Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites

Tell us about your latest creation…

My debut novel is called Burial Rites, and takes place in Iceland, in the early nineteenth century. It tells the story of Agnes, a servant woman who has been sentenced to death for her role in the brutal murder of two men. In the absence of a prison, she is sent to wait out the time leading to her execution on a northern farm. Horrified to have a convicted murderess in their midst, the family avoid
speaking with Agnes. Only Tóti, the young assistant priest appointed as her spiritual guardian, is compelled to try and understand her. As winter descends and the hardships of rural life force everyone to work side by side, the family’s attitude to Agnes starts to change, until one night, she begins to tell her side of the story, and they realise that all is not as they had assumed.

Burial Rites is actually based on true events. I lived in Iceland when I was a teenager, and heard the story of the murders then. Not only was I fascinated by the crime, but I became very curious about one of the women involved: Agnes. Writing this book was my attempt to more fully understand this mysterious historical figure. Many historical records tend to demonise Agnes, which I disagree with. My motivation to write the book came from a desire to explore her humanity, and her complexity.

Where are you from / where do you call home?

I was raised in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, where I’m now living again after a few years in Melbourne. I loved the inner-city life – the buzz and culture – but there’s something to be said for having a veggie patch, fruit trees, and a lot of wildlife on your doorstep. It’s nice being close to so many wineries too…

When you were a kid, what did you want to become?  An author?

I can’t remember not wanting to be an author. I’ve always wanted to write, although I understood from an early age that I’d probably need another job to pay the bills. So, I’d go from wanting to be an author and a teacher, to an author and a geologist, to an author and a doctor – but the aspiration to become an author was constant.

What do you consider to be your best work? Why?

I’m not sure that I’ve written enough to be able to consider what might be best! I’m very proud of my debut novel, Burial Rites, but I’m also looking forward to challenging myself and improving as a writer.

Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?

I wrote Burial Rites in a converted walk-in wardrobe in Melbourne, and my current office is not too dissimilar! I have a large desk (important for when I need to spread things out) squeezed against a window. I need a source of natural light. There’s a lot of things up on the wall – maps, photos, notes – and I have a few bookshelves close to hand. It’s not too cluttered, but I do have piles of reference books everywhere, which I frequently knock over by accident. I’m quite clumsy.

When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?

Whatever is at hand! Whether I’m writing or not, my reading habits remain the same. The only difference is that I might be reading extra material for research when writing. Oh, and I also read more poetry when I’m writing – it reminds me to pay attention to the rhythm of my prose. As for particular genres, I tend to read literary fiction, although occasionally I’ll let someone persuade me into reading a crime novel, or speculative fiction, or fantasy. I’m currently reading a lot of fantastic Irish authors – Emma Donoghue, Colm Toibin. It’s getting me in the spirit to start my next book, which will be set in Ireland.

What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?

I was a very big reader of Enid Blyton as a child, and ‘Little Women’ was really important to me in my formative years. I went through a stage where I would read it once a month, just because I loved the characters so much. I saw myself in them.

If you were a literary character, who would you be?

A certain six year old in my life recently told me that I’m exactly like Hermione in Harry Potter. He’s probably right. I’m a bit of a know it all, I don’t brush my hair very often, and I could imagine nothing better than spending hours and hours in a library.

Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?

I’m learning Swedish at the moment! I like to learn practical skills. I’ll go through a phase of bread baking, then I’ll decide I want to build a worm farm, then I’ll make a lot of jam. I don’t usually admit to it, but I also play the tin whistle, and I’m learning the guitar. I’m not always so industrious though. I do spend a lot of time watching films and frittering hours away on the internet.

What is your favourite food and favourite drink?

That’s a hard one. I’m a big coffee-drinker, and I do love a nice glass of red. Sometimes the simple things can be the best. I can get very enthusiastic about a well-buttered piece of toast.

Who is your hero? Why?

I have many heroes, and all of them are kind, gentle, curious people who make the world a better place through the little acts of compassion they perform every day. None of them are famous. You wouldn’t know them if you saw them. But they’re extraordinary in the way they give to others and lead by example.

Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?

Ooh, tough one. I’m not one of those who like to go around prophesying the death of the book. I don’t think humans will ever be able to quench their need for storytelling, nor do I believe we will every stop reading. I do think, however, that it is crucial for bookstores, publishers and authors to evolve and adapt to suit changing technologies and reading habits. Adapt or perish – I think that’s a good motto for these uncertain times we’re in.

