Q&A: David Paul Gould, author

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am of mixed-race origins, but sadly never knew my Black birth father, and grew up on a council estate in Huddersfield. Realising that I was “different” from other boys around me, my sense of escape came from books and education. I was accepted at the University of Birmingham to study Russian, and after graduation spent four years in the former Soviet Union, where I made my start in journalism. I’m now a sub-editor for the Financial Times and live with my husband in Brighton.

Where did the idea for the book come from?

It’s based very much on my experiences of working in Moscow and trying to break into a career in journalism. I was in Russia in the early 1990s, a time of jaw-dropping change—the collapse of the Soviet system, the abrupt transition to a capitalist free-for-all and a blooming of private business. On top of that, I had only come out of the closet a couple of years before that, so I was astonished to discover the beginnings of a gay scene in Moscow.

What I have tried to do in the novel is capture what it felt like, how eye-opening it was for all the characters. Three of my four viewpoint characters are gay, and three of them are Russian, so I have tried to put myself in their shoes.

What are the main themes of the book and why did you choose to explore them?

Oh gosh, there’s a quite a handful of themes smuggled in there! One of them is the conflicted relationship between a mother and a gay son. Another theme is how the world of work and careers doesn’t always match up to our dreams. But of course, a major theme is the battles we face, whether as gay or BAME people, in the face of prejudice.

Why explore them? Because I’ve witnessed these injustices all my life and often felt angered by them.

Who are your inspirations and influences?

Oh dear, I hesitate to name writers who have influenced me for fear that it sounds like I think I’m as good as them! But if I had to name authors, I would say the late Andrea Levy, because I loved the way she split viewpoints between her characters—some of them experiencing racism—in Small Island. I would also bow down to James Baldwin, who was not only Black but gave us a heartbreaking gay character in Giovanni’s Room. And in the field of novels about Russia, Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate is a masterpiece that takes in everything from kitchen-sink drama to the big picture of war, upheaval and incarceration.

Are there plans for any more books?

Yes, my second novel (still a work in progress) deals directly with racial prejudice—it’s a semi-autobiographical fusion of my coming-of-age story, not knowing my Black birth father, merged with a fantasy about Motown music. I won’t say more—let that serve as a teaser!

What are your thoughts about Unbound’s new imprint dedicated to under-represented voices?

Obviously, I very much welcome my publisher’s initiative—but then I would say that, wouldn’t I?

But seriously, Unbound Firsts is about championing début writers of colour—and although there are some highly acclaimed BAME writers out there, my impression is that publishing is still dominated by mainly middle-class white people. Plus, it’s just so hard to break into as a first-time novelist.

I also applaud the fact that Unbound opens doors for other underrepresented groups such as writers of working-class origin—a group I belong to! I mean, I grew up in a house where no one read books, so I have seen how the odds are stacked against groups of people for whom education isn’t a given.

Set in contemporary Moscow and exploring how the underground gay scene brings about fateful encounters, Last Dance at the Discotheque for Deviants will be issued in paperback (£10.99) and e-book (£5.99).