Kalla, Daniel

Daniel Kalla Born, raised, and residing in Vancouver, Daniel Kalla works as an Emergency Room Physician in an urban teaching hospital. In his free time, he writes and manages a dual career. He is the author five books, two of which are bestsellers, and his 6th book Of Flesh and Blood will be released in Spring 2010. In an exclusive interview with Suite101 Kalla shares his thoughts on balancing writing, family and practicing medicine. From the Emergency Room to Fiction Writing

With a chuckle in his voice Kalla responds to the curious question of how an ER doctor becomes a fiction writer with: “thankfully slowly!” He elaborates that many emergency physicians have side careers as their work is more on a shift schedule. Some of his colleagues are interested in music; others sell real estate on the side.

Kalla declares “I have always had a strong interest in writing. I started taking some courses and read books about it. Once I started I got so immersed in it that it’s been almost like an addiction.” The idea for his first medical thriller, Pandemic, which became a bestseller originated from his clinical experience in dealing with the SARS outbreak in 2003. Kalla sat on the Vancouver Regional SARS taskforce. Kalla’s medical background has informed the content of his thrillers.

Kalla's books have been translated into ten languages. "Pandemic" & "Resistance" have been optioned for feature films. Kalla is often dubbed 'the next Michael Crichton.'

Read more at Suite101: Author and M.D. Daniel Kalla: A Personal Look at the Canadian Fiction Writer, Speaker & ER Doctor