Follow Hannah:

Website URL: www.hannahkentauthor.com
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/HannahKentAuthor
Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/HannahFKent

How to Talk Like Shakespeare:

• Instead of you, say thou or thee (and instead of y’all, say ye).
• Rhymed couplets are all the rage.
• Men are Sirrah, ladies are Mistress, and your friends are all called Cousin.
• Instead of cursing, try calling your tormenters jackanapes or canker-blossoms or poisonous bunch-back’d toads.
• Don’t waste time saying “it,” just use the letter “t” (’tis, t’will, I’ll do’t).
• Verse for lovers, prose for ruffians, songs for clowns.
• When in doubt, add the letters “eth” to the end of verbs (he runneth, he trippeth, he falleth).
• To add weight to your opinions, try starting them with methinks, mayhaps, in sooth or wherefore.
• When wooing ladies: try comparing her to a summer’s day. If that fails, say “Get thee to a nunnery!”
• When wooing lads: try dressing up like a man. If that fails, throw him in the Tower, banish his friends and claim the throne

Take a look at the Talk Like Shakespeare website here…

The shortlisted titles in each of the categories are:

Older Readers:

Younger Readers:

Early Childhood:

• The Terrible Suitcase (Emma Allen & Freya Blackwood, Omnibus)
• With Nan (Tania Coz & Karen Blair, Windy Hollow Books)
• The Pros & Cons of Being a Frog (Sue DeGennaro, Scholastic)
• Too Many Elephants in This House (Ursula Dubosarsky & Andrew Joyner, Viking)
• It’s a Miroocool! (Christine Harris & Ann James, Little Hare)
• Peggy (Anna Walker, Scholastic).

Picture Books:

• The Coat (Ron Brooks, illus by Julie Hunt, A&U)
• Tanglewood (Vivienne Goodman, illus by Margaret Wild, Omnibus)
• Herman and Rosie (Gus Gordon, Viking)
• Sophie Scott Goes South (Alison Lester, Viking)
• Lightning Jack (Patricia Mullins, illus by Glenda Millard, Scholastic)
• A Day to Remember (Mark Wilson, illus by Jackie French, Angus & Robertson).

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books:

• Python (Christopher Cheng & Mark Jackson, Walker Books)
• Lyrebird! A True Story (Jackie Kerin, illus by Peter Gouldthorpe, Museum Victoria)
• Topsy-turvey World: How Australian Animals Puzzled Early Explorers (Kirsty Murray, NLA)
• Portrait of Spain for Kids (Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art)
• Tom the Outback Mailman (Kristin Weidenbach, illus by Timothy Ide, Lothian).

New novel by Tim Winton to be published by Hamish Hamilton in 2013

Ben Ball, Publishing Director, Penguin Books Australia has revealed a new novel by Tim Winton will be published on 14 October 2013.

“I’m delighted to be able to announce that on October 14 this year we will be publishing a new novel by Tim Winton, his first since the Miles Franklin Award-winning Breath. Each new work from Tim is a major event in Australian publishing and a privilege to be involved with. Eyrie is one of the very few books I’ve ever read that can genuinely be said to change the way you look at the world. It goes straight at the big questions, and like the greatest contemporary novels, expands its readers’ understanding of what it’s like to be alive now.

Eyrie tells the story of Tom Keely, a man who’s lost his bearings in middle age and is now holed up in a flat at the top of a grim highrise, looking down on the world he’s fallen out of love with. He’s cut himself off, until one day he runs into some neighbours: a woman he used to know when they were kids, and her introverted young boy. The encounter shakes him up in a way he doesn’t understand. Despite himself, Keely lets them in. What follows is a heart-stopping, groundbreaking novel for our times – funny, confronting, exhilarating and haunting – populated by unforgettable characters. It asks how, in an impossibly compromised world, we can ever hope to do the right thing.” – Ben Ball, Publishing Director, Penguin Books Australia

Eyrie by Tim Winton will be published by Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin Books on 14 October 2013.

Lisa Forrest, author of Inheritance

Tell us about your latest creation…

My latest creation is a YA fantasy novel set in the circus called, INHERITANCE. I started my career as an author of YA fiction but my last book, BOYCOTT (a non-fiction account of the controversial months before the 1980 Moscow Games when PM Malcolm Fraser tried to stop Australia from attending the Games; I was 16 and captain of the women’s swim team), had been quite a gruelling experience and I knew that if I was going to write another book I really needed to write something fun!

As a teenager, I liked the stories of Trixie Belden and her teenage team of super-sleuths, the Bob-Whites and I was keen to head in the direction of mystery-and-adventure-with-friends. Then I interviewed John Flanagan.  We (my son, husband and I) loved his Ranger’s Apprentice series. Since the series had been inspired by John’s son it got me thinking: my own son was too young at the time to inspire a teenage series but my niece, a circus girl who lives in Wollongong, had just crossed the teenage ‘threshold’. At the time she was a reluctant reader so I started researching with her in mind. I discovered that our word circus came from the Latin word of the same name which was Romanised from Greek word, kirkos, meaning circle or ring.  So I started playing with the spelling of the two words, circus/kirkos and threw into the mix the first circus in Rome, Circus Maximus, and began to imagine an ancient circus troupe called the Cirkulatti, always led by a woman, known as the Eminence, who it was said could whisper to the minds of her audience. Her powers – and those of her troupe – were so coveted by rulers of the various civilisations that they honoured the ascendance of each new eminence with a piece of jewellery, which together became known as the Curios of the Eminence.

