Hollie spoke to Shaneel Lal about their memoir One Of Them. This is a story of one person's fight for the right to live their life as they deserved - and their extraordinary work to protect other young New Zealanders.
Tell us about yourself.
I am Shaneel Lal. I am your Young New Zealander of the Year and the author of One of Them. I am young and queer and have a hunger for disrupting the status quo. I sometimes say I came out of my mother with a pride flag in one hand, yelling 'Freedom!'
What are you currently reading?
I am rereading The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy. The book is a feminist manifesto discussing the importance of anger, attention, profanity, ambition, power, violence and lust.
What was the process of getting your memoir published?
I sat down for coffee with my manager and Allen & Unwin, during which I shared my experience of surviving conversion therapy and how I led the movement to ban conversion therapy, and the next thing I knew, I had a book deal.
How do you feel now that the book is out and people are reading it?
It is frightening and exciting. Frightening because I have written about my conversion therapy, something I have never spoken to anyone before. Exciting because I think the book shows people there is a human behind the media façade.
What was your writing routine?
I wrote my memoir while doing law school full-time, writing for the Herald and working in hospitality. I had little capacity. I wrote for 8 hours every Saturday. Somehow, it did not feel laborious, and I could keep going.
What author or book is a recent discovery for you?
The Savage Coloniser Book by Tusiata Avia.
What is your favourite snack to enjoy while writing?
Grapes and carrots. I am trying to minimise my dairy and sugar intake. I wouldn’t recommend it.
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
If you’d like another memoir, you’ll have to give me at least a decade. If all goes as planned, I'll soon be working on something gayer than One of Them.