In touch with… Sean Williams

Released this month, renowned sci-fi author Dr Sean Williams‘ newest publication is a marked departure from his established speculative style. FiT took a moment to explore the world of the creative writing lecturer and award-winning, #1 New York Times-bestselling author.

What are your key writing interests?

I explore the future of humanity through science fiction and the power of the Australian landscape through fantasy, while at the same time enjoying working with other people’s creations, such as Star Wars and Doctor Who.

My PhD is on the literary history of the teleporter (“Beam me up, Scotty”) and a lot of my creative outputs have used that trope to explore non-normative states of being, including disability, post-humanity, and transgenderism.

Published this month, my first realist novel Impossible Music explores hearing loss from the perspective of a young composer, as I once was. I still enjoy composing music and have released several albums on Bandcamp that are collaborations with my younger self.

Most recently, I have been working on a novel based on a diary my father wrote while waiting for a donor heart. The science of transplants is fascinating, and my research is leading me into challenging philosophical and emotional territories.

Have you had the opportunity to work with many other people in your writing career?

I have written seven novels with writer Garth Nix, co-created an installation for the Ruby Awards with artist Thom Buchanan, collaborated with poet Ian Gibbins on movie-length audio-visual work for the launch of Impossible Music, and co-created a piece for international audiences with musician Gabriella Smart.

My research, too, has taken me into some unusual or extreme environments where I’ve met and worked with interesting people across the sciences as well as the arts, such as through a sleep study designed to test various stimuli on various creative types.

I find working with other people profoundly rewarding. It’s a practice that I expect to continue in the years ahead.

What have been some of your research highlights?  

Receiving grants from both the Australia Council and Arts SA to research and write Impossible Music was a highlight, because it introduced me to deaf culture and Auslan (Australian sign language).

In 2017 I was the recipient of the Antarctic Arts Fellowship, which is awarded annually by the Australian Antarctic Division. This saw me spending time at Casey research station in order to flesh out a novel (a work still in progress). In that time, I engaged with the people who live and work there, explored the surroundings, and soaked up incredible sights such as icebergs, the Aurora Australis, and obligatory penguins.

What made you decide to work at Flinders University?

Thirty years ago when I was a young writer, I was taught the power of paying forward. Many people helped me to get where I am, and I’ve always been careful to follow their examples by teaching in turn the writers who are coming up behind me. I’ve been doing this on and off for over two decades, as interesting opportunities arose. Now seemed an excellent time to share the lessons I’ve learned in a more academic setting. There are things you can do with cohorts of students, some of whom I expect to work with for years at a stretch, that you can’t accomplish through workshops or mentorships. My experience writing novels, stories, scripts and non-fiction will be put to good use at Flinders.

Can you share your proudest moment?

That is a very difficult question to answer! Seeing my latest novel Impossible Music would be on the list, for certain. It was a challenging project for lots of reasons, so bringing it to fruition has been a huge thrill. As part of its release, the J. M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice hosted a launch that brought practitioners from several different art forms together to hold a short concert exploring inaudible representations of music, so all guests, whether deaf or hearing, could experience them equally. The success of this project is something I will hold very dear for a long time.

What has been your most challenging time – and how did you get through it?

Impossible Music came out of a very complicated period in my life, one in which I faced the possibility of abandoning my career. Much like the character in the novel, I had to find new ways to be creative and to bring my work to a new audience. That was a very challenging process, but at the same time a marvellous opportunity to grow, with the help of people I trust and respect. Professionally and personally, I feel stronger now, and I think I am making better art, too.

What does a normal day look like for you?

What ‘normal’ has been over the last twenty years is this: making a hot chocolate and hiding in my study until the words I need to write are written or whatever problems emerged overnight have been fixed. Now that I’m teaching at Flinders, I have excuses to get out of home more often, in order to engage with incredibly stimulating peers and students.

My day has a different rhythm now, one that’s more complex and stimulating. I’ve learned so much already this year, and there’s more to come!

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