Q&A: Keri Bloomfield
Nothing Like a Dane is a memoir of a New Zealander living her best life in Denmark. The author, Keri Bloomfield, answers our quick Q&A.
1. How are you and what have you been up to lately?
Life is feeling surreal this week. After three years away from “home” and my family, I was finally able to return (from Denmark where I now live), to New Zealand yesterday. It's wonderful to be back to fill my cup with all things Kiwi, but alongside that there is a big bag of mixed emotions to work through processing the lost years. So much has changed, yet so much is familiar. It's a difficult one to unpack.
2. If you were working in a bookshop, how would you hand-sell your book to customers? What would you say to convince them to buy and read it?
First I'd pour the customer a coffee and offer them a Danish pastry (complimentary for the first 10 customers every day). Then I'd ask them if they knew that Danishes are not called Danishes in Denmark. They’re called Wienerbrød, a name given by the Austrian bakers from Vienna (spelt “Wien” in Danish), who first introduced them to Denmark. While they are pondering this pastry revelation I'd then go on to introduce Nothing Like a Dane as an enlightening and entertaining read about the reality of a Kiwi living in Denmark. They'll find it compelling, heartwarming and funny as they follow the journey of a foreigner building a life in a new land as well as insightful as they learn many new facts about life in Denmark.
3. What books (or other art/media) influenced you while writing this book, or generally in your life?
I'm a prolific storyteller on social media but Nothing Like a Dane has been a new writing journey: mastering a new format, telling everyday situations in a way that captures the reader and takes them along on the ride with me. Procrastination and self-doubt were big enemies in the early days of the writing process, but they helped lead me to discover Joanna Penn, a prolific author of books that support the Author Journey (she also hosts a fantastic podcast) who has heavily influenced my journey as I transitioned from online writing.
4. What good books have you read lately?
I love reading real-life stories as well as books set in New Zealand or with a connection to New Zealand. Blood On Vines by Madeleine Eskedahl was a great thriller set in Matakana, and next on my list is Remember Me by Charity Norman. Oh and Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz. It's the book I just finished before I left Denmark and I couldn't put it down. It's not set in New Zealand, but is written by a New Zealand author, set in New York with a dash of Australia in the background.
Buy Nothing Like a Dane (Pembar Press), $37
