Gabrielle Wang - Authour Interview Series

Gabrielle Wang is an award-winning author and illustrator born in Melbourne of Chinese heritage. Her latest book is Meet Poppy, the first in a series of junior novels about a girl growing up during the Victoran gold rush.

What authors/books did you read as a child? When did you first discover your love of books?

I read a lot of dog and horse books when I was young. I was crazy about them – White Fang, Call of the Wild, Green Grass of Wyoming, My Friend Flicka, Lassie Come Home, to name just a few. Of course I loved Enid Blyton, especially the Secret Seven and Famous Five series. My mother instilled in me a love of books. When we were small she would read to us every night. We had a library of good adult books in our house that I read as a teenager – DH Lawrence, Gunther Grass, Raymond Chandler, Ray Bradbury, John Wyndham, Herman Hesse…. But the one book that I will always remember with love and affection is The Magic Faraway Tree. And I still have my original copy.

When did you first realise you were a writer? What do you hope your readers will take away with them from reading your books?

I didn’t discover that I loved to write until I was in my thirties. I was never good at writing at school. In fact I failed Year 12 English so I had to repeat the year again in order to get into Graphic Design at RMIT. All my life I wanted to be an artist. It wasn’t until later that I became interested in writing and illustrating picture books. I sent a few manuscripts off to publishers but was unsuccessful and gave it away. But the dream was always there. I hope my words transport, inform, provoke and evoke. I hope my reader catches a glimpse into another culture and sees the world through the eyes of someone who may be different.

Do you find it difficult to read purely for pleasure? Does everything you read come under your ‘writer’ microscope?

I always read for pleasure unless it is for research. I don’t particularly like researching but a book can’t survive without it. I’ve read too many novels where the author has failed in this area. If a book doesn’t grab me from the start, I won’t persevere with it. There are too many good books out there that I want to spend my time with. But as a writer, part of me is still on the job. I might be enjoying the characters and the plot, but ideas for my own stories are always snapping in my brain.

Do you have to avoid reading certain types of fiction while writing your own? Does what you read while writing have an effect on what you write? In what way?

I tend not to read a book that has the same subject matter as the one I’m working on. For example, when I was writing The Hidden Monastery about a boy and a mythical Chinese creature, I steered away from books about dragons like Carole Wilkinson’s Dragonkeeper.
As I mentioned above, sometimes a paragraph or page in the book I’m reading will spark off a completely new idea that I might be able to use in my WIP.*

Name five authors or books that have influenced or inspired your own writing in some way?

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I love the way this book is set in the real world but travels into other dimensions. Most of my books do the same and I owe it all to Enid. The Chuangzi by Chuangzi and Tao de Jing by Laozi. I often use the way of the Tao in my writing. Any book by Ray Bradbury and Raold Dahl for their inventiveness, boundless imagination and twists.

If you were travelling and were told you could only take one book with you, what book would it be and why?

Ursula Le Guinn’s wonderful adaptation of the Tao De Jing by Laozi. I like the way Le Guinn has interpreted this incredible book.

What makes a book ‘too good to put down’?

Unique voice, great characters, exciting plot, beautiful lyrical prose, descriptions, philosophical ideas.

What makes you put down a book without finishing it?

Boring, unoriginal, no layering, one dimensional characters, poorly researched, endless rambling instead of keeping to the story.

Do you have a favourite author? Who is it and what is it about their writing that draws you to them?

I have too many to mention. I have just finished reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery and really really enjoyed it. I loved the voice, the ideas and the story. I do like Paul Auster and Haruki Murakami.

If you had to list them, what would be your ‘top ten’ reads of all time (excluding the classics) and why?

I would like to rephrase this question to ‘If you had to list them, what are some of your favourite books?

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The World of Nasruddin by Idries Shah
The Windup Girl Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Cloud Street by Tim Winton
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castenada
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Kahlila and Dimna – Tales of Friendship and Betrayal

What was your 2010 ‘best read’? What was it that made it number one?

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. This is a children’s book. I loved Appelt’s beautiful lyrical writing and the ancient feel of this story and the steamy setting of the everglades.

What do you think of the non-traditional publishing methods – eBooks etc? Do you think the new technology will encourage more people to read? Do you think there’s a future for print books?

I always have an audio book on the go. This way I can read several books at once. I tend to zoom through an audio book because I can listen to it while walking the dog or cooking the dinner. And it’s easy on the eyes. The book beside my bed is always a slow read no matter what it is. I have an ipad and have downloaded a few books onto that. But for me it will never replace the simple elegance and feel of a ‘real’ book. On the plus side - More people might read because young people are used to interacting with screens, ebooks are cheaper and have less impact on the environment. I think print books will eventually die out but it will take a while and thankfully not be in my lifetime.

