Interview with Simon Paul Wilson

We were lucky enough to catch up with Simon Paul Wilson and ask a few questions about his work and his submission, "Kibou" to New Sun Rising.

What was the inspiration behind your piece? The inspiration behind Kibou was hope. Even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.   Why did you decide to donate this to charity? I have been lucky enough to travel to many parts of Asia and find that part of the world both beautiful and magical. The news of the tsunami in Japan was truly shocking. After seeing the scale of devastation on the news, I looked for some way that I could help. So when I was approached to contribute a peice of work to the New Sun Rising project, I leapt at the chance. To be published for the first time is an amazing feeling. To help a country I have a deep love for is an honour.  What sorts of works/genres/ materials do you normally produce? Kibou is a good example of what I usually write. More often than not, my stories feature a kooky Japanese girl in some sort of surreal situation. I also like to sneak in a dash of horror and a pinch of comedy, just for good measure.  What attracted you to this style? I grew up reading horror novels, so have always been interested in that genre. The liking for the surreal came as my reading tastes developed. Personally, I like to read stories that draw from multiple genres as I feel it keeps the reader interested and on their toes! Who are your models or those you draw inspiration from? A lot of my inspiration comes from Asian cinema and literature. Park Chan-Wook is an amazing director and I consider his films as works of genius. As for writers, Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto are huge influences. I also admire the work of Yoko Ogawa and Xiaolu Guo. What are you working on right now? I have a novella called 'See You When The World Ends' which is nearing completion and am also working on two full length novels entitled 'GhostCityGirl' and 'Indigo'. My first novel, 'Yuko Zen Is Somewhere Else', is currently being submitted to anyone who may be interested! Thanks for chatting to us and for donating your wonderful piece to the Anthology.