A Conversation with Historical Fiction Author Kathryn Gauci

Today in the Library we have Kathryn Gauci, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.

You are very welcome, Kathryn, please introduce yourself:

Thank you for inviting me to the Library, Pam. It’s great to be here with you. I was born in Leicestershire, England, and studied textile design at Loughborough College of Art and later specialised in carpet design and technology at Kidderminster College of Art and Design. After graduating, I spent a year in Vienna, Austria, before moving to Greece to work as a carpet designer in Athens for six years. There followed another brief period in New Zealand before eventually settling in Melbourne, Australia, where, among other things, I ran my own textile design studio for over fifteen years. After thirty years in the textile industry, I wanted a change and began writing almost ten years ago.

Which genre do you write in and what draws you to it?

Historical fiction. I love the combination of history and life experiences that this genre brings. Following the lives of the various characters, their situations and emotions, I feel it brings history alive and gives us a glimpse into what life was like for them. They become real people and I can connect with them.

Are you an avid reader? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?

I’m definitely an avid reader but wish I had more time to read purely for enjoyment, as reading for research takes up so much time. I read almost anything from factual books to historical fiction, biographies, thrillers and suspense, and mysteries. I don’t read sci-fi, paranormal, dystopian, or certain romance genre novels.

Are you a self-published/traditional or hybrid author?

Apart from one of my Greek books, which is published with a traditional Greek publisher, I am self-published.

Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?

My country of origin – England – has not necessarily had an influence on my writing, but I have certainly been influenced by living in Europe as a whole, particularly living in Greece, which inspired my Greek/Turkish novels. The rest of Europe inspired my other WWII books.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?

Any time after 11:00 a.m. I am not an early riser.

If a movie was made of one of your books, who would you like to play the lead roles?

For my WWII books set in Europe, I would have to choose Sebastian Koch and Erika Marozsán or Isabelle Adjani. For the books set in Greece and Turkey, the same actresses and the Turkish actor, Kivanc Tatlitug, for a lead male role.

You have been chosen as a member of the crew on the first one-way flight to Mars – you are allowed to bring 5 books with you. What would they be?

Freedom or Death by Nikos Kazantzakis, The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric, The Kite-Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Two Women by Alberto Moravia, and Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Please tell us about your latest published work.

The Viennese Dressmaker: A Haunting Story of Wartime Vienna.

Based on actual events.

Vienna 1938: Austria’s leading couturier, Christina Lehmann, sits at the pinnacle of Viennese society. Her lover, the renowned painter, Max Hauser, is at the height of his career. But Max harbours a secret, and it is only a matter of time before the Gestapo finds out. The situation takes a dramatic turn on Kristallnacht, when the pogrom against the Austrian Jews escalates and one of Christina’s Jewish seamstresses is brutally murdered.

In order to protect both Max and her couture house, Christina begins a double life, plunging her into the shadowy world of Nazi oppression, fear, and mistrust fuelled by ancient hatreds.

As Vienna descends into chaos, hunger and disillusionment, will her deception be enough to save Max – or will it end in tragedy?