Meet Owen Hill

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Owen Hill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Owen, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity comes from the concept of Mutual Aid, as laid out by the Russian Anarchist Peter Kropotkin, who said (I’m not a philosophy scholar, but this is how I interpret him) that humanity can only evolve through cooperation and sharing. This concept can be illustrated in small ways (tip generously, always say thank you, support all forms of worker organizing) that ripple through society, and, hopefully, make the world more livable.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have been a writer, of some sort, for as long as I can remember. I began by writing poetry, and still spend much time and energy on that practice, but I also write literary fiction and crime fiction. Writing is a constant set of problems that can never quite be solved, and that is why it is so interesting. You never know what idea will come next, or how it will fit with the work, your life, whatever. Much of my recent work has been in crime fiction. PM Press will publish my complete crime fiction work (three novels and a short story), titled The Giveaway, in May ’25.

I am also a union organizer and negotiator for the Industrial Workers of the World, working with bookstore workers. I was a bookseller for many years, and so I understand what hard work it is, and how these workers are overworked, under paid, and under appreciated. Like my writing, union work is an unsolvable puzzle, and likewise, a constant fascination.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I have what I think is a healthy mistrust of authority. Sometimes we are forced to take orders in order to survive, but we should never take the word of the “boss” as truth.

Read, read, read! Proficiency with language will set you free. Reading is also great fun! Knowledge is out there, it’s free at the library and cheap at second-hand bookstores. I have survived thanks to these places.

Advice should always be approached with skepticism, but here goes: Do what pleases you, but be generous with others.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

It’s so hard to pick a single book! The work of the poet Frank O’Hara has probably been the most influential. His love of New York translates to other cities, as a love of community, urban life, and the arts. His ability to always push on, move ahead, pay attention, taught me that, even in hard times, a deep appreciation of the life around you will help you get by.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Owen-Hill/author/B001KIWWIY?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
• Instagram: worldenoughandtimebooks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owen.hill.7

Image Credits

Photo #1 Jasper Bijou

Photo #2 PM Press

Photo #3 Michael Rothenberg

Photo #4 J. Thompson-Thompson

Photo @#5 Random House Vintage Crime