The Lounge Chair Interview: 10 Questions with Verena Tay

By Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

Let’s get down to brass tacks. Why do you write?

I write to scratch itches, ‘itches’ being anomalies, oddities, things that intrigue me in life, that won’t disappear or be at rest unless I pay attention and make something of them.

Tell us about your most recent book or writing project. What were you trying to say or achieve with it?

I wrote an essay about being a 50-year-old virgin and proud of it.

Describe your writing aesthetic.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is ‘writing aesthetic’? If you mean how I would describe my writing, then I would say:

– simple, direct, to the point
– great emphasis on story
– focus on action and dialogue
– depending on the piece being written: sometimes sparse in style, sometimes elaborate.

Who are your favourite authors?

Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, Neil Gaiman, Maxine Hong Kingston.