good ideas A Writer’s Paradise

by Andrea Paolucci

Photo courtesy of Bharat Krishnan and Erik Jon Slangerup

A Writer’s Paradise

Two Dublin-based authors find inspiration in their surroundings

For creatives, the city of Dublin often proves itself to be a canvas where creativity can flourish. It’s no surprise then to see not just one but multiple authors find success here.

Novel Ideas

When Bharat Krishnan moved to Ohio to be with his wife, Monali, he found an especially open and inviting community. They first moved to Grove City, but have been living in Dublin for about a year and a half.

“It’s such an incredible, diverse community, especially with the Indian American community,” he says. “I really found myself wanting to get to Dublin as soon as possible.”

Bharat’s recent novel, Privilege, is a political thriller centering on racism and power. In this story, protagonist Rakshan Baliga must get his hands on super drug WP (white privilege) in order to fix the issues in his life. The book’s main message is the idea that power and happiness are two different things that people must often choose between, Krishnan says.

The novel, which the Ohio Author Project named best adult fiction of 2021, is the first in a trilogy exploring how some people experience societal advantages due to their privilege. Krishnan believes this topic shows extreme relevancy to the current state of the country and sends a message about the importance of diversity.

“You’ve always kind of seen how fiction can have a meaningful impact on advancing societal change,” he says. “That’s probably the biggest thing I try to get across in my writing.”

Dublin Dad

While being a father of six may seem challenging, Erik Jon Slangerup finds his children to be a great source of inspiration for his writing.

“For me, writing adventure novels, I have to up the ante a little bit by making things a little more fantastical,” he says. “I like writing about monsters and giants and robots, just because I need to do that to capture the feeling of when everything seems fantastical when you’re a kid.”

Slangerup’s most recent novel, Molly and the Machine, features a young girl going on adventures around Ohio in 1983. The protagonist, Molly McQuirter, must use her brains and her knowledge of science to get her little brother back from a mysterious, kidnapping robot.

Even though this middle-grade story is about mythical beings and fearless heroines, Slangerup makes it known that the subject matter is meaningful in a deeper way. By incorporating science, technology, engineering and math, Slangerup aims to emphasize the relationship between youth and the modern technological world.

“That’s the thing that is really being recognized as being important right now, having characters that show that girls can use STEM just as well as boys can,” he says.

Slangerup has also explored the connection between youth and tech in StorySnacker, an app he co-created. The interactive app provides stories optimized for reading off a phone, to help busy parents engage in reading with their children.

Slangerup also speaks on how living in Dublin has influenced his writing and his inspiration that he takes from the surrounding community.

“Dublin is a paradise,” Slangerup says. “As the saying goes, if you live your life uneventfully, you can go crazy with your writing. Dublin is the perfect spot for that for me. It’s a really great, supportive community.”

Both Krishnan and Slangerup are currently working on new books continuing the series they’ve been writing.

Krishnan is focusing on writing a prequel for Privilege. Slangerup is already working on the sequel to Molly and the Machine.

Krishnan’s Privilege is a thriller focusing on the intersection of racism and power. Andrea Paolucci is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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