What if my Wollongong circus girl had one of these curios and people were after it?  Who might they be? Perhaps the Cirknero, the dark side of the Cirkulatti who were not content with supporting the throne but instead wanted to control it? If my Wollongong circus girl had the curio did that mean it could help her overcome those who are chasing her? And if she’s in possession of a curio, does that means she’s linked to the eminence – or possibly destined to be the next eminence?

At first I’d intended to write a fictional eminence. Then, reading E.H. Gombrich’s, Little History of the World, I learned about Theodora, empress of the Holy Roman Eastern Empire in the mid-500’s, who ruled as an equal with her husband, Justinian. She, apparently, rose from the circus to be Justinian’s wife, and during her lifetime was a hugely influential and important figure. The coincidence was too perfect.

So, INHERITANCE is about a girl called Tallulah who’s always known she’s different – she has the gift of communicating without speaking, a secret she shares only with her childhood nanny, Irena. But, when she joins Cirque d’Avenir (which she thinks is just a local holiday circus school) she finds she isn’t the only one with a special gift.  As she gets drawn further into the Cirque d’Avenir ‘family’ she discovers a world of dark ancient powers and centuries-old greed that requires her to call on all the skills Irena taught her – as well as the protection of a mysterious cuff her nanny left with her for safekeeping.

But what is the secret power of the cuff – and why are men willing to die to possess it? Tallulah has always understood that being different is dangerous – but will that stop her from accepting her true inheritance?

Where are you from / where do you call home?

I grew up on the northern beaches of Sydney. I now live in the inner city but we still spend a lot of time on the north side – the beaches are the best!

When you were a kid, what did you want to become?  An author?

My first ambition was a small one – to swim for Australia at the Olympic Games!

I joined Dee Why Ladies Amateur Swim Club when I was 8. My younger brother wanted a fibreglass surfboard but Dad said he couldn’t upgrade from the foam Koolites we rode until he could swim 400m. He joined Dee Why Men’s, got his name in the results section of the local paper, The Manly Daily and not  to be outdone I followed him down there the next week. Apparently, I cried all the way to the 25m finish line of my first race (a sort of combination dog-paddle, over-arm freestyle) but it mustn’t have been too distressing because I was down there again the next week. That winter, as Dad took me to Killarney Heights once a week to learn to do freestyle with my face in the water, Shane Gould, Gail Neal and Bev Whitfield saved Australia’s sporting pride at the 1972 Munich Games by winning 5 gold medals between them (Australia won a total of 8). Shane was 15, Gail and Bev were 17 (back in the 70’s we still thought that 16 was the age girls ‘peaked’ at). A few weeks after Munich, Gail Neal arrived at my primary school with her gold medal. That was all the inspiration I needed. I made the calculation: in 1976 I’d be 12; in 1980, I’d be 16. Even better I’d be in Year 11. Since Mum’s big thing was education I thought she’d be happy that I could squeeze the Olympics in between my School Certificate in Year 10 and my HSC in Year 12. The timing couldn’t be more perfect!

I eventually started my international swimming career when I was 14.  The first trip I went on, to the Commonwealth Games in Canada, included a four week training camp in Hawaii prior to the Games, and the possibility of an extra few weeks on the other side of the Games – if we swam well enough - for the World Championships in West Berlin. I won a silver medal at the Games in the 200BK so I was away for a total of 12 weeks.  So I was on the other side of the world for long periods of time and I suffered from homesickness very badly but my parents only had the budget for me to call
home once a week. That’s when I started to write. In the days before email I wrote letters like books. It was the journalists who travelled with the Australian team who recognised I was a ‘writer’ and suggested (since I was always talking to them about my favourite footy team, Manly) that I should be a sports reporter when I retired. I worked for more than fifteen years as a broadcast  journalist/presenter before I had the confidence to tackle a novel.

What do you consider to be your best work? Why?

INHERITANCE. It’s my fifth novel – so I expect it to be better than anything I’ve written just because I’m more practised! But the scope of INHERITANCE is also just so much more ambitious than
anything I’ve written in the past. I’d never written fantasy – but that turned out to be just one of the many challenges of this book. Turning the idea of an ancient magical circus troupe reforming in modern times into a narrative meant I quickly had a grand saga on my hands that included magic, mystery, history, and family (the Cirkulatti is an extended family), not to mention battle scenes, all interwoven with the most important element of YA fiction: relationships, and a hint of romance. Just getting to the end of the story, I felt, was an achievement in itself!

Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?

