In this episode of The Conversation, I sit down with novelist, poet, and Shakespeare scholar Juliano Zaffino for a candid conversation about creativity, perseverance, publishing, and the stories that stay with us.
Juliano’s debut novel, The Steps, is a haunting and deeply human family ghost story that follows a man who falls in love with a grieving widow and becomes entwined in the lives of his five children while sensing that something isn’t quite right beneath the surface. Published by Tramp Press, the novel blends the everyday with the uncanny in a way that lingers long after the final page.
But this conversation goes far beyond the book itself. We discuss Juliano’s early years writing stories in cupboards, launching and running a curated book subscription service, self-publishing his first poetry collection, completing a PhD in Shakespeare during the pandemic, and the difficult period in 2023 when he came close to walking away from writing altogether. Along the way, we explore the realities of creative life: internal rejection versus external rejection, the pressure of tying your identity to your work, the importance of reading widely, and how unexpected moments can reignite a creative career.