Indian Ocean Mentoring Project – An Interview with Michael Joboy
January 20, 2019
The Indian Ocean Mentoring Project is an extension of our incredibly successful mentoring program undertaken two years ago for early and emerging writers of African heritage. This second mentoring program is focused on early and emerging writers who are permanent residents or Australian citizens of Indian Ocean heritage living in WA. The Indian Ocean Rim countries are: Bangladesh, Union of Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. In this series of interviews, we uncover the inner worlds of these budding writers, focusing on their connection to the Indian Ocean region, their motivation for writing and the authors that inspire them.
Michael Joboy is an 18 year old Psychology major from India whose interest in writing was birthed in high school, when he was tasked to write short fictional stories for assignments. He reads anything and everything, from E.E. Cummings to Aldoux Huxley, and hopes to transform into a more seasoned writer through this project.
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
I am 18 years old and currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology degree.
What is your connection to the Indian Ocean region?
I was born in India, as were my parents.
When did you get interested in writing or when did you realise you had a passion for writing?
I became interested in writing when I was in high school and had to write fiction pieces for assignments. I found those assignments to be the most enjoyable and kept writing because of that.
What are you hoping to get out of this mentorship?
I hope to find a pathway to further publication and to become a better writer.
Who are some of your favourite writers/books?
Some of my favourite novels are East of Eden and The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck; Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick; Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson; Black Snow by Mikhail Bulgakov; Neuromancer by William Gibson; Junky by William S. Burroughs; and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. My favourite short fiction writers are Joe Hill, H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov, and Harlan Ellison and my favourite poets are Carl Sandburg, Allen Ginsberg, Ezra Pound, Oscar Williams, Rainer Maria Rilke, and E.E. Cummings.
Photo: Zal Kanga-Parabia
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