Photo: Courtesy of Monique Polak
Photographer: John Fredericks
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
I was born and raised in Montreal. My parents were immigrants from the Netherlands. My mum, who was Jewish, spent nearly two years in Theresienstadt, a Nazi concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic. She kept her story secret for more than sixty years. I have been teaching English and Humanities at Marianopolis College for thirty-five years! I have taught courses on Holocaust studies and Holocaust literature. I also teach Journalism, a course called Writing for Children, and a course called The Stuff of Nonsense. I wrote my Master’s thesis on Lewis Carroll’s Alice books. I have also worked a lot as a freelance writer for our local paper, The Gazette. I guess you can tell that I have a lot of energy.
What inspired you to become an author?
It was my dream to publish just one book – and now I have 29 books to my name, and three more coming out in 2022! I was inspired to become an author because I love love love stories. I am from a family of storytellers. Though my mum never wrote her stories down, she was a gifted storyteller. When we were kids, and there was a party, I always knew where to find my mum – because she was always surrounded by a happy crowd enjoying her stories (many of which she let’s say “fictionalized“!
Where and when do you write? Do you have a writing routine?
I write everywhere and whenever I get the chance! Maybe it’s because I am so busy that I really need to guard my writing time. I do write three pages of free-writing every single morning and have done this for more than 30 years. But I can write pretty much anywhere. Quiet is good, and I like to tidy the house before I sit down to write! I have a tidy house!! But while I’m tidying, I think of my story!
How long does it take you to finish a novel?
That’s hard to explain because there are different phases of the writing. The first draft takes me between six months and a year. The re-writing takes a good year. I am lucky to work with amazing editors.
Which authors can we find in your library?
Lewis Carroll of course. I’m now reading Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. I read a lot of French YA (young adult) books. I just finished La Guerre des Pupitres by Marie-Andrée Arsenault. And I relax by reading cookbooks!!
What advice would you give an aspiring author?
Write write write, then re-write re-write and keep re-writing. The real work is the re-writing. Expect your first draft to be awful, but get it out so you have something to work with. Read a ton! Write regularly – if you can, write every day. It’s important to make writing a habit, and to get words on the page.
Where can our readers purchase your books?
My books are available in Canada and the US. You can order them on-line or ask for them at your local bookstore.
On which Social Media channels can our readers connect with you?
My website and blog: www.moniquepolak.com
My Facebook author page: @polakmonique Author
Instagram: @momopolak
Twitter: @monique_polak
Photos: Courtesy of Monique Polak