I do have an office in my house and it is chaotic. But I didn’t write a lot of INHERITANCE in my office. During the creation of Inheritance I had so many serious doubts that I could pull it off I had to switch a few things around. I normally exercise when I first get up (at 5.30am) but since I didn’t get to my desk until I’d got my little boy off to school (after 9), there were just too many hours to convince myself that I wasn’t imaginative enough to write such a book. I knew that the Crown Street Grocer, in Sydney, where I got my first coffee of the day, opened when I got up so I explained my problem to Joe, the owner, and being the generous soul that he is, he welcomed me in. Every morning I was on his doorstep at 6am with my laptop. His early morning customers were very respectful – probably because I was there most days for more than a year working on my book, they realised it was taking all of my concentration!  So if my head was down they didn’t disturb me but if my eyes were up and wandering they were friendly and encouraging, which was really helpful. And hours later, when my battery had run out, the voice of doubt could find no purchase in my mind since there were a thousand or more words added to the book.

When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?

I cover a wide range because I try to keep up with the books my son reads – he likes to talk about them with me, although he’s scooted way ahead of me now with Feist’s, Magician – as well as the popular YA stuff like The Hunger Games, Melina Marchetta’s, Finnikin series, and anything Margo Lanagan writes. Plus there are the adult classics that I don’t think I’ve read enough of!

Because there aren’t enough hours in the day when you’re a writer as well as mother and wife, I’m a big fan of audio books. Right now I’m listening to Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – the magic is beautiful and but sinister at the same time. Before that I was listening to Campbell Scott read For Whom the Bell Tolls – the story of Robert Jordan’s doomed mission to blow up a bridge in the mountains near Segovia. All the way through the book I knew it was doomed but Hemingway’s words, his characters, drew me on so that when the fatally injured Robert Jordan finally said to Maria, ‘we will never go to Madrid,’ I wept as if it was a complete surprise! I don’t remember the last time I’d shed so many tears over a book.

I’ve had a magic realism phase, a Jeanette Winterson phase, an Ian McEwan phase, an F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald phase, read Possession, by A.S Byatt, a number of times, and loved Madeleine St John’s, Women in Black – who wouldn’t like a book that has a heroine who changes her name from Lesley to Lisa when she went for a job in the a department store (a lot like David Jones) in the late 1950’s, because Lisa sounded more sophisticated!

I read a lot more non-fiction when I was an interviewer; not so much now but I will always read anything David Marr has written. He’s a dear friend and one of the most brilliant people I know.

What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?

I’ve written already about the influence of Trixie Belden and her friends.

When I was younger I had an illustrated picture book called Children of the World that I read over and over – I was a bit disappointed when I began my international swimming career to find that there weren’t young girls and boys in Hawaii, Canada or Germany dressed in the national costumes like I’d seen in my book! And I loved a collection of ghost stories called, Shudders and Shakes.

Mum always said that the only way she could get me to school every day when I was little, without crying, was the promise of a Golden Book at the end of the week. When I got older she included a book among my Christmas presents and there was usually a story as to why she chose it for me. Shudders and Shakes had been one of those; so was the The Thorn Birds – Mum heard an interview with Colleen McCullough on the radio. I was barely 14; I read it in about two days! And she gave me a gorgeous edition of My Brilliant Career that was illustrated with all the costumes from the movie. I was a teenager during the years of the great Australian mini-series so I read (and loved) A Town Like Alice, and, 1915, and All The Rivers Run (actually my geography teacher loved that book so I also read it because she recommended it for the descriptions of the meandering river). I liked historical fiction like Exodus by Leon Uris and, thrillers like The Bourne Identity and the gentle story-telling of Maeve Binchy’s, Light a Penny Candle.

At school I loved To Kill a Mockingbird (I recently listened to Sissy Spacek narrating it and I can’t recommend her reading enough) and Pride and Prejudice, of course. Hated Tess of the D’urbervilles – it’s got to be said!

If you were a literary character, who would you be?

Trixie Belden, Scout Finch, Sybylla Melvyn, or Elizabeth Bennett. Do they need explaining? Although, we’ve just read Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men and I rather like Tiffany Aching – precocious and brave and true, all good qualities for a girl.

Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?

Well, not surprisingly (sorry), I mostly hang out with my husband and son.

I was almost 39 when I had Dex, I had no intention of getting married let alone having children, but my best friend was diagnosed with an awful cancer and given no time to live and suddenly I thought ‘what are we here for?’

After a very fulfilling life of my own, I’ve been happy to let Dex lead me down paths (in his completely obsessive way) I would never have gone without him: sea creatures (particularly the really ugly creatures of the deep), dinosaurs (particularly the ugliest and including the swimming reptiles), insects (particularly the enormous spiders, dragonflies and millipedes of the Carboniferous period), cars (particularly the supercar of this century, the Bugatti Veyron – we searched London for one when I was there to work at the Olympic Games last year and finally found a bright-yellow Grand Sport spider at a dealer in Berkeley Square; we were all in awe) and, of course, the world of fantasy fiction. I would not have written INHERITANCE, I’m sure, if he wasn’t in my life

What is your favourite food and favourite drink?

