Paul Haston is a British writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He writes novels, short stories and screenplays across several genres including literary fiction, historical fiction and young adult. Novels include Rising of a Dead Moon, Blood and Doves and Echo and the Magical Whispers. Rising of a Dead Moon, published in 2013, is an historical fiction set against the backdrop of 19th Century Indian Indenture.[1]
An advocate for protecting elephants, Haston's book Echo and the Magical Whispers was written to raise awareness of poaching of elephants for their ivory.[2] The book was awarded a silver medal at the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards.[3]
A career in finance has been augmented in recent years by writing. Haston published his debut novel Blood and Doves in October 2012, followed almost contemporaneously by Rising of a Dead Moon (first published October 2012, re-written and published in final form October 2013). Haston has a spartan writing style that often requires the reader to provide linkages within the story line and characterisation.[4] Themes of class and the suffering of the under-privileged are pursued. Rising of a Dead Moon examines the plight of Indian widows in a historical context: the 19th century diaspora of 'coolies' from India to work on the white-owned sugar plantations in South Africa. Blood and Doves is a comment on Victorian class morality as seen through the eyes of a working class anti-hero.
Haston is an advocate for elephants and a member of several elephant charities. His children's book, Echo and the Magical Whispers was written to raise awareness of poaching of elephants for their ivory.[5] The book won a silver medal at the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards,[6] and is sponsored by Elephants for Africa,[7] an elephant charity based in Botswana.[8]
Billy and the Match Girl a magical realism for children is about the Matchgirls' Strike of 1888.[9] The book was long listed for the 2020 Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators & Performers (CANSCAIP) Writing For Children Competition.
Haston is also an advocate for heritage and is a board member of North Shore Heritage, a non profit society promoting the retention of heritage buildings, writing regularly for their blog.[10][11]
