WPS Author Interview Day 1: Xan van Rooyen

 WPS Author Interview Day 1: Xan van Rooyen

Welcome to day 1 of the Wonderland Pride Spotlight author interviews! Today I am interviewing Xan van Rooyen. To see all of the spotlight posts created by my lovely community, head over to the hashtag #wonderlandlpridespotlight over on Instagram! 

Xan's Books

• Second Soul (releasing January 2026)
• Waypoint Seven
• Silver Helix
• My Name is Magic
• By the Blood of Rowans
• The Other Me
• I Heart Robot

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"I don't love labels and if I had any choice I probably would use any to describe myself - I'm just me afterall, but I understand how helpful labels can be in letting others know who I am so I describe myself as nonbinary and bisexual (meaning that I'm attracted to more than one gender) but I'm also more demi-ace, and these days I find myself drawn more and more to 'autigender' as my experience of gender and autism seem inextricably entwined."

2. What books of yours have LGBTQ+ representation, and what rep do they have?

"All my books have LGBTQ+ characters in them. My most recent novels feature nonbinary protagonists with an array of queer side characters. My two new novels also both feature nonbinary main characters as well as various other queer side characters. It might be easier to say which of my characters aren't queer!"

3. Why do you think LGBTQ+ rep in books is important?

"Because despite how hard certain politicians might want to erase queer people, we are here - we have always been here, and LGBTQ+ people should be seen and heard just like every other person. We should be able to read stories about all identities and their various intersections, and young readers especially deserve to read books where they can see themselves reflected in the pages."

4. What got you into writing?

"I've always been an avid reader and started telling stories before I could hold a pencil. I used to dictate them to my mom before I could write. I can't ever remember a time I wasn't reading or writing. I had a really wonderful English teacher in high school who encouraged me to take writing a bit more seriously, but it wasn't until I was at university studying music, that a friend introduced me to NaNoWriMo, which is when I actually managed to write my first novel."

5. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and all the other trans people, especially the BIPOC trans community, who fought for queer rights during Stonewell and who have never stopped fighting despite the many layers of discrimination they face.  In particular, writers like bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Octavia Butler are figures I look up to for their valuable work challenging the status quo through their work in education, activism, and fiction."