Author Toltz takes debut in his stride

By Belinda Goldsmith

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - It's unusual for a debut novelist to be named as one of 20 people likely to shape his country in the year ahead but Australian author Steve Toltz seems unfazed by the accolade.

Toltz, who was born in Sydney but has lived in Canada, Spain and France, has just released his first novel, "A Fraction of the Whole," a humorous story about a dysfunctional relationship between a father and son.

But even before the book's release, Toltz, whose resume is a patchwork of odd jobs in the film industry and sales, was ranked by the now defunct Australian news magazine The Bulletin as one of the people that would shape the nation in 2008. Toltz spoke to Reuters about his sudden emergence into the spotlight:

Q: Why do you think there has been this interest?

A: "I guess it depends where you are talking about. In Australia there has been a lot of interest but to be honest I have no idea why. I'm just pleased people are going to read it as I spent my whole time writing it not thinking about the readers as that can be a scary thought."

Q: How long was this in the making?

A: "The book took me about four years or even a bit longer. I had a poor perception of time so I kept thinking I had almost finished when I hadn't."

Q: Had you written much in the past?