INTERVIEW WITH PAOLO G. GROSSI
Tell us a little about yourself.
Born and bred in Milan. Studied law at uni but dropped out after the first year. Lived in Amsterdam, Paris and London (thirty years now!). Retirement from my day job beckons.
Possibly a future resident of the German capital.
What would people be most surprised to know about you?
Behind the laugh, I am actually quite serious.
Do you have a favourite quote (either from your own books or one’s you’ve read)?
'Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced'.
Soren Kierkegaard.
How long have you been writing and what made you fall in love with writing?Did you always want to be a writer?
I ended up editing the school journal at the age of sixteen with some success but after that it kind of disappeared. It resurfaced again at the onset of the Covid lockdown. I suppose there was nothing better to do. Once I started there was no stopping me!
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I'm half-way through my second book and I have the third and fourth project all in my mind.
LGBTQ+ / Historical Fiction is a niche genre but I am happy with a few discerning readers.
Tell us about your writing style.
I still don't know why I decided to write in the present tense. Perhaps I'm under the spell of Hilary Mantel and her gripping Tudor trilogy. Some readers have liked that choice. They said it make them feel like they are actually present in the scenes. Living them close.
When/where is your favourite time/place to write?
Afternoons and late nights. The draft of the last story of The Tiergarten Tales came to life in one night. The dining room in our house in London as it overlooks the garden (I wish it snowed a bit more in England). Also Caffe' La Storta, round the corner my place in Milan. Blissful.
Why did you choose to write LGBTQ romance/fiction?
It is what I know best. I'm an avid reader of Miller, Renault, Fry and so on. They definitely inspired me.
Do you write any other genre?
I don't think you'd like the results.
Give the readers a brief summary of your latest book or WIP. What genre does it fall in?
LGBTQ+ / Historical Fiction.
Ten short stories following the lives, love affairs and misdemeanours of men and boys of Berlin across its turbulent history.
In modern day Berlin young Karl falls for glamorous Bill, an American with a mid-life crisis as big as his bank balance.
Felix and Walther bestride a deep class divide in an enduring bond in 1890 Prussia.
Kaspar and Max navigate the fraught political upheavals of the Weimar Republic by skilfully marketing the only commodity in demand, unaware that it will lead them onto different and dangerous paths in their lives.
Roland and Heiko spend a blissful summer of true friendship sailing on a boat along the placid waters of the Wannsee, revealing to each other repressed truths.
Young Kazimierz leaves his impoverished Silesian village on an epic journey to the Prussian capital, the seat of an ageing Frederick the Great, not knowing that his heavenly beauty, endearing naivety and ultimately fate will transform his life once through the gates of the city.
The Tiergarten sometimes shields them, at times threatens them or merely witnesses their quest for love, adventure, friendship and survival.
Give us a little insight into your main characters. Who are they?
Felix is a young and wealthy son of a Brandenburg landowner in 1890s Prussia. Handsome, generous, loving yet reckless and with a self-destructive personality. Walther, his loyal servant then private secretary humbly subjects himself to his childhood friend and lover with stoic patience and resilience.
These are the two main characters and no, we will not see them again (for the time being) as my next project is set in Renaissance Italy.
Which actor would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Timothee' Chalamet would make an excellent Felix and Tom Holland an outstanding Walther.
What genre/s do you enjoy reading in your free time?
History, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction, Classics.
What was the last book you read? What did you like about it?
'Circe', by Madeline Miller. Not her best but still beautifully written.
How do you relax?
Cycling with my headphones on.
What hobbies do you have outside of writing?
Opera, Theatre and the visual arts.
THANK YOU
ABOUT THE BOOK
Book Title: The Tiergarten Tales
Author: Paolo G. Grossi
Publisher: The Conrad Press
Cover Artist: Charlotte Mouncey
Release Date: May 31, 2021
Genres: LGBTQ+ / Historical Fiction
Tropes: Boys' friendship
Themes: Toxic masculinity and fatherly love
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 90 035 words / 384 pages
It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Waterstones
Blurb
Boys and men of Berlin. A captivating journey through their lives, love affairs and misdemeanours across the city’s turbulent history.
Felix and Walther bestride a deep class divide, forging an enduring bond in 1890s Prussia. Kaspar and Max navigate the fraught upheavals of the Weimar Republic by skilfully marketing the only commodity in demand. Young Kazimierz leaves his impoverished Silesian village and sets off on an epic journey to the Prussian capital, the seat of an ageing Frederick the Great. His heavenly beauty, endearing naivety and, ultimately, fate will transform his life once through the gates of the city.
Echoes within echoes. Circles within circles. Wealth, poverty and moral compromise. The privilege and toxic masculinity of the Prussian officer class.
Author Links
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