I am going to the London Book Fair in April! And I am so excited! Receiving my eBadge, I felt like a little kid catching a glimpse of a bag full of colorful marbles… and soon I’ll go and play.
This is going to sound very nerdy but all my life I have dreamed of once attending a big book show like this. I just never imagined I actually would one day, least of all wearing a badge stating “Liam Klenk – Author”.
I hope so much I’ll be able to talk with some people and get a foot in the door somewhere. So many books are developing in my mind, just waiting to sprout, grow and blossom. Let’s dream big. First my manuscript for “The Fortunate Nomad” needs to find a way out there, and then the sky’s the limit.

Time is flying right now. So much is happening. I changed countries again. I changed jobs. And while trying to find my feet here on this beautiful rock called Malta, I am at the same time trying to find the time to write some excellent letters to dozens of agents and publishers. More than anything, I am hoping to make contact with someone who will fall in love with my book and go the extra mile to not only publish it, but publish it well.

Behind the red hammock you see the door to “B5”, my tiny staff quarters on the Maldivian island of Kuredu. They consisted of a room just big enough for a queen size bed and a wardrobe, and a tiny bathroom with a view of the equatorial sky. I loved this little home. Especially sitting on the comfy chairs in front of my door, sipping an early morning coffee, listening to birds and geckos chattering away, while the coffee machines of my neighbors roared loudly behind paper-thin walls.
I am now 44 years old (well almost) and the entirety of my worldly possessions still fits into two suitcases. One of these days I’ll settle down somewhere. At least as far as to have a “harbor” to return to after going out into the world once more. For now though, I am happy to be able to be unhampered by possessions. I feel immensely lucky and treasure my freedom.

The last 10 years of nomadic life have brought me to three places starting with “Ma”: the Maldives, Macau, and now Malta.
These names have sort of blurred together in my mind. You will find me sitting in a Maltese restaurant, asking the waitress, “So, what are your Maldivian specialties today?” Or I’ll take a cab and say, “Ah, Macauan traffic is really bad today, isn’t it?”
Nevertheless, I do realize where I am: in Malta, my third “Ma”. And, as we say in Germany, all good things come in threes.

In the fall of 1995 I was still two years away from my gender alignment surgeries. I hid my boobs as well as I could. I practiced looking grim and – I thought – manly. I wore my hiking boots wherever I went. Looking back, I am surprised I didn’t wear them to bed as well.
So much has changed since then. I am amazed by how complete I feel now, how utterly free from having to fulfill the stereotypes of any gender. I am happy being the unique little man that I am.

I can’t imagine a life without art – be it reading a book, going to an exhibition, watching ballet, dance, opera, theater, a movie, or listening to music… Then there is the joy of writing, photographing, drawing, painting and sculpting the odd piece myself. My entire spirit lifts whenever I invest myself fully in these endeavors.
As it did the last fourteen months while writing my very first book. Looking back on that particular creative process and holding the final draft of my manuscript in hand, I am a bit in awe. How did I manage to do all that?
The next few months will show if what I wrote is good enough. I hope I will find a publisher who will share my enthusiasm. Keep your fingers crossed xxx

In 1985, I went to a summer camp organized by a German environmentalist group. I met many Maltese youths there and one of them became a friend for life. I was fourteen at the time and, all of a sudden, the world wasn’t just a small disk anymore.
My friend and I visited back and forth for quite a while. Our friendship enriched my soul. Later Malta became a milestone for my sister and I. Then, in 2003, I went back to the charming Mediterranean island to tackle the life-long dream of becoming a scuba diver.
Today, thirty years after my first, very formative, Maltese encounters I have moved to Malta for a new beginning. A magic circle is closing.

Today was the day: first day at work on the island of Malta for this ‘Fortunate Nomad’. Everything had happened so fast… one day interview on the phone in Germany… only three days later already in Malta… I was full of doubts when I went to my new place of work, hadn’t slept all night and wondered what I was getting myself into.
And then, I did what came natural. In the morning, I simply said, I wanted to wait with signing anything, then took the first chance that presented itself to speak very openly with the HR representative about all I wasn’t sure about.
Soon, she was able to clear everything up very satisfactorily. I gladly signed my contract. Now I am ready for this new adventure and it is time to find a little cozy haven to rent in one of the small cities close to my new work place. I see lots of flowers on our balcony, a cozy couch, evening walks at the sea side and, of course, yet another chance to meet many interesting people and broaden my horizons.

On New Year’s Eve in 2014, I celebrated with my Spanish friends in Macau, delighting in their tradition of eating a grape per second in sync with the midnight countdown. We entered into 2014 with the taste of sweet, mashed up grapes filling our mouths, accompanied by our heartfelt laughter and the hope that only good could come from such a joyous beginning.

2013 had been a hard year. I thought 2014 could only get better. It didn’t. I wouldn’t say it was a bad year as such. I wrote my manuscript and embarked on one of my greatest creative endeavours to date: I wrote my memoirs. I lived on an island with my loving, incredibly supportive partner and two puppies who would snap wide awake at 6 a.m. every morning and coax me out of bed with their long, slobbery tongues. As much as I groaned each time, their enthusiastic presence was a gift beyond measure.
On the other hand, 2014 was a struggle for survival. It was a challenging year that brought me to my limits in every respect. Hong Kong (the metropolis our little island belonged to) took its toll on me. I never could get used to the local culture and the abundant environmental pollution. My health deteriorated as bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia chased each other in rapid succession. 2014 was a year of extremes and, because of its intensive nature, spiked a learning curve like never before.

The closer we got to the end of 2014, I thought about what the next year might bring.
I hope I’ll be able to continue finding my purpose and be able to give something back to the world.
As Nietzsche once said “One must have chaos in oneself in order to give birth to a dancing star.” There are so many possibilities. There is so much chaos. And I can feel them rising, the stars of creativity, of compassion, of energy and transcendence. As it always is, my mind is full of plans, hopes, and ideas. I have finished my manuscript and am now beginning to send it to literary agents around the world. All the while my partner and I are going to try and make a new home for ourselves somewhere on the planet. Hopefully, I will find work soon. Whatever happens though, I am going to try and not expect too much from 2015. While working hard, I’ll relax as best I can and let the stars come forth as they may. I am so very curious as to where my journey will lead me next…