The Danila Botha Interview (2024)

In which James catches up with author Danila Botha

Danila Botha is the author of three critically acclaimed short story collections, Got No Secrets and For All The Men (And Some of The Women) I’ve Known which was a finalist for the Trillium Book Award, The Vine Awards and the ReLit Award. Her new collection, Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness was published in April by Guernica Editions. The title story was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The Toronto Star named it one of “Twenty-One Books to Put At The Top Of Your Reading List” and was recently named a finalist for the Canadian Book Club Awards, in the Short Story/Anthology category. She teaches Creative Writing as part of the Humber School for Writers faculty.

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TSR: Danila, the last time we talked was just before the upcoming release of For All the Men (and Some of the Women) I’ve Known, which was released in 2016. It’s been a long time! Too long. So please, bring us up to date on what’s been going on in your life, both from a family standpoint and from a literary perspective. (I know it’s a lot from following you on social media over the years!)

Wow, has it been that long? That’s wild! It’s great to talk to you again. It really is. My fourth book, a collection of thirty-two short stories called Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness was published by Guernica Editions in April. I can’t believe it, but it’s about to go into its fourth printing. Yesterday it was named a finalist for the Canadian Book Club Awards in the Short Fiction category, and I’m so grateful. I’m grateful for everyone’s support, for the thoughtful, detailed reviews, for the wonderful interviews, and for everything everyone has done to allow us to be here. My collection For All the Men (and Some of the Women) I’ve Known is going to be reissued by Guernica Editions next year. I have a new novel, called A Place for People Like Us which is coming out with Guernica next Sept. And I’m working on my first graphic novel, which I’m writing and illustrating. And I’m always writing new short fiction. I’m in the process of putting together a new collection.

From a family standpoint, I have two more kids 😊 I have a 3.5-year-old daughter and a four-month-old son! (and a nine-year-old son!)

TSR: In his review for The Seaboard Review, Ian Colford stated: “In Things that Cause Inappropriate Happiness, Danila Botha writes of the tenacity of the human heart, its battle to remain true to itself. This is a book brimming with raw emotion that touches the reader deeply.” That’s one thing that I’ve always noticed about your writing: it’s full of raw emotion. It was evident to me with your first novel Too Much on the Inside, and it remains a signature of your writing. Where do you think this raw emotion comes from?

Wow, that’s so kind, thank you so much. I find characterization and voice vital to the writing process. It can take a while for me to establish voice, in my own mind so I know exactly how they speak, and how they feel, and in their lives, what they’ve established, but once I do, I hear it from their point of view, and I enjoy plunging in and trying to express those things. Most of the time what I’m writing is far outside of my own experience, and I write to understand people, to understand their motivations and their reasons, what challenges them, what they enjoy, how they experience things. I’m really grateful that it resonates with people, and that these things come across as authentic and real. It’s what I hope for.

TSR: I have noticed over the years that you are a tireless promoter of your books. You have gone from one end of the country to another doing launches, readings, and so on. Do you arrange all this activity yourself? How do you manage all this with a young family?

Haha, thank you. It’s just part of the job, I’m really grateful to have readers, and the support of writers in our community, and my publisher.

I definitely don’t it all myself. I’ve been lucky, I’ve been working with my publicist Heather Wood for years, she’s fantastic, as a writer, a publicist, and a friend- and she helps me a lot. I couldn’t do it without her. I’m also lucky to have an amazing publisher. Guernica Editions is amazing, and Anna Van Valkenberg from Guernica, and Crystal Fletcher have been huge a part of promoting it too. They’re both amazing.

I really love doing book tours. It’s amazing to get to read and connect with other writers, with readers and audiences. On this tour, I’ve been to Vancouver and Victoria (at the Vancouver Public Library, and at the Wild Prose Reading Series) Windsor (at the Biblioasis book store) in Hamilton at the Lit Live Reading Series, lots in Toronto (from our TIFA sponsored launch with Type Books as our bookseller, to Ben McNally Books, Supermarket, Queen Books, Another Story Books, the Ampersand Reading Series, Speakeasy Reading Series, Drunk Fiction Reading Series, Junction Reads, and more. I’ve also launched in Brooklyn, NY at the Palace Reading series, and I have upcoming readings in Montreal, Calgary and lots of virtual dates in the new year, with hopefully more to come.

They’ve all been amazing and invigorating and inspiring and I love getting to do them so much. As writers, we spend a lot of time alone in front of our computers, and connecting both with the community and with readers is amazing. Tour for Things that Cause Inappropriate Happiness has been so special.

Both of my sons were born right at launch season (my oldest with Too Much on the Inside, my youngest now, with Things that Cause Inappropriate Happiness) so they both saw a lot of Canada at a very young age. My daughter was born during Covid, and I definitely held Zoom events. This time, she was a big fan of Vancouver and Victoria. They actually all loved Victoria. When I can, I travel with them, but sometimes it’s just me and my youngest (and my mom, or a babysitter, and my husband stays home with our two eldest kids) It’s definitely something I need help with.

I know some people say otherwise but I find having kids tremendously motivating; they’re brilliant and funny and I want them to pursue any of their passions fearlessly, and it’s hard to tell kids that if we’re not doing it ourselves.