Very hard to narrow down a favourite!  But I’ve got a sweet tooth, so I eat a LOT of salad in order to earn my cake. Chocolate cake, cheese cake, orange and poppy seed cake, lemon and coconut  cake, red velvet cake … I like them all. And a piece of cake goes very well with a macchiato (with a sprinkling of chocolate on top). Although, I’m also quite partial to a glass of Sangria.

Who is your hero? Why?

I’ve had different heroes at different times in my life. I’ve mentioned Shane Gould and Gail Neal when I was a young swimmer. Madonna was a hero for a long time. I was on holiday in the US – actually
on my first visit to New York – when the True Blue album was released and Madonna appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair completely transformed from the early NY downtown boy-toy we’d known, to the sleek, platinum-blonde diva that marked the next phase in her career. Her transformation appealed to me because in my own, post-swimming career, I’d been trying desperately to move away from ‘the swimmer’, to extend my range as a journalist beyond sport, and I’d finally got a break. I was on holiday because I’d left my job as ABC sports reporter/presenter/commentator and when I got home I’d be taking up my new position as a roving reporter on The Midday Show. If Madonna could do it, so could I. I was with her through the brilliant Ray of Light album, and on the next album, Music, her song, What if Feels Like for a Girl, spoke so perfectly to experiences I’d had in early relationships when I was at the height of my post-swimming/media career. But she lost me when she started to doing weird things to her face. I may be naïve, but I’m trying to hold onto the belief that a woman’s magnificence can transcend a few wrinkles. My Nan, who passed away a few years ago now, is someone I’d like to emulate as I age. She stayed very modern in her attitude all the way to 96; she didn’t have much, materially, but was rich in common sense – a commodity we suffer from a chronic shortage of these days.

Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?

Time is short, and the choice in entertainment, for the consumer is massive, so getting, and holding, the reader’s attention is probably the biggest challenge.

Ideally, a good story, well told, should do that. But getting attention in a saturated market is tough. And does ‘well told’, these days, mean faster-paced, or offering a respite from a world that is already
fast-paced? I’m not sure there is one winning formula. My favourite movies are the screw-ball comedies from last century; fast-talking, wise-cracking, clever, often professional people were popular entertainment when the world moved at a slower pace and women, more often, stayed at home. Remakes of those movies for me are slow-moving and pretty dull – more often an insult to our intelligence compared to the originals, but people flock to them.

Ultimately, I think we’ve got to write the stories we’re drawn to and hope that others will be drawn in too.

Follow Lisa:

Facebook Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Forrest/220300424775831

Tiffiny Hall, author of Red Samurai

Tell us about your latest creation…

Red Samurai is book 2 in the Roxy Ran trilogy for readers aged ten and up. Roxy is now the White Warrior. She has a secret crush she is desperate to keep secret plus the school bully to deal with. Roxy’s sister, Elecktra, has always been a great magician, but when she shows off her magic tricks at school, the town of Lanternwood begins to transform with a sense of samurai and the ninjas are no longer safe. There is an enemy lurking and it soon becomes clear that the White Warrior is about to meet her match. Red Samurai is a fantastic read for anyone dealing with bullies or struggling with their confidence. If you love romance, martial arts, magic and adventure you’ll love this book.

Where are you from / where do you call home?

Melbourne, Australia. I also feel at home in any dojo or book shop.

When you were a kid, what did you want to become?  An author?

I wanted to be an author. Every time I blew out the candles out on my birthday cake I wished for the same thing – to be a published author.  I should have been an elite Taekwondo athlete, but I liked writing action more than seeking it.

What do you consider to be your best work? Why?

White Ninja. It was my debut novel and endorsed by literary legend John Marsden. Creating Roxy Ran and her world was so much fun. I wanted to read a story about a girl who was strong, went on adventures and stood up for herself.

Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?

I have a writing room at home. A very messy desk with a collection of 20 ninjas standing at attention beside my computer. There are piles of manuscripts, a patchwork of post-its and towers of kids books swallowing up my big Mac. I write next to a window that has a palm tree in the distance and I love watching how the leaves change throughout the day from spiky with sharp afternoon sun to feathery when I first wake up at dawn.

When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?

Kids books. I like to meet as many kid characters as possible. I also love poetry. Emily Dickinson is my favourite. I also like to read books for big kids. I’m currently rereading Lolita. And I love humour – David Sedaris can’t be taken out in public.

What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?

John Marsden novels. I was lucky enough to be taught by John at school. He lit the flame for writing when I was in Grade Five. I won a John Marsden award for creative writing and my heart was set – I wanted to share stories too. John signed one of his books for me ‘to Hall-of-fame writing’ and the book sits on my writing desk for inspiration.

