Member Spotlight: Filip Vukasin

10.03.21

Our March Member Spotlight features Filip Vukašin. Following a successful match at the ASA's Literary Speed Dating event in July 2020, Filip signed with an agent and secured a publishing contract! Filip's debut novel, Modern Marriage, will be published by Affirm Press in 2021.

Filip Vukašin grew up in Melbourne and has worked as a medical doctor since 2009. He began writing in 2018 and is currently working on his second novel.

What inspired you to begin a career in writing?

I never intended to have a career in writing, but I was inspired to start writing for joy, principally for two reasons: 1) I had read recently several books that I felt could have had better endings, and 2) I was spending large amounts of time consuming news and feeling angry and sad as a result. It occurred to me that instead of passively absorbing the negativity of news, I could use my time more productively to be creative and produce something that enriched me. So every time I thought of reading the news, I instead started writing in google docs on my phone.

What does it mean to you to be publishing your debut novel later this year?

It makes me reflect on the fact that all those small chunks of time, varying between five and sixty minutes, that I spent writing on my phone during my lunch break instead of wasting time in a negative news abyss, have changed the direction of my life. It means a lot to see that slow and steady work come to fruition by publication.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known at the very beginning of your writing journey?

The importance of connections and community within the writing world. I wish I had known earlier how advantageous organisations like the ASA and WV are for education, advocacy and connection. I would’ve joined earlier!

Which Australian authors or illustrators have been influential for your writing practice & career?

My early reading obsessions were Paul Jennings, Mem Fox, Dick Roughsey, James Marsden and Morris Gleitzman. Later I read everything by Christos Tsiolkas, Liane Moriarty, Tim Winton and Bryce Courtenay. More recently I have been reading both for pleasure and craft analysis Jane Harper, Melanie Cheng, Christian White, Tara June Winch, Charlotte Wood (the list goes on), and via the online and podcast world, a great source of tips, advice and interviews for navigating the industry have been Ben Hobson, Katherine Collette, RWR McDonald, Kate Mildenhall and JP Pomare.

Find out more about Filip at: https://www.filipvukasin.com/