Elan Mastai is a screenwriter who wrote his first screen play during university.  He wrote his first novel, All Our Wrong Todays which was described as “a thrilling tale of time travel”. He created the 2016 that people in the 1950s had imagined.  His novel is to make readers think about their choices, who they are and how they want to live?

Mastai was inspired during a life changing 3 month period of his life.  He was a university student, had written a movie, met his wife and lost his mother.  As everything changed so quickly, he thought about “the people in your life and how they change”.  He was also inspired by his grandfather’s collection of pulp science fiction which had fascinated him when he was younger.

Dealing with the loss of his mother, he considered how decisions are impacted by grief.  His character steals a time machine as he deals with loss.

He wrote the book on the side of his day job, writing 200 to 500 words each day.  At the end of 5 months he had a first draft full of short chapters influenced by writing the short scenes of screen writing.  He likes the idea of readers picking it up and reading a couple quick chapters as they wait for the kettle to boil or when they find a quick few minutes to pick up the book in their busy days.

I had not planned to buy a book at the event but listening to Elan Mastai was intriguing.  Many resolutions are broken in January.   Just a few weeks into 2018, I found myself standing in line to purchase a copy of All Our Wrong Todays to be signed and to enjoy!