Has the world lost its last thread of sanity? Mass media drowns us daily with never-ending cycles of calamities, from cataclysmic global events to political quagmires. These scandals are nothing new, some more egregious than others, but all spark outrage across the political spectrum. It’s tempting to dust off that old protest sign. Sadly, it’s still relevant.
Writers like me craft sociopolitical fiction to explore and process society’s critical issues with the hope that change will follow. But hope implies a futuristic expectation. What can I as a writer do to bring these injustices to light and engage readers who might not seek such information in nonfiction formats?
My novels are rooted in a deep commitment to address issues which I’m passionate about: social inequality, the preservation of nature and wildlife, and society’s power to address the challenges of political corruption. They aim to provoke thought and discussion, to question past indiscretions which continue to plague us. Sidney J. Harris once observed, “History repeats itself, but in such cunning disguise that we never detect the resemblance until the damage is done.” [In Clearing the Ground by Sydney J. Harris (page 24).}
Environmental and Political Corruption and Broken Promises
My latest political thrillers, Ada & Eddie and Amanita Virosa: The Destroying Angel, are byproducts of my extreme dissatisfaction with the growing inequality between the rich and poor in the UK, fuelled by greed and lust for power on the one hand and by the government’s indifference and corruption on the other. Disturbing real-life scenarios, like the cases below, provided the backdrop for my hard-hitting political thrillers.
- In 2011, a proposed mine in the North York Moors promised wealth but delivered disaster. The ambitious project, hailed for its potential to generate billions and create jobs, today stands idle due to lack of funding. Stakeholders, many of them locals, lost their investments; 80% of the 1,400 workers face losing their jobs, and the natural habitat of endangered moorland birds, among other wildlife, is woefully marred. Barry Dodd, chair of York, North Yorks, and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership said the project was a key part of the government’s plan to build a “northern powerhouse.”
- Undeterred by the tenacious objections of conservation advocates, the hunting of wildlife continues in the UK by circumventing or illicitly exploiting “exemptions” to the Hunting Act 2004. These loopholes essentially prevent a ban on certain activities which Parliament did not intend to prohibit in the first place. Lax investigation of violators and enforcement of these laws are major hindrances in holding illegal hunters accountable.
- Allegations of child sexual abuse had been circling Westminster since the late fifties, a simmering scandal which boiled over in the 70s and 80s. Multiple dossiers on paedophiles allegedly associated with the British government, including MPs, House of Lords members, intelligence agents, as well as children’s homes carers, teachers, a prominent child psychiatrist were identified. During this time, several missing young boys were found murdered in the Greater London area. Cover-ups by government officials and police occurred on an unprecedented scale but were investigated in a cursory manner or not at all until years later when the perpetrators were deceased and files mysteriously disappeared. The Paedophile Information Exchange with its high-profile membership operated openly between 1974-84. An investigation into government funds being secretly siphoned to the group eventually led to a dead end. A thorough investigation by the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse Report in 2022 concluded that “There is ample evidence that individual perpetrators of child sexual abuse have been linked to Westminster. However, there was no evidence of any kind of organised Westminster paedophile network.”
- The systematic genocide of the Romani and Sinti people by Nazi Germany took place between 1939 and 1945. The Nazis viewed them as “asocial” and racial “inferiors,” much as they did the Jewish population. Ripped from their homelands, an estimated 23,000 Roma were sent to the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, where they were subjected to torture, gruesome medical experimentation, and death. During the Bosnia War (1992-95), 30,000 Romani people were among those targeted for eviction by Serb nationalists in order to create territories with a Serb majority. Their removal methods included “killing of civilians, rape, torture, destruction of civilian, public, and cultural property, looting and pillaging, and the forcible relocation of civilian populations.” Of particular interest was the role of Romani women as fighters, like Fadila Odžaković Žuta, a member of the 1st Motorized Brigade who was tragically killed at the age of 34. She served as my inspiration for the character of Amanita Virosa.
Crafting Political Thrillers
In writing fact-based political thrillers, my first step is finding a provocative issue which compels me to take a stand. Once I identify particular aspects of society I’m interested in examining, I then clarify my unique perspective on those questions. Meticulous research is done to ensure the details are factual and coherent. Finally, I ask what I want my readers to take away from this story.
Political fiction offers escape, of course, but stories based on true events help us to make sense of the chaos and draw lessons from it, to reaffirm what we stand for. The best stories are more than suspenseful plots. Realistic themes drive them. Empathetic characters and their struggles and values draw us in, and we become their champions when we see some aspects of ourselves in them.
Ordinary Characters who Change the World
Fictional narratives rooted in real events have a unique power to engage readers emotionally, creating a connection to the characters who are enmeshed in these situations that is both personal and profound.
We are often drawn to inspirational movement figures, like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela. But stories of ordinary citizens fighting for change offer a different perspective. We get to walk beside them, experiencing their struggles, emotional journeys, and perils of participating in a social or political movement.
Many of my protagonists are heroic women with strong supporting characters that cut across all ages. In Ada & Eddie, both main characters are middle-aged while some of their cohorts are spirited seniors who sprinkle humour into the plot. Eddie is a simple, homeless man by choice who is tired of the emotional abuse inflicted by humanity throughout his life. He immerses himself in the beauty of the woodlands, correlating his early struggle for survival with that of nature’s wildlife. Ada, a widower and former activist against unjust government policies, becomes Eddie’s source of spiritual strength.
Together they embark on a mission to discover the identity of a brutally murdered young woman he finds in the North York Moors. A connection is made to a plot of land rich in rare minerals, which Eddie stands to inherit from his deceased brother. An unscrupulous, high-level government official also has his eye on the property. Upon learning of the heir, the minister unleashes his ruthless minions on Ada, Eddie, and their confidants. Radicalized, the group sets off on a perilous journey to expose the politician’s illicit activities and the devastating impact they have on the environment and vulnerable communities. The story climaxes with the enemy’s unthinkable retaliation, a response that serves as a grim indictment of human potential for cruelty.
In Amanita Virosa: The Destroying Angel, 1980s London is crumbling under the weight of political corruption while the have-nots are further victimized by unfettered rogue gangs. Children are lured into the dark, lurid chambers of Whitehall, some never to be seen again. Amanita, a courageous Roma fighter who fled the horrors of war-torn Bosnia, sought refuge in the heart of North London only to discover that the spectre of perversion and injustice haunts her adopted home. Forming an alliance with Everard, a young firebrand, and Doris, a feisty pensioner, the group embarks on a daring mission to sever the insidious grip of Whitehall’s exploitation and the violence perpetrated on the innocent.
Loosely based on actual sociopolitical events in eighties London, Amanita Virosa is a warning about the perils of government overreach and the indomitable power of the individual to resist oppression.
Connecting with Readers
Novels have the power to inspire change and serve as a call to action. They can inspire readers to demand accountability, participate in civic life, and push for reforms. With a critical mass of citizens sufficiently alarmed about the world’s trajectory, creative writers are in an ideal position to expose and mitigate change.