Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton talks the power of optimism with Paula Bennett
'That event last year, I swear, was the most powerful book event I've ever done.
'It was extraordinary and it was so powerful because there was just so much to catch up on. I hadn't done a book event in New Zealand and I just can't wait to kind of do part two of that. I hope every person who went to that last one comes because it's like we get to continue the conversation. It was just beautiful.'
Dalton said that to be able to tell his 'little yarns from suburban Brisbane' was an incredible experience, and the audience response pushed him to go further.
'If I sense that the crowd's like, 'I'm still listening, I'm still listening', I'll go deeper and deeper, and I'll just keep digging and digging until I find something and then at the end, we're all just sort of sharing these amazing things.'
His 'little suburban yarns' have taken Dalton around the world, far beyond his Queensland hometown.
His debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe, was only released in 2018, but in less than a decade it has become one of the most beloved Australian novels of the 21st century.
Based on Dalton's own experiences growing up with an absent father and a drug-addicted mother, the story of Eli Bell and his brother August has sold more than 1 million copies in Australia alone.
It was adapted into a miniseries for Netflix in 2024.
Dalton said that while the book only came out seven years ago, he has been writing it since he was 12.
'I genuinely believe I was sort of secretly stepping into that world at 12, even when I was, at times, deep inside moments that happened in that book. I felt weirdly conscious of how special it was, even though it was dark.
'Like I'm saying you're going up to Bogo Rd Women's Prison to see your mum and you're aware of how special it is... how different that is. I, I just remember being very conscious that I was leading a life [from] when I was about 7 till about, well, 20, that was just different to so many other people.'
He said that it was almost like a secret power that he carried with him to view what he was going through as special.
For him and his three older brothers, it felt like they were on their own 'little adventure'.
'It's just that our adventure happened to feature heroin dealers and prison and big drinkers.
'Like I was really crafting that thing and just clocking things, even unconsciously.'
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Despite his rough upbringing, Dalton considers himself an optimist, telling Bennett that he would put that down on his driver's licence or passport if he could.
That has led to some criticism from people about how optimistic he can be, which Dalton puts down to some people viewing it as naivety.
'I have to always remind people, please, please go easy on the optimists, because often their optimism has come from the darkest places, and holding on to the light is all they can do, otherwise, they'll never get up.
'I have this thing about always wrap your arms around the bubbly people, and don't take 'em for granted, because those bubbly people are often battling some cracks, and they've crawled out of some stuff and, and it's just like, please never mistake optimism for naivety.'
Ask Me Anything is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett. New episodes are available every Sunday.
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