Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.
Recently, we talked to Joe Giampaolo, the award-winning author and public speaker, about his writing and recently released book, THE ELDRITCH CHRONICLES: Wrath of the Sentinel & Other Ghost Tales, a taut mix of suspense, Gothic dread, and supernatural allure (Read the review here). Joe’s publishing career includes thirteen books (essays, historical fiction, and poetry) and countless magazine and newspaper articles, in both Italian and English, about politics, business, and sports.
Biography
Joe Giampaolo was born in 1963 in Rome, Italy, and moved to Canada as a teenager. He studied philosophy at York University. He speaks Italian and English and studied French, Latin, and ancient Greek. Joe has a passion for the theatre, fountain pens, mountain bikes, cooking, travelling, reading books, and playing the piano. He lives in Toronto with his family and their two dogs, Suka and Buddy.
Joe’s publishing career includes thirteen books (essays, historical fiction, and poetry) and countless magazine and newspaper articles, in both Italian and English, about politics, business, and sports.
Many of Joe’s books have been No. 1 bestsellers on Amazon in the USA, the UK, Canada and Italy, and have been honoured with many literary awards.
Joe is a member of the AICW – Association of Italian Canadian Writers.
Bibliography
–Metanoia, A Collection of Poems (2025)
–From the Book of Dreams, A Collection of Poems (2024).
–Pe’ Nojantri, Poesie in Dialetto Romanesco (2024).
–The Reader’s Companion to the Gothic Genre, Its Evolution in British Literature from 1750 to 1900 (2024).
–The Eldritch Chronicles, Wrath of the Sentinel and Other Ghost Tales (2023).
–Un Intenso Desiderio, Una Raccolta di Poesie (2023).
–The Reader’s Companion to the World of Jane Austen (2023).
–The Hampshire Stories Series, Deluxe Edition, A Selection of Tales From the First Three Books (2023).
–The Reader’s Companion to the Hampshire Stories Series, Life & Literature in Nineteenth-Century England (2022).
–Deep Craving, A Collection of Poems (2022).
–The Master of Emmet Manor, A Regency Romance (2022).
–The Farmer’s Daughter, A Regency Romance (2021).
–The Hampshire Stories, A Collection of Tales Set in 19th-Century England (2020).
Accolades and Awards
–2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award, Winner, Grand Prize Short-list, Non-fiction.
–2024 International Impact Book Awards, Winner, Academic & Education.
–2023 PenCraft Seasonal Book Awards, Winner, Biographies.
–2023 American Writing Awards, Winner, Contemporary Poetry.
–2023 Literary Titan Book Award, Gold Medal.
–2022 Indies Today Book Awards, Finalist.
–2022 Global Book Awards, Bronze Medal, Historical Romance.
–2020 Literary Titan Book Awards, Gold Medal.
–Six Amazon #1 bestseller books (In several categories, USA, Canada, the UK and Italy).
http://www.facebook.com/poetrybyjoegiampaolo/
https://www.facebook.com/HampshireStories
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joe-Giampaolo/author/B08FXWZTLD
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I am 61 years old. I wish I had started earlier.
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
I have developed a particular attention to detail, a skill that is fairly new for me.
Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
I believe that a big ego is a negative factor in most situations. Especially if the author is fairly inexperienced, he/she has to learn many new things, and this can be achieved by being humble and open to criticism.
How often do you read?
Almost everyday.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
No, I write what I like, and success for me is the ability to express myself freely. I will listen to my editor(s), but I like to keep control over my writing and publishing. I have had a decent amount of success due to my ability to manage my books and promote them on various literary websites.
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
Books of magic realism, particularly the novels and short stories of Marquez, Calvino, and Borges.
What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
I love 19th-century literature, especially authors like Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, the Bronte sisters, and George Elliot. I also love magic realism and poetry in general. My favourite poet is Pablo Neruda.
Would you rather read a book or watch television?
Read books.
Is there anything you want to unlearn?
Everything. Life is about learning and unlearning. This is how human beings evolve and get in touch with their inner selves.
What’s next for you?
Next year, I will be publishing two collections of poems. One of the books is a collection of haiku/tanka.
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