In her twenties Gabrielle went in search of her roots living in both China and Taiwan where she studied Chinese language and painting. Her stories are a blend of Chinese and Western culture with a touch of fantasy. She has twice won the Aurealis Award for Best Children’s fiction, and her books have been named Notable Books in the Children’s Book of the Year Awards, and shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. She is published internationally in the UK, US, South America, Korea and China. Her books include The Garden of Empress Cassia, The Lion Drummer, A Ghost in My Suitcase and Little Paradise.

You can read more about Gabrielle at http://www.gabriellewang.com/

(* work in progress)

Kerry Greenwood - Author Interview Series

Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series began in 1989 with Cocaine Blues. Kerry has written sixteen books in this series with no sign yet of Miss Fisher hanging up her pearl-handled pistol. Kerry says that as long as people want to read them, she can keep writing them.

What authors/books did you read as a child? When did you first discover your love of books?

I learned to read when I was three beause I had a favourite book, Katie the Kitten - a golden book - and my mother read it to me so many times that I coud recite it and associated the words spoken with the ones on the page. "Katie the Kitten a small tiger cat is asleep in a hall in a ball in a hat..." Then I read EVERYTHING including the backs of cornflakes packets. My favourites were Milne, Lewis Carroll, Kipling, C S Lewis, Doctor Doolittle, Elizabeth Goudge... and everyone else.

When did you first realise you were a writer? What do you hope your readers will take away with them from reading your books?

I wrote my first novel when I was sixteen. I just love writing books. I hope to amuse my readers, to take them away to another place, where there will always be a happy ending.

Do you find it difficult to read purely for pleasure? Does everything you read come under your 'writer' microscope?

To a certain extent, particularly detective stories. But I am very pleased when a writer convinces me and seduces me into a false solution. I enjoy the artistry and the journey.

Do you have to avoid reading certain types of fiction while writing your own? Does what you read while writing have an effect on what you write? In what way?

Yes, I never read detective stories while I am writing one, due to the possibilites of cross-contamination. I stick to other genres while I am writing. I haven't had any bad experiences in this way, because I avoid the possibility.

Name five authors or books that have influenced or inspired your own writing in some way?

Dorothy Sayers, my hero. Wrote the best detective stories in my genre.
J R R Tolkein, who wrote the definitive fantasy, the definitive second creation, to which I can only aspire.
P G Wodehouse, for his skilled, ingenious and very funny use of language.
Leslie Charteris, who wrote The Saint and perfected the caper novel.
Joan Aiken, who invented alternate histories.

If you were travelling and were told you could only take one book with you, what book would it be and why?

The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein. Or if it has to be non fiction, The Histories by Herodotus.

What makes a book 'too good to put down'?

Pace, ingenuity, clarity of character.

What makes you put down a book without finishing it?

Unimaginative characters, boring exposition, too much description, (Walter Scott, I see you!) and predictable plot.

Do you have a favourite author? Who is it and what is it about their writing that draws you to them?

Tolkien again. It's the most perfect sub-creation. You believe that there are hobbits, or have been hobbits. I like to believe that, too.

If you had to list them, what would be your 'top ten' reads of all time (excluding the classics) and why?

Can't exclude classics, sorry.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens - the book which changed the law, complex, fascinating, passionate.
The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein - for reasons already cited.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken - another perfect sub creation and a romping good read.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - the original psychedelic fantasy.
The Beast Master by Andre Norton - clever, deeply felt YA adventures in space-time.
A Morbid taste for Bones by Ellis Peters - another perfect re-creation of another time.
Nova by Samuel Delaney - epic in future form, redolent with other myths.
When Things Fall Apart by Ron Goulart - who can be funny about dystopias.
Goblin Reservation by Clifford Simak - I love his dry, constrained style.
The Christening Quest by Ann Scarborough - witty, ingenious, intelligent fantasy.

What do you think of the non-traditional publishing methods - eBooks etc? Do you think the new technology will encourage more people to read? Do you think there's a future for print books?

Yes, as a niche, and because people will always like to have a book or two around the house (they do not need batteries). Also it is not a good idea to read ebooks in the bath. I suspect that printed books will become art objects and plain everyday novels will be something you download. Fine with me.

