.
– Was published in the Griffith Review 2018 with his novella, Poster Boy.
Agent: Haylee Nash of The Nash Agency.
PART TWO: About Holden
Lives in: Australia
Uni/College Graduate: Honours from Edith Cowan University’s Writing program in 2013.
Full-time writer: Not yet.
Fun facts:
– Deputy Chair of WritingWA
– Ambassador of Lifeline WA
– Massive Punk Music fan
– Loves footy
– Huge geek–and proud!
PART THREE: Where to find the Author
Social Media:
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Instagram
– YouTube
– Goodreads
Invisible Boys:
– Goodreads
– Book Depository
– Booktopia
– Dymocks
PART FOUR: About the books
Invisible Boys (2019): An emotional tale of identity, sexuality and suicide derived from personal experience about three teenage boys who struggle to come to terms with their homosexuality in a small Western Australian town. On the surface, nerd Zeke, punk Charlie and footy wannabe Hammer look like they have nothing in common. But scratch that surface and you’d find three boys in the throes of coming to terms with their homosexuality in a town where it is invisible.
Invisible Boys is a raw, confronting YA novel that explores the complexities and trauma of rural gay identity with painful honesty, devastating consequences and, ultimately, hope.
(PSA: This highlight was written in 2020, and some details may have changed since its publication, thank you!)