If you were a literary character, who would you be?

Alice in Wonderland. She had such a wonderful adventure and I agree with Lewis Caroll in the importance of believing in nonsense before breakfast. As a children’s author you’ve got to believe in nonsense to make sense to your audience.

Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?

Lots of ninjaring. I’m a 5th Dan black belt so I love to practice my kicks and take classes. I love to do anything that exercises my body or my imagination. I play the piano and have a grand piano I love to bash every day. Bubble baths. Movies. Washing puppies. Talking to my chatty parrot. Teaching kids martial arts and self-defense. Working on TV. It’s all fun stuff that allows me to meet really interesting people and experience unusual situations.

What is your favourite food and favourite drink?

Food = mango. And chocolate. I wish a chocolate covered mango existed! Drink = cofffeeeeeee. My only vice. I know being a health nut I should be into green tea but I just can’t give up my steamy mug of coffee first thing in the morning.

Who is your hero? Why?

JK Rowling. She introduced so many kids to reading. Harry Potter was rejected over and over but she didn’t give up. She was on a mission to share her story and the world is better for it.  Other heroes of mine are anyone battling illness. You don’t know a real fight until you’ve been really sick.

Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?

The digital age. Books are slow to write and slow to publish. They are competing with the immediacy of blogs, e-books and apps. Publishing in the traditional sense could become irrelevant as more bookshops shut down and distribution changes. But I don’t think this will happen. How could we live without the smell of a new book!  People are busier than ever and time poor. For many, reading has become a luxury not a necessity. Attention spans are more frenetic too. Kids are more visual than ever through social media and posting their lives through photos. Creating pictures with words could become a thing of a past unless we continue to work together with  technology to promote reading through really cool books and authors.

Follow Tiffiny:

Website URL: www.tiffinyhall.com.au
Blog URL: http://www.tiffinyhall.com.au/news
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/tiffinyhall
Twitter URL: https://www.twitter.com/TiffinyHall

Kelly Doust, author of The Crafty Minx at Home

Tell us about your latest creation…

The Crafty Minx at Home: 50+ handmade and recycled objects for beautiful living is about the things closest to my heart: living the handmade life and appreciating the beauty of vintage objects. It also shares the joy in making things yourself and sharing them with loved ones.

Where are you from / where do you call home?

I was raised mostly in Sydney’s Inner West which is where I live now, but I spent my twenties living overseas in Hong Kong and London.

When you were a kid, what did you want to become?  An author?

From the age of about six or seven I wanted to write and started making up short stories and prose for my family (most memorably, a poem imaginatively titled ‘My dog’ when our beloved childhood pet died). My dream of being a writer never really changed, but I’ve certainly had a few failed careers in the interim. I’ve finished exactly one year of a hairdresser’s apprenticeship, and I never quite cut it in the corporate world. I also thought that if I couldn’t write, I’d study to be a fashion designer. I might still do that one day.

What do you consider to be your best work? Why?

The next book I’m working on… I always think I can do better and I’m naturally still learning and improving with each book. I consider The Crafty Minx at Home the best book I’ve published so far, because my taste has evolved along the way and I think we’ve created a beautiful, visually-inspiring world for readers to fall in love with.

Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?

I’m pathologically tidy so I always clear my work area at the beginning of each day. That said, I write at the kitchen table so it’s important to get rid of any distractions before I start, such as the morning’s dirty breakfast bowls and my daughter’s half-finished craft projects. It’s also near the kettle and my digital radio, both of which I couldn’t live without.

When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?

I read in every genre, from autobiographies to investigative journalism and non-fiction, but my favourite indulgences are novels and beautifully-illustrated lifestyle books. Writers such as Jeannette Winterson, John Irving, Wally Lamb, Jonathan Tropper and Annie Proulx blow me away with their intelligence and talent.

What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?

Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Tolkein’s The Hobbit. As a child, I couldn’t think of anything more exciting than escaping to other worlds where magic and adventure existed.

If you were a literary character, who would you be?

Flora Poste of Cold Comfort Farm. She has a plucky sense of humour and made the best of herself in straitened circumstances. She’s my heroine.

Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?

Watch horror movies. Dance hip-hop. Put my body through stupid challenges like Tough Mudder, just to see if I can.

What is your favourite food and favourite drink?

Pasta. My mother’s family is Italian, and despite being told I’m gluten intolerant, I can’t seem to give up the good stuff. Favourite drink would have to be red wine. Or mojitos. Or champagne (I have several favourite drinks).

Who is your hero? Why?

People who stay true to themselves but manage to do so with respect for others. In terms of famous identities, I really admire Jamie Oliver for his passion, ambition and success. He seems like a good
person to me. Ditto Barack Obama.

Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?

