Bay-born writer makes name overseas, but little known at home
INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed author and poet Iain S Thomas has been making waves overseas with his No 1 bestseller, I Wrote This for You, but is barely known in his country of birth.
Born and bred in Port Elizabeth, Thomas completed his school career at Grey High before studying design and copywriting in Cape Town.
He said being an introvert and solitary child prompted him to start writing at the age of 13.
“I think writing is something you do when you’re alone.”
But he did not consider it as a career until after his studies.
“I didn’t think that being an artist or a writer was a feasible career. So I went for the next best, safest, thing, which was advertising.”
He started his writing career online, with a project that included a series of poems he wrote about photographs he was sent by a friend in Japan.
“[It] became incredibly popular and we were looking for a way to turn it into a book.”
After struggling to find a publisher in South Africa, Thomas submitted his work to a small independent Canadian publisher, Central Avenue, which signed him on immediately.
“[They were] willing to take a risk on us and that risk paid off for them,” he said.
Successful the world over, his book of poetry has been a massive success in the US, in particular after it was promoted as part of American National Poetry Month, in April.
Also making it big in Japan, Korea and Australia, Thomas is less known in his country of birth.
He wrote his first book, Ignite, when he was 23. Written for a clothing outlet, it won him the Grand Prix prize at the first Paper House Art of Design Awards and the only craft prize awarded in 2006, in the design category, at The Loeries.
Thomas’s collection of poetry, coupled with co-author Jon Ellis’s photographs, I Wrote This for You, has been a bestselling book on iTunes and Amazon.
It has sold more than 100 000 copies worldwide and has been translated into Chinese.
Thomas says his works are focused on non-traditional media.
He still does freelance work in the creative industry but says he is focused on his writing and enjoys “spending time with my wife, and our dogs, and her cooking”.
Other notable works by Thomas include his first solo novel and bestseller, Intentional Dissonance, and I Wrote This for You follow-up, I Wrote This For You: Just The Words and How To Be Happy: Not A Self-Help Book.
A check by The Herald showed that none of the major bookshops in Port Elizabeth stock any of Thomas’s books.
Senior branch manager at Exclusive Books, Walmer Park, Tiaan van der Merwe said this was probably due to Thomas being signed with a Canadian publisher. “Books by Canadian and Australian publishers are not easy to get in South Africa.”
Also, he said, the book industry in South Africa mimicked that of the UK and “unless the books are hugely popular, they probably won’t find their way onto our shelves”.
Thomas said he and his publisher had struggled to find a decent distributor in South Africa.
“There hasn’t really been a South African response to my work,” he said.
He is also a regular contributor to online publication Huffington Post and has been quoted extensively by international celebrities, including Khloe Kardashian and Cheryl Cole.
Thomas said he was thankful for the support of his parents throughout his career.
“My parents, regardless of my successes or failures, always told me to do what I love.”