Episode 4 | Zahid Gamieldien
Meet my guest.
Zahid Gamieldien is an author, screenwriter, editor and writing tutor. He is the author of the novel All the Missing Children (Ultimo Press, 2024), which has been optioned to be developed into a television series.
His short fiction has been published in literary journals including Overland, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Island Magazine and many others. His work has also been listed for the Richell Prize and selected for inclusion in the ‘best of’ fortieth anniversary edition of The UTS Writers’ Anthology.
His screenwriting has been listed for awards, and as an editor and writing tutor he’s helped several authors get their work into print. Most recently, he received funding to undertake a residency at Varuna House and a major grant from Create NSW to complete his second novel.
What we talk about: Zahid and I chat about writing grants, the creative openness of short stories, and we myth-bust around publishing shortcuts (hint: they don’t exist)!
Meet the debut book.
Ilene, a working-class mother, is struggling to survive and desperate to reconnect with her children, Jack and Lonnie, in the aftermath of a near-fatal tragedy.
But her children vanish, setting off a chain reaction within the community.
Suspended detective Omar helps out with the investigation, uncovering disquieting clues, but he keeps getting pulled away by a dangerous cold case.
Benji, a recovering addict, finds peace by breeding lorikeets and caring for his mother, only to have his clean life upended by a stranger’s menacing threat.
Nera, a city lawyer grieving on a country farm, wants to find out who killed one of her animals and is faced with increasingly strange and unsettling answers.
In this gripping tale of human frailty and the other-worldly, each character must confront the mystery of what really happened to Jack and Lonnie.
What was the last book that you read and loved? Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor
All the Missing Children by Zahid Gamieldien is available to purchase wherever you buy your books. Alternatively, check in with your local library. If they don’t have a copy yet, put in a request!
For more debut Australian books, check out The Australian Debut Author Book List, curated by yours truly!
