Hi, I’m Matthew Chuprin.
I’m an Australian writer, and for a long time, I didn’t think I had much to say. My first book, The Shape I Took, changed that. It’s a memoir about growing up in rural Australia—trying to understand myself long before I had the language for the things I was feeling. It follows me from dusty schoolyards to the strict, quietly complicated world of the Navy, and all the versions of myself I tried on just to get by.
Writing was never the plan. In fact, it’s pretty new to me. But somewhere along the way, putting words to my own story went from uncomfortable to necessary. I’d spent years keeping things to myself; letting them onto the page has been a relief I didn’t know I needed. I’ve come to believe that being honest, even about the tricky or messy parts, can help us feel a little less alone.
Right now, I’m working on a historical novel based on my grandmother’s escape from Soviet Russia. Stepping into her world has been humbling and grounding. It’s a reminder of how far a single life can travel, and how the choices of one generation ripple into the next.
When I’m not writing, I tend to notice small things in life… the buzz of cicadas, memories that arrive without warning, the quiet ways people look out for each other. Those are the moments where stories begin for me. They’re what keep me curious, and what keep me coming back to the page.
Matthew Chuprin 