Definitely all the other forms of entertainment available to us. I remember being despondent if I ever found myself on a bus or in a waiting room without reading material when I was younger, but now I rarely travel with anything other than my iPhone and use it to watch videos, listen to podcasts and browse online instead. But I think there will always be people who want to sink their teeth into the meatiness of a full-length book. I don’t think anything can replace the beauty of books as objects to covet, touch and possess. Especially illustrated titles, which only grow more tailored and exceptional as time wears on.

Follow Kelly:

Website URL: www.thecraftyminx.com.au
Blog URL: http://thecraftyminx.com.au/
Facebook Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crafty-Minx/125651777489366
Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/TheCraftyMinx

Mary-Lou Stephens, author of Sex, Drugs and Meditation

Tell us about your latest creation…

Sex, Drugs & Meditation is my meditation memoir. It’s the true story of a woman with a talent for self-sabotage who learns to sit still, shut up and start living – and loving.

Where are you from / where do you call home?

I was born and raised in Hobart, studied acting at The Victorian College of the Arts and played in bands in Melbourne and Sydney before I got a proper job – in radio. I’ve worked and played all over Australia but since discovering the Sunshine Coast I’ve been inclined to stay put.

When you were a kid, what did you want to become?  An author?

I wanted to be an archaeologist. I had a desire to dig up the past, which ironically is what I’m doing now with my memoir.

What do you consider to be your best work? Why?

I love Sex, Drugs & Meditation. It’s a great story and it’s all true. There are lyrics to three of my songs in this book from my time as a singer/songwriter. The song about my father dying, “Strange Homecoming” took me two years to finish and just as long to be able to perform without crying. It still affects me to this day. My best work is my most honest work.

Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?

My writing space is the spare room. I have a big trestle table so that I can pile everything up and out of the way when people come to stay. I love it when my husband goes out or away because then I can take over the lounge room, slouch on the couch with my laptop, surrounded by notebooks and paper.

When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?

I have a regular books and writing segment on ABC Local Radio and I focus on Australian writers. I always aim to read the book before interviewing the author. It doesn’t matter what genre, or if it’s fiction or non-fiction, the books I enjoy reading are a good story well told.

What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?

I’m one of six children and we were raised on the C.S Lewis Narnia series, so much so that I gave one of my brothers the boxed set for a wedding present. We also had all the Beatrix Potter books and some of the recorded versions as well. Every Saturday morning we’d go to the library and I’d get out the Mary Plain books. The Magic Faraway Tree was a favourite as well. When I was in high school we studied Saul Bellow’s Henderson The Rain King. It was unlike anything I’d ever read before. It confounded, frustrated and astounded me. It stretched my heart and my mind.

If you were a literary character, who would you be?

Mrs Tiggy-Winkle (Beatrix Potter), making endless cups of tea surrounded by the smell of fresh laundry. Only trouble is I’m allergic to ironing. The ending of the book has a strange and bittersweet melancholy to it that I’ve always been attracted to. “Why, she’s nothing but a hedgehog.”

Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?

I love playing Scrabble. The only reason I joined Facebook was to play Scrabble with my interstate and overseas friends. And at the moment I’m playing my guitar a lot. It’s been a while since I used to play in bands and I need the practice. As well as talking about my book I’ll be playing the songs from it. I’d like it to be a pleasant experience for everyone.

What is your favourite food and favourite drink?

Anything with coconut in it is a firm favourite, my latest food fetish is coconut butter by the spoonful. Apart from water, tea is my favourite drink. There is a whole section of the pantry dedicated to it.

Who is your hero? Why?

Maggie Beer. She’s smart, hard working, creative and generous. Her work with Alzheimer’s Australia is admirable, as is her passion for improving the food in aged care facilities. Her food is delicious, her recipes always work and everyone feels as though she’s their friend even if they’ve never met her. I was lucky enough to meet her and she’s genuinely warm, engaging and funny. And she’s like the Queen, she doesn’t carry any money.

Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?

Screen time. I love reading but even so I find it hard to drag myself away from the lure of social media and the endless sticky strands of the web. I work in radio and that hunger for the immediate is ingrained in what I do but nothing gives me more pleasure than reading a book.

Follow Mary-Lou:

Website URL: http://maryloustephens.com.au/
Blog URL: http://maryloustephens.wordpress.com/
Facebook Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/maryloustephenswrites
Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/MissyMaryLou

Allison Rushby, author of The Heiresses

Tell us about your latest creation…

The Heiresses sees triplets Thalia, Erato and Clio—estranged since birth—thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone—least of all each other.

Where are you from / where do you call home?

I’m from Brisbane, but lived in Cambridgeshire in the UK whilst writing The Heiresses.

When you were a kid, what did you want to become?  An author?

A ballerina with pierced ears (I got the pierced ears, at least!).

What do you consider to be your best work? Why?

