Getting to know you: Nastasha Rau
Where is home for you?
That’s a tricky one: I was born in Cape Town, but left there when I was very young, and grew up surrounded by the dunes and golden bushveld of Namibia. However, my adult life has been spent mostly in New Zealand, where I studied, and I am now living in Cornwall. Each of these places has left pieces of itself ingrained in my character, but the place I see when I close my eyes and think ‘home’ is my grandparents’ little fishing cabin on the remote Tsitsikamma Coast.
What was the catalyst that began your writing journey?
My grandmother used to tell me bedtime stories she extrapolated from the works of Shakespeare. She was an English teacher and, without a doubt, the reason I love the written and spoken word. The fact that she could take a few words and spin them into something that kept me entertained for hours was what inspired me to try to do the same.
What is at the heart of who you are as a writer?
Escapism. Whether through elaborate worldbuilding, or short prose essays, I enjoy how writing allows people to exist in places other than the here and now, be it a moment in history, a fantasy realm, or simply someone else’s perspective.
How long have you been involved with Headland and what is your role?
I joined Headland back in 2022 as an Assistant Blog Editor, when I was doing my undergrad in Creative Writing. A few years and staff changes later, I’ve somehow got to the point where ‘assistant’ has been removed from that title (surely a clerical error).
What is your best tip/trick for writers (including yourself)?
Accountability. I’m a terrible procrastinator and perfectionist, so I find it very easy to put off sitting down and actually writing. I find that setting personal deadlines and asking friends of mine to pull me up occasionally and say, ‘hey, how far have you got?’ is a massive help when I’m not working toward an external submission deadline.
What is something you wish you could read again for the first time?
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Although I enjoyed that more on the second go through (it’s now one of my favourites). So maybe, as a first time read, I’d say The Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman.
What’s a piece of literature that is widely loved or critically acclaimed but you didn’t enjoy?
The Lord of the Rings. This one’s tough for me to admit, as a huge nerd (who almost always prefers the book to the movie), but this cornerstone of fantasy just didn’t do it for me.
