Lauren Oliver: On love and dystopia

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver is the latest addition to a growing list of international literary personalities who have made the Philippines part of their international book promotional tours. Oliver was invited by National Book Store to promote "Pandemonium," the second book in her young adult dystopian trilogy, "Delirium." She took part in a private lunch with contest winners and in a meet-and-greet and book signing last March 24 at Powerbooks in Greenbelt, Makati City.

Lovesick The "Delirium" Trilogy is set in an America where love is considered a disease (scientific name: Amor deliria nervosa). In the first book of the same name, 17-year-old Lena Holloway is determined to be vaccinated against Amor deliria nervosa once she turns 18, but her plan goes awry when she meets the mysterious Alex Warren and falls in love with him. "I wanted to write a book about love…not just about romance, but a book that would allow me to really think about love in all of its forms," Oliver explained during the Q&A hosted by Xandra Ramos Padilla, Purchasing Director for Books of National Book Store and Powerbooks. "At the time I was writing it, there was a big fear over swine flu and also bird flu after that. I thought if you look at all the symptoms of love―the fluctuations of mood and weight, the sleep disruption, the inability to focus on anything other than the object―it has everything in common with a psychiatric disorder that would normally be treated with medication. And so that's how I came up with the idea," she said. Oliver admitted that the concept of love being a form of sickness has been around since ancient times, and a "cure" might actually not be that far off from being a reality. "After I started writing 'Delirium,' an article appeared in the New York Times reporting that scientists have identified the chemical pathways that get lit up when you're in love," she recalled. "They speculated that, in the future, a pill will be developed that you could take if you were heartbroken or in love with someone who didn't love you back, and you would be cured of it." In the sequel, "Pandemonium," readers get to journey with Lena as she joins a resistance community whose members live in the fringes of society and refuse to take the Cure. The book ends with a cliffhanger, which Oliver will take up in February 2013 with the publication of "Requiem," the last book in the trilogy. Make writing a habit While waiting for the publication of “Requiem”, Oliver is working on a young adult novel called "Panic," and something for adults, which is entitled "Rooms." She also assists other authors on their own road to publication via her company, Paper Lantern Lit. It may seem like she has too much on her plate, but Oliver is disciplined when it comes to writing. At the time she was working on her first novel, she was juggling a part-time job, a full-time job, and graduate school work. She trained herself to write whenever and wherever she may find some free time, finishing most of her first novel, "Before I Fall," on her Blackberry while commuting daily via the jam-packed New York City subway. And she was even writing while waiting to be called to the stage for the meet-and-greet. "Finishing a novel takes time and practice, so I always say write as much as you can until it becomes habit, until you're not playing ‘Angry Birds’ on your phone," she replied when a fan asked for some writing advice. "If you have a free moment and you don't absolutely have to be doing something else, what you do is write." The inevitable adaptation The next logical step―at least in recent years―in the life cycle of a New York Times bestselling novel is a film adaptation. The rights to both "Delirium" and "Before I Fall" have already been sold. "I was actually reading the ‘Delirium’ script on the way here," she disclosed. "I'm hopeful that someday soon, I'll be wearing a fabulous dress on the red carpet." And when she was asked who she would like to cast in the adaptations of her books, she answered with a laugh, "I always say, in the process of elimination, I'll take anybody in my films except for Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber, if you’re [watching] this, I’m sorry.” Broken inheritance When it finally premieres, "Delirium" will continue the wave of dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic themes on the big screen, most recently seen in the adaptation of “The Hunger Games”. Oliver believes these books and movies continue to be relevant and appealing, especially to young adults, because those themes and events are reflected in reality. "There are societies in which there is no freedom of information, in which you are absolutely not free to choose who you fall in love with and who you marry, where people of different sexes are rigorously segregated and have to wear special things. There are countries in the world where books, music, the Internet, all that is strictly regulated. It's happening," she said. "Right now, I think a lot of young people feel that the world that they've inherited is broken, and in dystopian literature, that's what they encounter. They feel that they're inheriting a world that was broken by their forebears, and they're angry," she added. "It was really interesting writing 'Pandemonium' and 'Requiem' this past year--you know, between the Occupy movements in the States and the Arab Spring―because in so many cultures, young people took to the streets and demonstrated their anger and their voice. But there's also the concept of hope in dystopian literature. You see the protagonist, who, with a little pluck and courage, really ends up remaking the world, or at least gesturing towards that," she said. Oliver seemed happy with the way those same young people have responded to her books here in the Philippines. “I’m really happy to be here; it’s beautiful,” she gushed. “And with the kind of support that I’m getting, I will always choose the Philippines. Thank you so much…and I’m not trying balut, but thank you for being here.” -KG, GMA News