When Kerry is not writing, she works as a locum solicitor for the Victorian Legal Aid. She is also the unpaid curator of seven thousand books, three cats (Attila, Belladonna and Ashe) and a computer called Apple (which squeaks). She can detect second-hand bookshops from blocks away and is often found within them. For fun Kerry reads science fiction/fantasy and detective stories.

You can find out more about Kerry here.

Kate Forsyth - Author Interview Series

Kate Forsyth's latest book is The Wildkin’s Curse, a tale of high adventure and true love for readers aged 12+. It is the sequel to her award-winning novel The Starthorn Tree.

What authors/books did you read as a child? When did you first discover your love of books?

I could read before I went to school, and was already devouring books as fast as I could get my greedy little hands on them. I remember loving my first day of school because - as all the other kids began to be taught the alphabet - I got to curl up on a beanbag and read my way through the class library. They had to bring in another box for me, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh I love school! I get to read all day.’ Books have always been a source of enchantment and wonder to me. I spent a lot of time in hospital as a child, and books were my only escape from the pain and fever and loneliness. By the time I left primary school I had read every book in the library, and my local council library had issued me with special permission to read the books in the adult section as I’d read everything in the children’s!

When did you first realise you were a writer?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have a desperate longing to be a writer. It was my one ambition, all of my life, and at every crossroads I’ve always taken the road that would lead me towards that dream. It’s not always been easy, particularly when I was young and poor, but I feel justly rewarded now that I’m an established writer with a body of award-winning and internationally published work. I feel I’m living the life I always dreamed of, and that’s a joy all in itself.

What do you hope your readers will take away with them from reading your books?

I have such high ambitions of every book I write! I want my readers to be totally absorbed in the world I’ve created, as if they have stepped through a magical door into another land. I want them to laugh and gasp and cry and shiver. I want them to finish reading my book with that sting of tears in their eyes, that lump in the throat, that means they have been truly moved. I want them to look up from the book and see our own world with a clearer, brighter gaze, with a new sense of astonishment and awe. I want them to feel as if the boundaries of the known universe have been pushed out, and their own sense of the possible enlarged. I want them to think about my book in the days and weeks and years that follow, and go back to it and read it again with the feeling of meeting an old and trusted friend. I want them to push a copy into the hands of everyone they meet and say, ‘you must read this! It’s wonderful!’ I want them to treasure my book, and give it to their own children and grandchildren, and forever after list it as one of their all-time favourite books. I want them to divide the world into people who love it, and so are clearly kindred spirits, and people who don’t, who are obviously lacking some kind of magic in their soul. Sigh! Wouldn’t all that be heavenly?

Do you find it difficult to read purely for pleasure? Does everything you read come under your ‘writer’ microscope?

No, I read for pleasure all the time. It’s one of the great sources of joy in my life. I do find that my reading is shaped and affected by what I’m writing – for example, when I was working on The Gypsy Crown I was utterly obsessed with the English Civil War and Oliver Cromwell and the history and culture of the Romanys, and so I found it very hard to read anything outside that area of interest. As soon as I finish writing a book, I start catching up on all the books I wasn’t able to read during the writing process. I’ll have books stockpiled, sometimes for years, waiting for me to read without any underlying purpose. I always read with a critical eye – a sign of a good book to me is one that works so beautifully that I relax into it and just enjoy it.

Do you have to avoid reading certain types of fiction while writing your own? Does what you read while writing have an effect on what you write? In what way?

I always read a lot, but the books I choose to read are always determined by what I’m writing. For example, I’m working on a historical novel now which entwines the fairytale of Rapunzel with the true life story of one of its earliest tellers, the French writer Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force. So I’m reading a lot of fairytale retellings, and a lot of books set in, or about, 17th century France, and a lot of novels that parallel two different historical periods, or two different narratives. My reading is ranging from popular biographies, like Antonia Fraser’s book on Louis the Fourteenth and the women in his life; to serious scholarship, books with titles like The Devotees: Women and Church in Seventeenth Century France; to The Empress of Icecream by Anthony Capella, a recent novel about a confectioner at the court of Louis XIV who falls in love with Louise de Keroualle, who was sent to England to try and seduce Charles II, while spying for the French king. I’ll also read a lot of murder mysteries and romances and memoirs set in France; anything that helps me imagine a place and a time and a culture. I also belong to two Book Clubs and so need to read books for those – I do find it hard, though, if I’m in the midst of an obsession about 17th century France and have to read a book set in contemporary Australia!

Name five authors or books that have influenced or inspired your own writing in some way?