TSR: I’m going to ask you a question that I recently asked of an author who just had her short story collection published. I read recently that it is very difficult to get short fiction collections published, as publishers are reluctant to take them on. Has that been your experience with any of your short fiction titles?

Short fiction is my biggest passion. I love the form so much. It’s what I love to write most of all, and what I love to read most of all too. I have heard that, but I’m grateful that it hasn’t really been my experience.

TSR: If you could give one piece of advice to an unpublished author, what would it be?

I think it’s important to believe in yourself, to believe in your writing and in the stories you want to tell. In order to publish, it’s so important to be persistent, and rejection is part of all of our lives. The only way to get through it is to keep believing, and to keep pushing, which means rewriting, editing, being open to critique but still trusting your own instincts which is a delicate balance. I recommend connecting with other writers too, to give each other feedback and support. Community is so important too.

TSR: How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?

It is hard, but I try not to let it affect me too deeply. I read them, and if there’s something I can take from them that’s helpful, to help me grow as a writer, I think about it, but there are so many variables to consider in why someone might or might not like something. I’m grateful that people take the time and energy to review and I’m grateful to have readers. That’s the most important thing. I try to appreciate all of it (especially if the critique is framed constructively and thoughtfully. On the other hand, if someone DNF’s your book on Goodreads and just says they didn’t think they were the right audience for it, there’s not much you can do with that, right? I still appreciate that they tried. I think every writer just wants their work to be read) It definitely makes me appreciate positive reviews, where people connect deeply or appreciate the work even more.

TSR: Are there therapeutic benefits to modelling a character after someone you know?

Interesting question! Ha. There probably are, but I’ve never consciously modelled a character on any one person like that. Often my characters are an amalgam of different people I’ve met; writing is definitely helpful in processing how I feel, or giving myself a chance to say things I wish I’d said, or do things I wish I’d done. (But that being said, I don’t write autobiographically, I find other people way more interesting than I find myself)

TSR: What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

This is a great question. Sometimes, even after you establish voice, other aspects of the writing can be challenging. I’m currently working on a new short story and really struggling with pacing. In literary fiction the tensions can be micro, or an internal revelation can be a big moment, and it can be difficult to build momentum. At least that’s what I’ve been finding this week. I love writing so much though. When I find myself struggling with one aspect of a story, I work on a different one. I often work on two or three stories at a time.

TSR: What books have caught your eye recently?

Oh wow, so many. MY TBR on my bedside table is always massive.

I’m currently reading Real Ones by Katherena Vermette, and it’s excellent.

I just started a short story collection called Displaced Persons by Joan Leegant, and it’s great. I also have Lucy M Black’s The Marzipan Fruit Basket on my pile of short fiction to read next.

Rebecca Morris’s debut novel Other Maps is amazing. It’s beautifully written. I’m really honoured to get to host her launch in Toronto in October.

I loved Karen Green’s novel Yellow Birds, it’s so evocative, with great characters.

Ayelet Tsabari’s Songs for the Broken Hearted is gorgeous.

Heather O’Neill’s new novel, The Capital of Dreams is as magical and funny and beautiful as you’d expect.

There were so many amazing short story collections that I’ve read this year. Some of my favourites were Zoe Whittall’s Wild Failure ( it’s such an exceptional collection, she also has an amazing poetry collection, No Credit River, which is out in October) Shashi Bhat’s Death By A Thousand Cuts, Nicola Winstanley’s Smoke, Hollay Ghadery’s Widow Fantasies, Corinna Chong’s The Whole Animal, Jen Currin’s Disembark, Jann Everard’s Blue Runways, Carleigh Baker’s Last Woman, Kathryn Mockler’s Anecdotes, Paola Ferrante’s Her Body Among Animals, Rebecca Hirsch Garcia’s The Girl Who Cried Diamonds and Other Stories, Lisa Alward’s Cocktail, Idman Nur Omar’s the Private Apartments, Valerie Bah’s The Rage Letters, Anne Baldo’s Morse Code for Romantics, Janice Weizman’s Our Little Histories, Sivan Slapak’s Here is Still Here, Sarah Gilbert’s Our Lady of Mile End, Deepa Rajagopalan’s Peacocks of Instagram, Puloma Ghosh’s Mouth, Mariana Enriquez’s Things We Lost in the Fire, Martha Batiz’s No Stars in the Sky, Damian Tarnopolsky’s Every Night I Dream I’m a Monk (what a collection, I just finished it) Robert McGill’s Simple Creatures, Sue Murtagh’s We’re Not Rich (which is brilliant) and Lynda William’s The Beauty and the Hell of It (which I’m reading now and it’s incredible)

I loved Taslim Burkowicz’s novel Sugar Kids so much. Her descriptions are so sensory and beautiful.

Jean-Marc Ah Sen’s book, Kilworthy Tanner, is great too.

And I’m excited to read Pasha Malla’s new book, All You Can Kill, which I just bought recently.

TSR: Danila, you weren’t kidding, that is a massive TBR list! Thanks for taking the time to update us on your writing life!