Award-winning author and former Head of English, Creative Writing & Australian Studies, Associate Professor Steve Evans is about to launch his latest book, Animal Instincts. We asked how this latest title connects to his previous literary endeavours.
How does Animal Instincts fit into your writing background?
My writing interests are broad, including short stories, novels, poetry, reviews, articles, editorials, community workshops and working with other professions on interdisciplinary writing projects in fields such as accounting, urban planning and medicine. My recent titles are a book of short stories (Easy Money & Other Stories, 2019) and a poetry collection (Unearthly Pleasures, 2021). Animal Instincts is the 21st book I have written or edited, not counting those privately edited through consulting work since I left Flinders in 2016 and took on Academic Status. I have several other completed manuscripts ready for publication and more underway, so I’ve been quite busy.
What are some of your writing highlights?
At Flinders, I was very pleased to set up Writers & Their Worlds, a series of 300 or so presentations by writers working in different fields. This was accessible to anyone. In the years I ran then, I’m happy to say that only one person declined my invitation, which was for personal reasons. There were many fascinating questions about the authors’ creative processes.
With my own books, I enjoy getting to read from them in various venues – on radio, at writers’ festivals and so on. It’s always special to have them released but just as much to engage with readers and audiences. I’ve also received significant formal recognition, including a Queensland Premier’s Prize for Poetry, a Barbara Hanrahan Fellowship, being shortlisted (among five finalists from over 400 entries) for a Penguin Novel Prize, three international writer’s residencies, various state and national grants for writing projects, and being part of a panel advising the South Australian government on its arts policies. That kind of recognition is nice, but for me it comes back to the pleasure of conceiving and creating new work.
Is Animal Instincts actually about animals?
Yes – it’s a collection of almost 100 poems and each refers to animals; sometimes that’s obvious and at others it sneaks up on the reader in unexpected ways. The last thing I want to do is allow a poem to be predictable, so I hope readers will discover entertaining twists and surprises. For instance, the perspectives may shift so that I give animals an unexpected presence in the poems; maybe one that allows them to speak directly to the reader, giving them a voice rather than simply being a subject. And I like to shake things up, which is why the ‘quick brown fox’ and ‘the lazy dog’ that featured in typing lessons – remember those? – write their own competing memoirs in Animal Instincts. It’s a kind of duel, with legal ramifications. There’s more serious material as well.
You have a striking cover for the book. How did that come about?
I was in touch with internationally celebrated poet and artist Judith Nangala Crispin about my collection. Her artwork exclusively features animals and I told her that I especially admired one of them, ‘Ben’. After she read some of my writing, she agreed that the image could appear on the cover of Animal Instincts. Naturally, I was thrilled. Her art is consistently original and very engaging. It’s definitely worth looking her up to see more and to understand her distinctive techniques.
When is the book launch?
Animal Instincts will be launched by well-known poet Jules Leigh Koch at The Halifax Café, 187 Halifax St, Adelaide, on June 3. There will be live music, meals available to purchase from 5pm (which I can recommend) and the launch will be from 6pm. Copies of the book can be bought – and it would be good if people would let me know they intend coming (via email at: stevewriter0001@gmail.com). I’m really looking forward to seeing some of my Flinders colleagues there.
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You can learn more about Steve’s writing background by clicking on these sites: