Interview: Todd Alexander, author of Tom Houghton

"This is who I am, take me or leave me."

Read all about it: Student Edge has its very own Book Club!

This month's title is Tom Houghton, the new novel by Australian author Todd Alexander. So, we just had to get Todd on the phone to rap about it.

In the novel, readers follow Sydneysider and classic film fan Tom Houghton at two pivotal times in his life: as a bullied teenager trying to unravel his true identity, and as a 40-year-old caught in a mid-life crisis.

Just how autobiographical is it for Todd? "I wouldn't want to put a percentage on it, but I can say it's not 100 per cent."

Reassuring.

"High nineties," he added.

Ah.

We caught up with Todd to talk all about his book, as well as when he personally felt he "discovered" himself. (We may or may not have referred to self-discovery as an ongoing "struggle", but he kindly - and more optimistically - described it as a "journey" for anyone who may be trying to figure it out for themselves.)

"I feel that my teenage years was one type of identity. My twenties was another. Now that I'm in my forties, I do feel my identity is changing again," he explained.

"Late twenties is when I went, 'This is who I am, take me or leave me.' It was certainly a period of acquiring new friends and letting some other friends go who I felt weren't with me for who I really was."

All about the Student Edge Book Club:

Each month, we'll let you know which book is on offer - especially curated for your reading pleasure - and you'll be able to save 10% when buying it through Booktopia.

Over the course of that month, you can submit a review of that particular book and go in the running to win a $200 Simon & Schuster bundle featuring the very latest releases.

Get the book: Tom Houghton.

Write your review.