Will Kostakis Talks The Success And Stuggles Of Being A Queer Author In Australia

Australian queer author Will Kostakis has reached a remarkable milestone in his literary career, winning the prestigious Prime Minister’s Literary Award for his latest novel We Could Be Something.

This achievement not only adds another accolade to his already impressive list but also marks a full-circle moment for the 35-year-old writer, who published his first novel as a teenager.

Through a career spanning almost two decades, Kostakis has navigated both the triumphs and challenges of the Australian literary landscape, and his recent win is a testament to his enduring passion for storytelling and advocacy for queer authors in the arts.

In an interview following his win, Kostakis reflected on the significance of the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, acknowledging the honour with a grounded perspective, with the reality of his win still sinking in. 

“After years of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, I wondered if they’d ever let me win an award,” he joked “And this one’s definitely the one you want to win.” 

However for Will he was genuinely excited to be shortlisted alongside friends and peers and take just things as they come.

“I learned very early on not to take these too seriously and just enjoy the process” he reflected. 

A Journey of Resilience and Self-Discovery for Will Kostakis

Kostakis’ journey as an author has been far from ordinary. At just 17, he signed his first book deal, and while this early success was a dream come true, the experience was not without its challenges. He recalls a disheartening moment when he was advised to model his writing after another author, despite his aspirations of being more like acclaimed writer Markus Zusak.

 “They gave me a copy of The Messenger and I said, ‘I reckon I could be an author like Markus Zusak’ but the publisher at the time had other ideas. 

“That’s beyond you” he was told. 

 Reflecting on this experience, Kostakis admitted it was a trying time as a young aspiring author.  

“I didn’t defend myself as strongly as I probably should have in that moment,” he recalled.

This determination has carried him through the ups and downs of his career, including moments of doubt, particularly during the pandemic when he questioned his place in the industry. “So many creative industries were decimated by COVID, and I was sitting there thinking, ‘Everything I’ve built is gone now.‘” 

“Bookstores were closed”’ he recalls, but there was still hope.

“We were buying books because we had more time, and we were reading books.” 

“But we were just reading American stuff. No one was reading the Australian stuff. And because Australian authors couldn’t tour our way of sharing our work with others evaporated overnight.”

But rather than succumb to despair, Kostakis channelled these emotions into We Could Be Something, a deeply personal and complex novel exploring identity, family, and relationships.

The novel, which includes both a coming-out story and a queer relationship breakup, was an opportunity for Kostakis to push boundaries within the young adult (YA) genre. “Everyone was writing these really beautiful, tender, queer novels, but I was like, ‘Stuff it, I wanna write my big fat gay Greek divorce!‘” 

He sought to explore more than just self-loathing or coming out narratives in his latest offering, aiming to capture the nuances of modern queer experiences. At the same time he wanted to put a lot of himself in his work, channelling his own life and experiences into the characters. 

“I wanted to talk about being a closeted teen author and having a short, but, you know, really transformative relationship with a bookseller. I wanted to talk about my family, especially my grandmother and my mother and I wanted to get all of that off my chest.”

We Could Be Something became a chance for Will to tell a different story to what has been emerging in the Queer YA scene. Despite suggestions to write with a focus on the traditional struggles of coming out, he wanted to broaden the perspectives in this story.

“But what’s a way to write about that, but in a way that’s not so deeply rooted in the self loathing, but also let me contrast the queer story you want me to write with the queer story that I think is more reflective of the experiences now, which are far more diverse then ‘ohh I’m gay and it’s a secret and I hate myself.”

“I wanted to show the other stuff I wanted to show the relationships that fail. I wanted to show them intergenerational queer stories in a family I wanted to try to redefine what we expect of a queer novel.”

The Reality of Life as a Touring Author

Behind the scenes of Kostakis’ writing success is a life dedicated to engaging with young readers through school visits and creative writing workshops. For him, the role of a full-time author goes beyond just writing. “I say I’m a full-time author, but really, I’m a full-time speaker and creative writing teacher” he says. 

Touring schools and meeting readers has become an integral part of his career, offering insights into his audience’s evolving interests and ensuring his stories remain relevant and engaging.

“The good thing about being a touring author is that I get to meet my audience regularly. I get to engage with them. I get to see what interests them. I get to capture those interests on the page and it keeps my writing relevant.”

However, Kostakis recognises that the life of a touring author isn’t glamorous, and the financial stability that comes with success in the literary world can be tenuous. 

When asked about the significance of the $80,000 prize money from the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, he was candid.

With his prize money arriving just this week the temptation to splurge was there, but the reality for a full time author is much different he revealed.   

“It gives me that buffer that had been depleted when rents went up and mortgage repayments became a lot more than I bargained for.” 

“It’s really great to claw that back a little bit, but you know, it just shows that. As much as I love awards and as much as I love prize money, this is not how we should be funding the arts.”

Advocating for Authors in the Arts

Kostakis is passionate about the need for better support for authors, both established and emerging, in the Australian arts sector.

He is vocal about the challenges writers face, particularly in terms of financial stability. “We enter six or seven big prizes every year, and it’s a random Hunger Games to see who gets the money and who gets the security. Everyone else gets some stickers on their book and goes back to slogging” he muses.

His win, while a personal triumph, also highlights a broader issue within the arts industry. “We don’t talk about books or writing the way we talk about other industries, like sport. We need to push for Australian books to be at the front of bookstores and part of the cultural conversation.” 

Having recently been appointed to a government panel to advocate for better remuneration for authors, he is determined to help reshape the conversation around arts funding in Australia.

Despite these challenges, Will Kostakis remains hopeful for the future of Australian literature, particularly within the YA genres.

“Even though I’m only in my mid-30s, I’ve been published for 16 years. It’s wonderful to see a newer generation of writers rising up.” 

He is also mindful of the importance of nurturing young readers and fostering a love of literature in schools, even as the landscape for queer authors becomes more competitive. 

“It’s really important that we stay out there and stay visible because we’re all here because of the opportunities we were given.“