Kate Grenville

  

Kate Grenville is one of Australia's finest writers. Her bestselling novel The Secret River has been published in more than twenty countries and has received numerous awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The Lieutenant was shortlisted for the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, the NSW, QLD and WA Premiers' Awards for Fiction. The Idea of Perfection won the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction and her other award-winning novels, including Lilian's Story, Dark Places and Joan Makes History, have become modern classics. The third book in Kate Grenville's series of Australian historical fiction will be released in September 2011.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Oddly enough, a writer. But it seemed a dream beyond my grasp – took me ages to attempt it.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
In Grade Three at North Sydney Demonstration School, bursting with pride at having my ‘composition’ read out to the class.

How would you describe your work to a complete stranger?
Fiction that tells the stories of complicated people and how they deal with the big difficult questions they're confronted with.

What’s your favourite book?
Moby Dick- breaks all the rules about novels yet it's unputdownable.

Who or what are your influences?
On how to live, my mother; on writing, Patrick White and Thomas Keneally

Is there a mission to your work?
I hate books with an obvious message but there are layers in my novels for those who want to see them.

What's your background - are there studies that prepare you for this?
Reading and writing, and never turning down an opportunity to do something new.

What's the first thing career related you usually do each day?
Fire up the laptop, have the first slurp of coffee, and try not to be discouraged by what I wrote yesterday.

Can you describe your creative process?
Start with a question, write without knowing where you're going, do lots of drafts.

What else do you do to pay the bills?
Teach Creative Writing.

What's the one thing - piece of equipment, toy, security blanket, –you can't work without?
Some kind of writing implement and some kind of paper. Not fussy about either.

What gets you fired up?
Something I don't understand about human behaviour.

What is the best thing about your job?
Working in my pjs all day if I want to.

What’s the worst?
Waiting for the reviews.

Who in the industry most inspires you?
Booksellers and small publishers, working for love rather than money and never losing their enthusiasm for books.

What in the industry do you despair about?
Nothing – Australians want to read Australian books, more than ever.

How do you think digital media is impacting on publishing?
Opening up new ways of doing things, and reaching readers – very positive.

Literature vs. popular fiction – is there still a distinction?
There never was. Dickens was the Maeve Binchy of his day.

What are the top three skills you need to be a writer?
Enjoying your own company; liking questions rather than answers; not needing financial reward or fame to keep going.

What advice would you give to budding writers?
Never start at the beginning. Always start where it's interesting.