6. Why did he write We Rose Up Slowly?
- Ever since he was a small child he wanted to be a writer. Before 2014 he lacked the tenacity, financial security and mental space to pursue this goal with real intent. Then at the start of 2014, after losing his job, he no longer had any excuses and the fortunate coincidence of opportunity and desire led him to finish We Rose Up Slowly.
- Jon Gresham wanted to write stories exploring Singaporean and Australian issues, characters examining complex choices and the gap between reality and the ideal.
- Jon says:
“Writing these stories was invigorating. I had a lot of fun: getting carried away in the imagination, starting somewhere and ending up 30 drafts later in a completely different place. There is something exhilarating in making things up, playing with fear and hope, trying to put lies to a purpose, and finding things you never knew about yourself in your characters. I hope to have written meaningful lies, to connect with readers, and relish all that we invent about ourselves.”