Author Spotlight - Ian A Bain

​Ian, thank you for joining us. Can you tell us about who you are and also about your writing: for example, what genres and themes do you write in and about, and is there anything that has influenced your choices?
I live and write in Muskoka, Ontario, with my wife, and hellhound Luka. I'm beyond lucky to live in (personal opinion) one of the most beautiful places in the world. Nature is abundant and all around us, and living and growing up in rural Canada certainly informs my writing. More often than not, my work deals with the juxtaposition of human activity in places where nature stills reigns. I've written quite a bit of horror that deals either with nature reclaiming its land from humans, or stories where one of the horrors is the isolation of rural Canadian life. 

Can you tell us a bit about your publications and writerly highlights, and what else we can look forward to seeing from you in the future?
I've had a few stories published in anthologies and magazines. Most recently, I had my first non-fiction essay - all about plant horror - published on Rue Morgue's website. I also had a story about a swamp creature, similar to the monster in The Thing, produced as an audio drama by The Night's End Podcast. Looking ahead, I'm so stoked for my body-horror story, "In the Empty, Snowy Field" to come out in Nico Bell's Shiver anthology in 2021. I'll also be getting into the editing chair for the first time, working with some creative folks to put out an anti-capitalist horror anthology, out sometime in spring 2021.

This year has presented a lot of challenges for many of us. Instead of discussing those, what are some of your 2020 highlights?
This year has been quite a rollercoaster. I had the extreme good luck to be paired with Lee Murray through the HWA's Mentorship Program, and have felt like my writing ability jumped ahead a decade. I've also been able to diversify my writing, publishing my first non-fiction essay, my first poem (in Trickster's Treats 4), and I started a monthly column on Dead Head Reviews highlighting Canadian Horror. Personally, my wife and I moved into a new house, I swam my first marathon swim (anything over 10K), and received permanent status as a teacher.  

Thanks for chatting with me, Ian. Sounds like fantastic writerly things have happened in 2020. Congratulations. Enjoy your new house and new experiences too! 
Here's some additional information about where you'll find Ian's work,  and there's another link about a matter that's close to Ian's heart:
Reviews, published on the 10th of every month: https://www.deadheadreviews.com/search?q=horror%20hoser
My story, "Drifting", as an audio drama: https://www.nightsendpodcast.com/podcast/episode/3a3f3aac/drifting
Not my work, but this is an important organization that I'd like to highlight. They work on spreading awareness about the effects of the  Residential School System in Canada, which sought to wipe out all Indigenous peoples : https://www.orangeshirtday.org/

Ian's poem “Bury My Heart, Somewhere Deep”   appears in Trickster's Treats 4: Coming, Buried or Not!