Wellington setting for new spy novel
After successfully publishing and coauthoring his first trilogy of fiction, Darin Dance has spent the last 18 months researching and writing his first solo novel Whiskey Lima Golf (WLG/Wellington), a thrilling spy novel set in Wellington. Whiskey Lima Golf includes multigenerational and multicultural characters, looking out for each other and learning from one another.
“One of the main characters, Koro, was inspired by my grandparents,” says Dance. “All the characters have certain traits of myself but also of other friends and acquaintances that I have met along my life’s journey. They all learn that by working together they are stronger and more resilient as a team.”
Dance answers some questions:
Tell us about your background: I’ve had a varied career after growing up in Tauranga, working in various offices, factories, orchards and the army, before settling into managing warehouses and factories in South Auckland then taking a break to coach and mentor horticulture trainees and apprentices in Wellington, the Wairarapa and Ka¯piti coast. Along the way, I’ve met and helped authors get published before deciding to take the plunge and write my own tales.
Can you tell us a little about your new book, Whiskey Lima Golf? At its core this is a story of a young man who suffers a physical and mental injury while serving his country and his path of discovery and recovery with the help of his friends and wha¯nau.
What inspired you to write Whiskey Lima Golf? I’ve read some great spy novels set overseas and wanted to base a believable story in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Once I conceived Tom’s character, the story took on a life of its own.
You have te reo spoken throughout the novel, why were you interested in weaving in te reo? I was brought up in an extended wha¯nau where only a few words of te reo were ever used and it was discouraged at school. However today, spoken te reo is becoming more prevalent and I believe it is an essential part of what makes us uniquely Kiwis. Let’s embrace it.
You also mention a lot of traditional Ma¯ ori medicine, where did you learn about Rongoa¯ Ma¯ ori? As part of my own whakapapa h¯ıkoi, I learnt about Rongoa¯ Ma¯ori and have met and studied with many practitioners as well as Te Wananga o Raukawa and Te Wananga o Aotearoa. Rongoa¯ Ma¯ori is an incredible science and has a lot to offer.
PTSD is a recurring theme in your book, what is your interest in this topic?
It’s incredible just how many people you come across that have mental health injuries and how mental health is perceived in society. Too many people, myself included for quite some time, are in complete denial that they have health issues and this stifles their creativity and any real meaning in life. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and its companions anxiety and depression are aspects of mental health that I have struggled with most of my life, but once you start to address them, your bleak grey world changes to a colourful world of wonder. Whiskey Lima Golf
is set in Wellington, what inspired you to write a novel set in NZ?
Po¯ neke/Wellington is a fabulous cosmopolitan city to base a story in, with its changeable weather, groovy cafes and bars, international airport and sea port, innovative businesses and a creative artistic vibe, not to mention the seat of government, SIS headquarters and most foreign embassies. A writer can have a ball with the variety.