Meet Craig Mulhall | Published Author & Medical Oncologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Craig Mulhall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Craig, what is the most important factor behind your success?
My brand, ‘The King of Rhye’, brings together novel writing, fantasy literature and art, and music (principally the music of Queen). For each of these facets, the most important factor is the strength of community: the community of authors and booklovers, and the community of Queen fans. Sometimes the community is local (I have found a lot of support through my local boutique bookstore); other times it is global/international. I have found that the power of social media and the worldwide Queen fandom are major assets in bringing ‘The King of Rhye’ to life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My creative life and my professional life are wildly divergent. At the turn of the century (that makes me sound old!) I was in Medical School, on my way to becoming a doctor. I have now been a doctor for almost twenty years, and a Medical Oncologist for almost ten.

While a clinical career has been most rewarding and satisfying, it has allowed for little to no creativity. Since my youth, I have fostered a strong creative side, and that never really went away just because I followed the path of science. My university days were littered with story fragments, books I started to write and never finished – it took many years for the combination of drive, inspiration and available time to come together, to help produce a finished product.

‘The King of Rhye’ has been the result – a large-scale creative pursuit that has ultimately been every part as cathartic and satisfying as I could have hoped. Piecing it together has not been easy – I am also a husband and father; writing has generally been a matter of burning both ends of a candle for a number of years now. But every little bit counts, and I continue to steadily build a creative legacy of my own, while carrying on in my medical profession. Oddly enough, work colleagues, other community members and even patients now see me as ‘that doctor who also writes books.’ It’s a place beyond anything I might have anticipated.

Patience and perseverance have been perhaps the most important lessons learned. I know that most people who start writing a book will never finish it – I now know that to be because it can require painstaking effort, and the support and encouragement of others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in a regional coastal town in the state of Queensland, Australia. Here, we are blessed with a more relaxed lifestyle, and the convenience of having a number of grass-roots experiences at our figurative doorstep.

The summer is long, and some of the best uncrowded beaches in the nation are fifteen minutes away. A trip would be incomplete without experiencing one of Australia’s most iconic features – beach life. There is also a protected marine heritage site, one of few in the world that hosts a turtle hatchery.

I live in a (geo-agricultural) food bowl. My region prides itself on incredible local produce, which can be bought direct from the farmer in many cases. An annual festival promotes the wares of many regional produce growers, from fruit and vegetables to protein, nuts and condiments. My town is also on the international map for rum and gin production. A brewery visit is almost mandatory.

My region takes its music scene seriously. A major Folk Festival lights up one of the outlying townships once a year, and would make for an ideal daytrip.

Last but not least, there are a number of stunning national parks within a three-hour radius. With a few days to spare, a camping trip would help divest any visitor of the stresses of metropolitan life, enabling campfire nights under the stars.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Fundamentally, rock icons Queen are the driving force behind my project, which serves to celebrate their legacy. It begins with writing an epic tale, but has swelled over the past few years to involve the creation of new art and music, as well.

That said, my shoutout goes to international acquaintances, who have become firm friends and wonderful collaborators. If not for them, my work would not be taking on its multisensory, multi-dimensional shape.

I recognise and give credit to French musicians Fat Bottomed Boys, who have adapted portions of my written work into new music, in the mode of Queen. I also give a huge shout out to British artist and toy designer Luc Hudson, who saw my vision from the very beginning, in 2019. Luc has translated my tale into dozens of lush images (and growing!) as well as designing my branding, and even producing animated clips for several Fat Bottomed Boys songs. In this way, we have been able to build a strong triumvirate as a platform to produce further works.

I am about to release a new novel ‘Metropolis’ and have future plans to publish more; I look forward to an ongoing partnership with Luc and the Boys.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_king_of_rhye

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thekingofrhyenovel

Other: Spotify – see ‘Fat Bottomed Boys’ for the Original Soundtrack to ‘The King of Rhye’ as well as ‘Metropolis’ and other upcoming publishing projects.
Email: thekingofrhyenovel@gmail.com.

Image Credits
Graphic art credit – Luc Hudson. Photography credit – Claire Obscure Photographie, where shown.