Only five? There are so many wonderful writers! A few favourites from different stages of my reading life:

C.S. Lewis and the Narnia books – these books were among the first I ever read all on my own and the very word ‘Narnia’ has the power to make me shiver with delight.
Enid Blyton and the Famous Five – how I longed for adventure when I was a child! I still wish I lived in a house with a secret passage, that led somewhere mysterious and exciting.
The Bronte sisters - I loved the whole story of the girls sitting and scribbling by candlelight and creating these astonishing books and poems. I like to re-read their books every few years.
Tad Williams and his fantasy series Memory, Sorrow & Thorn – I had not read any fantasy since I was a child and these books led me back to tales of magic and adventure and danger, which encouraged me to write my own fantasy, Dragonclaw, which was my first published book. Tracey Chevalier – she is one of my absolute favourite writers. I love the perfect balance of plot, character and place, and I love the way she brings history to life.

If you were travelling and were told you could only take one book with you, what book would it be and why?

I could never do that! I’m so afraid of being stuck in an airport or a foreign hotel without a book to read that I always take about 5 or 6. And I then read them all in the first few days and have to go & buy a whole pile of new ones. And since I can never get rid of a book I’ve loved, I post them all home to myself, spending hundreds on postage. Plus I get very sore shoulders from heaving them all around with me. I’m travelling to France and Italy next year to research the book I’m writing at the moment, and I plan to buy an e-book reader and download a hundred books on to it before I go!

What makes a book ‘too good to put down’?

A fascinating plot full of suspense and surprise, compelling writing, characters that you really care about, a world that has been so beautifully crafted it feels real. Easy!

What makes you put down a book without finishing it?

A boring plot, bland writing, flat characters, a beige setting.

Do you have a favourite author? Who is it and what is it about their writing that draws you to them? If you had to list them, what would be your ‘top ten’ reads of all time (excluding the classics) and why?

I have so many favourite writers! I actually have a list of them on my website at http://www.kateforsyth.com.au/favouritewriters.htm. Here are my ABSOLUTE top ten favourite contemporary writers – Geraldine Brooks, Tracey Chevalier, Sarah Dunant, Joanne Harris, Kim Wilkins, Kate Morton, Susan Vreeland, Lian Hearn, Cornelia Funke, and Eva Ibbotson. The reason why they are my favourites is because they have never let me down – each and every book they write is wonderful, surprising, and compelling. I will rush to the bookshop to buy one of their books and then I will curl up with it with an immense sense of anticipation and I will read every word with pleasure. Joanne Harris is the only one that this is not completely true about – her last two books have not made my heart sing – but she deserves her place in my list because of Chocolat and Five Quarters of the Orange which I just adore. Their books have everything I want in a book – history, art, suspense, mystery, magic, romance, heartbreak.

What was your 2010 ‘best read’? What was it that made it number one?

The best book of 2010 for me was The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It was absolutely stupendous. The only reason he’s not on my list of Top 10 favourite Writers of all time is that I haven’t yet read any of his other books yet. I’ve bought them and I plan to read them just as soon as I can. Other stand-outs for me, in adult fiction, were The Distant Hours by Kate Morton and The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon. Best crime novel was Heartstone by C.J. Sansom, and The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley. Best children’s book was absolutely Dark Angels by Katherine Langrish, though I also enjoyed A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elisabeth C. Bunce.

What do you think of the non-traditional publishing methods – eBooks etc? Do you think the new technology will encourage more people to read? Do you think there’s a future for print books?

I think e-books are a wonderful innovation that will open up reading to many people who might otherwise find books heavy, inconvenient, expensive, or just too daunting. There’s no doubt it will change the way many people read – but so too did the printing press. I think books published in the traditional way will become collector’s items, sought out because of their beauty and rarity. I think signed books will become a lot more valuable, and that publishers will begin to do limited editions of certain books remarkable for their packaging and presentation. In other words, start collecting first edition, signed copies of books now!

Kate Forsyth is the internationally bestselling author of more than twenty books for children and adults, including The Puzzle Ring, The Gypsy Crown, The Starthorn Tree, and the bestselling fantasy series ‘The Witches of Eileanan’ and ‘Rhiannon’s Ride’. Since her first novel was named a Best First Novel of 1998 by Locus Magazine, she has been shortlisted for numerous awards, including a CYBIL Award in the US and the Surrey Book of the Year award in Canada. In 2007, Kate became the first author to win five Aurealis awards in a single year when Books 2-6 in the Chain of Charms series were jointly awarded the 2007 Aurealis Award for Children’s Fiction. Book 5: The Lightning Bolt was also named a Notable Book for 2007 by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Her books have been published in 13 countries around the world.

You can read more about her at http://www.kateforsyth.com.au/