The Heiresses truly is my best work. It was such a learning experience writing a very long and unwieldy tale full of drama!

Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?

Now that I’m back in Australia, I have a very normal study, but The Heiresses was written in Cambridgeshire, where I lived in a converted mill on a lock, complete with swan and cygnets. It was all rather idyllic!

When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?

I do love a bit of English fiction — P.G. Wodehouse, Stella Gibbons and anything Mitford.

What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?

Robin Klein’s Hating Alison Ashley was a defining book for me. Up until that point I don’t think I realised you were allowed to write about ‘real’ life and schools, suburbs and so on that you knew truly existed.

If you were a literary character, who would you be?

I’d love to say someone both beautiful and clever, but the truth is, most likely Kate Reddy from Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It. I write and have two kids who go to two different schools. I am always juggling!

Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?

It always surprises people to find out I used to ice skate competitively.

What is your favourite food and favourite drink?

I’m a huge corn chip fan and what goes better with corn chips than a very large margarita!

Who is your hero? Why?

I’ll have to go with my Nana. She’s 94 and still going strong, after not having the best start in life.

Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?

I think it will be interesting to see Australia’s digital sales pick up in the same way they have in the US. With the proliferation of self-published books, it will also be interesting to see how quality books are chosen by the public in the future.

Follow Allison:

Website URL: http://www.allisonrushby.com
Facebook Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Rushby/189442837771168
Twitter URL: http://www.twitter.com/Allison_Rushby

Janeen Brian, author of Meet Ned Kelly

Tell us about your latest creation…

‘Meet Ned Kelly’ is a look at the Australian bushranger who lived in the early days. His story is told in rhyme and tracks Ned’s life from boyhood to his death at age twenty-five. Was Ned Kelly a Robin Hood type hero or was he, as he maintained, forced to become an outlaw? Matt Adams’ illustrations are stunning and quirky and bring to life a feeling of the times and the countryside. There’s a fascinating and factual Time Line at the back.

Where are you from / where do you call home?

I’m from Glenelg, which is a seaside town, just twenty minutes from Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.

When you were a kid, what did you want to become?  An author?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher.

What do you consider to be your best work? Why?

To date, I think it might be my picture book, Where does Thursday go? because I love the basic premise of  Splodge, a bear character heading out to look for Thursday in order to say goodbye to it. He wanted to do that because his birthday had been on Thursday and he asked his friend, Humbug, ‘Where does Thursday go before Friday comes?’  I love the poetic simplicity and word image that I was able to create, and the characters which the illustrator, Stephen Michael King brought to life in an aura of soft blues.

Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?

My office, NOW, is big, but it used to be a desk in my bedroom. The room has large windows that look out onto a lovely backyard. Along that wall are benches on which are set my computer, printer, phone and various other equipment and containers for files, books and stationery. I have a large library shelf and a big red cupboard with glass doors to display my own published books, other cupboards and filing cabinets. In the centre is a nice table where I can spread out stuff – or sit and have a cup of tea with a friend!

When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?

I love Australian fiction, both adult and children’s. I like biographies of people who are in the Arts and I love reading picture books and poetry.

What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?

My parents gave me an Omnibus (a large book with stories, article and poems in it) when I was twelve, because I’d done well in Year 7. They didn’t usually do things like that,so the book was special. I read and re-read that book till I almost knew it backwards.

If you were a literary character, who would you be?

Someone like Elsie, who is a girl in my forthcoming children’s historical novel called, That boy, Jack. Elsie is brave or forthright, funny and caring. I’d liked to have been as strong and as outspoken as her when I was a girl.

Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?

I make mosaics. I love the look of broken crockery, and recycled tiles and found objects, like shells or bits of old jewellery, put together to create something beautiful out of things that’ve had a life and been discarded. I read, of course. I knit about a dozen scarves each year for homeless people. I garden and walk, swim and go to Yoga and Keep Fit classes. I love going to films and the theatre. And I’m sing in a choir called Sing Australia. I love laughing, looking for colour and eavesdropping on people’s conversations.

What is your favourite food and favourite drink?

I drink tea. And I love seafood.

Who is your hero? Why?

My sister. She is the biggest-hearted, warmest, most caring person you could ever meet. She’s funny and has been the most wonderful friend to so many people. She’s passionate about food and the
growing of it, and the environment, and lives for the minute.

Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?

Helping children have time to read. I think it’s vital for them to experience the joy of being elsewhere in their mind and their imagination and to realise that they choose to enjoy a book no matter how
easy other ‘distractions’ are – because reading needs concentration. I’m concerned about reducing our sensory needs and so books, as we know them now, will still have a place. I use an E-book reader for convenience when I travel, but I still like to read a book. Parents need to have one night a week where everyone sits and reads together.

Follow Janeen:

Website URL: www.janeenbrian.com
Blog URL: janeenjottings.blogspot.com