When did you start writing, and what got you going?
I am actually a bookworm, and have been writing all my life. I tend to explore ideas by writing them down and refining them. I am very curious about the world, and I tend to probe into the deeper aspects: relationship between nature and people, and tease out the underlying layers of meaning. I also love escaping into fantasy storylines, and wondered whether I could weave themes of ecological stewardship, hope and renewal into stories that have an underlying and factual basis.
Tell readers a little about yourself.
I am actually a very simple guy. I would describe myself as a Kenyan storyteller whose work inhabits the quiet, charged space where memory, land, and human resilience meet. I have lived in four countries on three continents (and visited a fourth). I’m also a lawyer, which probably makes me an aspiring wordsmith.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I am actually busy observing the world around me. I think the two best storytellers are actually the people around me, and their interactions with the world around them. I merely write down what I see. Hopefully there's going to be more such stories, in future.
Why did you choose your pen name?
Auroch is actually a loose-translation of my inherited name. Auroch Mines, is from that perspective, an effort to look deep into my heritage and culture and mine the treasures that lie therein.
What does success look like to you?
Sipping a cup of premium coffee somewhere quiet overlooking a peaceful and scenic spot. With my favourite pooch, Max, next to me. Seriously though, success to me is purpose: having peace, fulfilment, and significance.
What are you working on right now?
I am writing a follow-up to this series. Actually the stories are already prepared, and I am waiting for the appropriate time to publish Volume 2.
Did this story start with an image, a voice, an idea, or a problem?
They start with a 'vibe': that inexplicable intuition, which I cannot explain. That vibe is all these things: an idea, problem, conversation, song, newspaper headline. It then becomes an idea that I write and re-write, until that inner voice finally 'exhales'.
