Giller Prize Spotlight: Loghan Paylor
September 16, 2024
Loghan Paylor’s debut novel, The Cure for Drowning, has been longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize.
Loghan Paylor is a queer, trans author who lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their short fiction and essays have previously appeared in Room and Prairie Fire, among others. Paylor has a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, and a day job as a professional geek. The Cure for Drowning is their first novel.
What inspired you to write The Cure for Drowning?
The Cure for Drowning was born out of my search for a connection to queer and trans history in Canada. I wanted to read a book where being queer, being gender non-conforming, being trans, was a source of supernatural strength and courage; where it would be a good and right thing to live honestly, to be true in our desires and in ourselves. When I couldn’t find that book, I decided to write it.
What do you hope readers take away from The Cure for Drowning?
My hope is that readers will feel an emotional connection to our shared past, and gain a new appreciation of queer history in Canada. I also hope that my book gives them insight into the courage it takes to live one’s truth in spite of the world’s attempt to measure and weigh us otherwise.
Where is your favourite place to write and what is your process?
I often write at my desk in my studio at home, but I also dictate voice notes while walking my dog, and sometimes scribble in cheap notebooks in coffee shops. I try to write a little every day, but in reality, I often work in stretches of weeks or months at a time, and then take time off to recharge.
Is there an activity you do to help inspire writing?
Whenever I feel stuck, I go for a walk and try to clear my head by paying close attention to nature. As a result, I’ve accidentally become an amateur bird watcher, rock collector, and nature photographer. Long hikes over steep terrain usually help me break through my internal writing blocks.
What’s a book you recommend others read and why?
I would highly recommend A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, because it is not only a beautifully written book, but also a story that fundamentally changed my outlook on life.