HARRY COOK WRITES A BOOK!
The Aussie actor finds the “real villain”.
Having written his autobiography,
Pink Ink, actor and LGBTIQ activist Harry Cook returns with his first novel, Fin And Rye And Fireflies.
It’s the story of a conversion therapy camp, but also of young love and coming out, and it fills the void of all those childhood gay romance novels that never were.
Harry Cook spoke to Matt Myers.
DNA: You’ve already written your autobiography, Pink Ink; what prompted you to write a work of young adult fiction? Harry Cook: I wanted to write something that I would have loved to have read while growing up and still figuring myself out. I vividly remember not seeing myself represented anywhere. Everything across film, TV, theatre and books was all about straight people. It was a constant stream of heterosexual stories. It’s exciting to now see so many amazing writers delivering queer young adult novels.
Where did the inspiration for Fin And Rye And Fireflies come from?
I had a fairly difficult coming out, but nowhere near as difficult as some. I know a few people who have gone through conversion therapy, both here and in the States, and the concept terrifies me. I wanted to tell a love story, but instead of a typical villain or monster, I figured conversion therapy and ignorance would be the evil things for the story’s protagonists.
Are there parts of yourself in the characters? Oh, for sure. Most of the characters have sprinkles of me as well as my friends within them, but they’re also standalone characters with unique personalities and stories. I loved creating them and I’m excited for readers to meet them!
Does being an actor help the creative process of storytelling?
I definitely think so. I always approach my creative work with a curiosity – what would it be like to feel that? I’ve loved writing for as long as I remember, so having a new outlet where I can create characters and stories is exciting.
Are there any authors or storytellers that have influenced you?
I don’t necessarily have a genre that I stick to but some writers I look up to include Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Becky Albertalli (Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda), Hanya Nayagihara (The People In The Trees) and Donna Tartt (The Goldfinch).
What do you hope people, particularly young readers, will take away from the book?
I hope young queer people will read it and think, “That’s me!” or at least feel important. One of my life’s missions is to push for LGBTIQ representation across all areas of my creative work. When you grow up and don’t see yourself anywhere, it can really affect your hopes and your potential. We need more queer representation across all areas of media, and I’m glad to be a part of bringing such stories to life.
Do think there might be a follow-up novel with the same characters?
It’s on the cards. I don’t feel Fin and Rye’s story is entirely over and I do have an idea for a sequel. It’s early days. I’m working on an entirely different story at the moment for my third book, but I’d definitely like to revisit Fin and Rye.
At the end of the book you acknowledge your new partner, Pearce. Has he been an influence on your writing?
Fin And Rye And Fireflies is essentially a love story, and Pearce has been my love story over the last year. I’m really happy right now and life is good!
Do you have any advice to budding writers out there who are reading this?
Write! Even if you have no idea what you want to write, just write – a lot. Hone your craft, write short stories, workshop ideas and take a class. The main thing is to really figure out your writing style. I find the first draft of anything excruciatingly difficult, but it’s always extremely rewarding. Writing is a powerful medium and takes a lot of work, but it’s important to love the process, which includes re-writing, brain-storming and editing. Churning out a manuscript can be a big task. Just find your groove, get out there and write the queer stories you’d love to read yourself!
Instead of a typical villain or monster, I figured conversion therapy and ignorance would be the evil things.