Interview with Desta series author Getty Ambau. 

Interview questions are in italics.

What was the first piece you ever wrote and have you had it framed and mounted yet?

Creative writing-wise I had never written any which you would consider a masterpiece that merits the treatment you’re suggesting. My academic background is in the sciences, but I have always loved to read. And I dreamt that someday I shall write a novel. That “someday” I had thought would be after I was done with ordinary life, when I retire from work. In college I wrote a couple of short stories, which my friends thought were good. That was the extent of my creative writing experience up until I wrote the first volume of DESTA. Like I said, I was heavily into the sciences. I didn’t have time for English courses.

When did you realize you were a writer? Was this realization preceded by much personal Sturm und Drang or did it just come to you over morning coffee? I always thought I had a writer’s streak in me, because I loved words; their sound, magic and power. I often took extra care when I wrote letters, essays for my university courses and work-related projects. The first bona fide test came when I committed to write my nutrition/health books. I had no idea how they would turn out.  They came out more than just okay. People loved them. They moved through a built-in distribution network that includes many countries outside of the United States. That experience gave me confidence. Still, synthesizing facts is different from creative writing, where you produce something out of nothing. All I had to do was give it a try. Although writing the first volume was hard – at least the first ten chapters or so of it – the experience was thrilling!

Desta…his name means “happiness” in Amharic, right?  It also sounds like “destiny.” Where can we go with that one?

My father used to say that our proper names are given by God. Yes, the literal meaning of Desta is “happiness or joy”.  The subtle meaning or association with “destiny” couldn’t have been more apt. Desta’s pursuit of a modern education as well as his search for King Solomon’s second Coin of Magic and Fortune, didn’t happen by either whim or coercion.  On the contrary, he was in fact meant to do these things. He was destined; chosen thousands of years before he was born. So the connection between his real name and “destiny” is one of the hundreds, if not thousands, things what people call “coincidence”. Desta will tell you that there is no such thing as coincidence. Everything that happens to us happens by design.

What did you do…where were you in your life before you started on Desta? How did the idea for the character come to you?

I was working on my first novel, where this young research scientist was trying to save a woman he loved from a rare type of breast cancer. I had already written nine chapters of this book when I realized that to make the story sound and feel authentic, I myself needed the experience that would come only from  actually working in a cancer research lab. So I called Stanford and talked to the head of the Cancer Biology lab. After I explained to him what I was trying to do, he said he would be happy to have me there 2-3 hours a week for however long I needed to be there.

Then a couple of days later the same man called back and told me that for insurance reasons the university wouldn’t permit me to be on their premises. Later I called UC Davis ( the University of California at Davis) and I had the same reply. Now I was stuck. I was trying to figure out the dilemma I was in when out of the blue I got an email from this guy in Australia about an online six-week short story writing class. One of the requirements of the class was that we write an 8- to 10-page narrative at the end. Amazingly, for me, this ten-page tale turned out to be the genesis not only of the four-hundred fifty-four-page novel, “Desta and King Solomon’s Coin of Magic and Fortune”, but for the rest of the series as well.

Who has reacted most enthusiastically to your work and what is your take on it?

Just about everyone who has read the books has reacted enthusiastically. Like Harry Potter or the Book Thief, Desta is for all ages. The young people have fun finding their own stories in the Desta character—their dreams and aspirations, trials and tribulations of being a kid and dealing with the adults in their families. The older readers enjoy being transported to their own childhood and reliving those precious years. Beyond these indirect personal experiences, people also learn so much about the culture, land and history of Ethiopia. These experiences help to expand both their knowledge and perspective on things.

Which writers were most inspiring to you?

My favorites were those who wrote classics: Joyce, Conrad, the Bronte’s sisters, Franz Kafka, Camus, Dostoevsky, and others.

Desta seems like he is not of this world at times. How do your readers see him?

Some have referred to him as a spiritual being with angelic qualities in him, someone from another place and time who is here to do lasting and far-reaching things. They find his drive, tenacity, kindness and generosity of spirit inspiring and empowering. The way he behaves and relates with people and to his surroundings as well as the kinds of things he does and says are not something you would expect from a boy of his age and background. He knows a lot more–and is wise and mature beyond his years.  

You took the road not taken…preparing for a career in the sciences and ending up a writer of some very imaginative fiction. Isn’t that a lot like Desta?  I mean when you shift your direction in life 180 degrees it’s got to do something deep and significant to you and to your life. Got any thoughts on this?

You pursue your true calling. Sometimes you don’t know what that is until later in life or you knew it from early on but opted to pursue a career that you thought would be more rewarding financially or whatever your other reasons maybe. Like I had mentioned before, I unequivocally now know that writing as a career was my destiny. This discovery is indeed deep and significant. I’m a lot happier and enjoy my work immensely. Yes, there is a parallel between Desta and me in our choices. He knew his true calling at a very young age. I realized or rather acknowledged mine later in life. We both were transformed by our choices—he from a life in the country as a shepherd to a modern school student who is also on a grand quest to find a 3,000-year-old missing magical coin—and me from a student of facts and theories to a storyteller.

We at booksandmocha.com thank you for agreeing to be interviewed,  Mr. Ambau!
Read more about Getty Ambau and Desta at gettyambau.com