Myths, Magic and Mayhem: A Dyslexic Author and the Fantasy World of Presadia
Welcome to a wonderfully written guest post from Luke Aylen, author of the Presadia series pictured below!
I love the FCBG theme this year. I’ve always been mad for
the mythical and marvellous worlds of fantasy books. There is something about
magical realms that make us prepared to suspend our assumptions about the world
and the way things are, and enter into a strange new place, seeing through the
eyes of people so completely unlike us, and yet often surprisingly familiar.
I never expected that I would end up being a published
fantasy author, even less that I would write an entire trilogy. I’ve always had
the confidence, but certainly in school it wasn’t accompanied by literary
brilliance. My mum still enjoys reminding me of the time I came back from
school to proudly declare that I was the best reader in the school. My mother,
knowing this to be very much not the case, asked what had given me that
impression. Eager to impress, I boasted that I was the only person I knew who
was receiving special reading lessons.
After my ironically big-headed and naïve early belief of my
supposed brilliance, I came to realise that I was, in fact, not the most
advanced pupil, but among those in school who struggled with some of the basics
of reading and writing. My letters jumbled on the page, my numbers ended up
backwards, and it took me twice as long as my classmates to read something. Thankfully,
this didn’t diminish my love of reading stories. It was hard work, but the work
was worth it for the rewards of the worlds I would discover. For me, it was
mostly the fantastic and curious worlds of the fantasy genre, with their
strange places, bizarre creatures, and exciting storylines. Nonetheless, as I
trailed behind my classmates, an internal narrative was subtly embedded. As I
discovered that I was a dyslexic, I adopted a myth as my reality.
“I can’t do that. I’m a dyslexic.”
No one had told me this myth but the mantra haunted me.
I’ve written for my own enjoyment for much of my life. Even
as a kid, I composed long stories for
fun (though anything handwritten was pretty much illegible). But I knew I couldn’t
actually be an author. I’m a dyslexic.
Through unexpected twists, I came to study a very academic
degree, with huge amounts of reading and writing. I was convinced I couldn’t do
it. (I’m a dyslexic!) Reading and writing wasn’t for me. Thankfully good
friends and family, and a subject matter I loved almost as much as stories,
kept me on track and I finished with a stellar grade! But even this didn’t
dispel the myth.
Working in media and creative direction, I found myself
writing again, this time working with others on scripts and school resources,
but still I repeated the myth to myself: I can’t do this. I’m a dyslexic. Even
the fact I was doing it as part of my job wasn’t dispelling the myth. I felt like
a fraud! Someone would soon find me out!
It wasn’t really until I was offered the contract for my
first book, The Mirror and the Mountain, that I really faced up to this
myth. A crippling imposter syndrome made me terrified. Would the publisher find
out the truth and drop me? What would people say when they read a book written
by a dyslexic?
And that’s when the magic really happened. The myth that I
had been carrying since childhood was busted. I had done something I thought no
dyslexic could do and, as I anxiously read the early reviews, I was humbled and
delighted to find that people enjoyed the fantasy world I had created.
On my visits to schools to talk about my first book and its sequels,
I have encountered child after child who has bought into the same myth. Perhaps
we see more clearly how ridiculous unhelpful self-myths are when looking at others
rather than ourselves. The very children who appear to connect most with my
talks on my struggles with dyslexia often come out with the most insightful or
creative questions or comments. It’s led to a lot of soul-searching.
I came to terms with my dyslexia in other areas my creative
life during my time working in media and the performing arts. I’d even come to
see it as a strength at times, my own magical power that opened up a different
perspective on the world and an alternative way of thinking. But I had never
let that challenge the myths I was living with around literacy, despite my
pretty much non-stop literary endeavours.
I think I’m finally coming to see that my dyslexic magical
powers are a crucial part of my life as a writer, rather than something that
would hold me back. It’s one myth I’m pleased to dispel. Perhaps a dyslexic’s
journey to authorship has a bit more confusion and mayhem, but I think we need
the magic this can bring.
About Luke Aylen
Luke’s An
Adventure in Presadia series is a middle-grade fantasy adventure with echoes
of Tolkien, Narnia, and How to Train Your Dragon. The first book, The
Mirror and the Mountain (Lion Hudson, 2018), introduced people to the
magical world of Presadia, which was in turmoil and anarchy after a rebellion
against its king. The sequels, The Forgotten Palace (2019) and The
Last Dragon Rider unpack more of this remarkable kingdom, its colorful
characters, and the climactic events that have shaken and defined it.
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