The Author
Naomi King is a non-binary writer, musician, artist, and actor.
Half Canadian and half Filipino, Naomi King was born in the Netherlands and grew up moving from country to country, never staying in one place longer than a few years. This upbringing allowed them to see the world and experience different cultures. It also made them incredibly independent and cold. Blocking out the ever-changing world outside, from a young age Naomi instead created one of their own that could stay constant; a home. That home was the world of Azheek.
Naomi was always a creative child, writing stories and drawing imaginary characters instead of socializing with real children. They loved the fantasy and sci-fi genre most, falling head over heels for The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Narnia, and Harry Potter. Later they would fall in love with the aesthetics, music, and wonder of games such as the World of Warcraft.
The first birth of Azheek was when Naomi was thirteen. They created a writing system for fun, out of fondness for fantasy languages, and tried to teach it to a friend so the two of them could pass notes. Said friend never learned the language.
One year later Naomi was LARPing with their dog. And that was how Chester and Aven were born.
What started out as a young teenager's daydreams turned into an adult's passion. Over the next thirteen years, the story of Azheek and the world of Ianar changed, grew, and evolved into what it is today.
Naomi was born in Amstelveen, the Netherlands. When they were one, their family moved to Tokyo, Japan. They lived there for five and a half years before the family moved to Sydney, Australia, where they stayed for two and a half years. They moved back to the Netherlands for two years, and then Chennai, India for one. After that, they moved to Singapore where Naomi's family still lives.
Naomi left Singapore after seven years and moved back to Sydney, Australia for two before moving to Vancouver, Canada, where they still reside.
Naomi spent most of their childhood and adolescent years in Asia, and when they were a teenager, every single weekend was spent at Arab Street (Singapore). All of this can be seen within the world of Azheek; within the cultures reflected on the pages.
In addition to a multi-cultural upbringing, Naomi is a proud member of the queer community. Non-binary, asexual, and pan-romantic, this is also seen reflected in the pages of Azheek, as Ianar is a world where nobody is judged for the colour of their skin, gender identity, or attraction; whether sexual, romantic, or platonic.
Naomi is also on the Autism Spectrum. Twice Exceptional, they are both gifted and have ASD. This makes them think differently from the average human, as can be seen within their work. Whether it's in novels, screenplays, or their music, Naomi is always hyper-analyzing and making commentaries on human behaviour.
In addition, Naomi lives with PTSD. As a trauma survivor, they wanted to write an accurate and honest portrayal of life with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. More often than not, it is either not portrayed when it should be, or portrayed terribly. Naomi hopes that The Rising gives a more accurate look into what it is like to struggle with PTSD and how much of a toll trauma can really take on the mind, body, heart, and soul.
But more than that, Naomi hopes that anyone out there struggling with PTSD and sexual trauma can feel represented and a little less alone.
You are not alone.