Featured Interview With Scott Hayden
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and still live there. It’s funny how much you appreciate and miss your hometown when you spend an extended time away. I lived in Asia for three years and Europe for almost four years and even though it was memorable and exciting, I was glad to return home. I spend my time reading, writing, staying in shape, and, of course, networking. It’s just as important to connect with other writers as the act of writing itself.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books began in primary school way back in the early 80s. Where The Wild Things Are was one of my favourite books. I loved Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Later on in high school my class was required to read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The book was so funny, irreverent, rebellious and tragic. I started writing in high school, but my life took many twists and turns and there wasn’t a chance for me to get back to it until many years later. In 2007, I started writing articles online and published my first book in 2014.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite genre is non-fiction. History books have appealed to me since I was a teenager because diving into the past teaches so many valuable lessons. If we don’t learn from the past we will repeat it, isn’t that so? I have more than one favourite author. Michael Palin, John Grisham, Paul Ham, Stephen King, Rick Bragg, S.C. Gwynne and Rohinton Mistry have written immensely enjoyable books. I don’t think it’s possible to name just one author who inspires me to write. I have tried to put a little bit of everything I read into my work.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book is titled Why Were They Built? Six Man-Made Wonders of the World. It talks about the biggest and most recognizable monuments in six countries, and the reasons they were built. After visiting several corners of the world it made sense to put everything I had seen into a single book for younger readers to inspire them. It was one of those ‘Eureka!’ moments and I began writing. The book talks about the Giza Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. It took ages to write, edit, re-write, re-edit, and illustrate my book. I started at the end of 2012 and it wasn’t until late August of this year that everything was polished and ready. So, nearly two years had passed. The illustrations took the longest and the person who did this for me was fantastic.
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