Interview With Stephanie Jane, author of Finally a Vegan: My Journey to Veganuary and Beyond

Looking back, can you think of any signs growing up that you would write and publish a book? Was this a long held dream, or an idea that emerged with your move to becoming a Vegan?

Having been the odd child who enjoyed essay writing at school and a voracious reader to boot, I harbored the idea that I would love to write a book for pretty much as long as I can remember. Previously I had only tried fiction though, ignoring the fact that nonfiction writing actually suits my style far better. Writing short pieces about my veganism on my Ko-Fi page (ko-fi.com/StephanieJane) gave me the idea that I could extend this topic into a book of my own.

When and how did the idea arise to put pen to paper and share your journey and thoughts on being a Vegan? Why was now the right time to publish it?

Having transitioned to veganism myself 18 months earlier, I kept noticing social media posts by people keen to go vegan themselves, but with no real idea where to start. I remembered how overwhelmed I had been initially too. At that time, I had looked for vegan memoirs to read and not found any so I thought sharing my experiences would be helpful for potential and new vegans, especially during Veganuary when thousands of people give veganism a try.

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What did you enjoy about the writing/publishing process - something that came easy for you? What came hard for you - a chore?

I was surprised at how easy the writing itself was. Once I had established my first chapter themes, the thoughts flowed, building upon each other and opening up further ideas for me to explore. The tough part was the editing when I tamed that flood into a concise memoir-guide. I didn't want Finally a Vegan to be a big, intimidating book so keeping it concise yet still informally chatty was quite a challenge.

Who do you feel is your book's main audience, the readers who will gain the most from Finally a Vegan?

I wrote Finally a Vegan with potential and brand new vegans in mind, especially those who are perhaps nervous about launching into Veganuary or a similar challenge themselves. I remember being very nervous! The book discusses how my own Veganuary challenge went, including my food diary from my very first vegan month. I hope seeing someone else's experiences will be reassuring and encouraging.

What do you hope is the biggest thing people take away from reading your book?

I really hope that the joy I felt during Veganuary 2019 comes across in Finally a Vegan. It was such an incredible turning point in my life and I want to share my vegan enthusiasm. My preconceptions of a dour, restrictive lifestyle were so far from reality as to be laughable now, but I only found that out by taking the plunge myself. I would love for Finally a Vegan to give even one other person the confidence to try a vegan lifestyle.

What now? Do you have plans to write other books, or perhaps use this book as a launch pad to speak, or ???

I might write another vegan book in a couple more years when I feel the muse strike again. Right now, however, my focus is on my vegan Ko-Fi page where I share recipes for the everyday vegan meals I cook and eat. It isn't glamorous, Instagram-ready food, but it's tasty and (mostly) cheap! I also enjoy discovering, supporting and promoting other vegan-created work. My HirlGrend blog (hirlgrend.blogspot.com) features my reviews of different vegan-authored books (fiction and nonfiction), plus vegan music and vegan art each week.

 
I would love to close with your favorite quote or personal words that are meaningful to you. 

My favourite quote is this from Julia Gibbs, a vegan who also was my proofreader for Finally a Vegan: 'When I stopped eating meat, and buying dairy, I felt as if a great weight had fallen off my back that I didn't even know was there.' Her words perfectly sum up my own transition to veganism. It was, unexpectedly, such a relief!

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