A.G. Parker is a queer disabled writer/performer/editor/disability consultant based in London who’s been published in Mslexia, The F-Word, Financial Times, Human/Kind Press, Arachne Press, and Aeva Magazine. They are a Best of the Net-nominated poet, a workshop facilitator, and the co-founder of Queer Stage Revolution. Parker is also the host of A. G. Parker’s Cabinet of Curiosities podcast and an editor for Angeprangert! Spoken Word, as well as the co-host of Rebel Riot Poetry. In 2022, they were crowned Disabled and Queer Artist of the Year with their comedic-political spoken word drag act, George the Dragon.

This interview focuses on their latest book, 2023’s Twisted Root, published by Reconnecting Rainbows (which was founded in 2017 as an initiative to promote LGBTQIA+ mental well-being by encouraging participation in the arts). It’s a dark contemporary fantasy that weaves together the stories of Laela and her vengeful counterpart, the Witch, in a story of redemption and compassion.

Where did you draw your inspiration for your book Twisted Roots?

People often think trauma comes from the event itself, but in my experience, it’s what comes afterward – the reactions of those around us – that dictates how ingrained our trauma response is. I didn’t set out to write a gory little fantasy novel about trauma and the bloody business of healing, but I suppose that particular part of my story was near the surface of my creative compost heap when I began digging for inspiration.

Many of us suppress the too-large horrors we encounter in life, but they seem to tend to emerge just when you think things might be ok. They start to lurk in corners, skitter fear around your brain. Stalk you in every shadow. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to stop the mind-bastards by pinning them to the page. Only then could I stare them squarely in the eye and start to unpick the twisted little mechanisms they’d triggered in me. Hopefully, this book also serves as a map out of the dark woods for others who may need it.

I’d finished at least one draft of Twisted Roots before I’d realised I was creatively processing my trauma. I’d spent years dwelling in shame and anger, and it was only through reading the story of the Witch that I began to love her, and with it, that wonderful instinctive protective part of myself that lashed out when life got uncertain. It was, understandably, trying to protect me. I also realised I’d got to a place where I could reconcile that self with the other – the one the monster inside you is seeking to protect. I wouldn’t have been able to write this – or, indeed, have reconnected the two selves – if it hadn’t been for those around me cultivating a sense of safety.

I also drew a lot of inspiration from the land. Our connection with nature is so important to me. This book was made thanks to those who gather to tell stories and share wisdom and remember their connection with the land. It draws a lot on mythology, folklore, and wisdom nurtured and passed down through generations. Whether around the fire in a Dartmoor roundhouse, nestled under tents scattered across the moors, squatted on a grimy city kerb, perched on shingle a stone’s throw from the waves, typed in a well-thumbed yoga philosophy book, or half-yelled down a phone from across the globe, I’ve encountered many tales from around the world, including an abundance of stories from our own little island, which sadly seem to be sliding from our collective memory.

Was there any research involved in the planning of your book?

Disturbingly, I had to spend a lot of time researching how people die! Specifically, how my characters would burn to death. My Google search history is one that’s probably put me on a watch list.

How did you find your publisher?

They found me! Reconnecting Rainbows is a wonderful trans-led publisher whose mission is to amplify queer voices. They’d seen me perform my spoken word as part of my drag act, and we’d stayed in touch. After I hosted one of their other writer’s book launches, I mentioned I’d written a book and they asked to see it – the rest is obvious!

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

I often say, as a disabled and queer person, I feel like I get treated and looked at like I’m a mythical creature. That’s the basis for my drag act, George the Dragon. As a writer though, I feel a bit more like a crow; I find the shiny things amongst the every day, write well in nature, and don’t mind wrestling with a bit of gristle.

Does writing energise you or exhaust you?

Both! Physically it can be painful and tiring. Mentally it can be very hard due to brain fog and memory issues. But it triggers a unique energy in me too. There’s a drive that kicks in which I can ride for hours until it’s sated.

How many hours a day do you write?

Depends on the day! Health willing, two or three.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Endings. Hate them. I have a million ideas and sparks but struggle sometimes to write all the way through. Editing is satisfying, but since a small stroke a few years ago, I’ve found it hard to keep track of story threads.

What does literary success look like to you?

Just getting to write. It’s wonderful when I hear how much something I’ve written has helped someone, but I think I’d keep doing it anyway.

If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be?

Make shit art! I spent a lot of time scared to write in case anyone read it, or it wasn’t good enough. My school books were filled with ripped-out pages where I’d made a mistake and re-written the whole page. Letting go of that toxic perfectionism was the most healing thing I ever did.

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

Reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Quartet. That’s all about language! And her talks and essays on craft really delve into that. Otherwise, when I was about four and I proudly told my parents to ‘fuck off’ as I’d just learnt the phrase and wanted them to be proud that I’d found new words! I very quickly understood from their reaction that language can have consequences.

What book has inspired you the most?

I think Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. It has such power and magic in it and transforms London while keeping the city’s character. Learning how books could have a foot in both the real and imaginary worlds was transformative.

What advice would you give to someone writing their first book?

Just write it. Your inner critic is going to try to get involved early on – don’t let it. Invite it to step outside while you write and reassure it; you’ll catch up with all its ideas and advise later over a cuppa (during the editing process).

Where is your book available?

You can purchase it from Blackwell’s or Reconnecting Rainbows.

– TAK Erzinger