IP eNews 42

Fiction really can be stranger than real life! If you’re a bureaucrat already stinging from revelations from the OECD that sees Australia near the bottom of the heap in educational standards, it’s no wonder you’re a bit gun-shy about a book that provides an inside view of local schools.

Our spies tell us that Education Queensland has launched a secret investigation into the novel. A hit squad from their Ethical Standards Committee have been interrogating teachers, past and present, from a local school, which some people believe served as the inspiration for the novel.

Since bureaucrats are not renown for their ability to deal with the subtleties of satire, I became a bit concerned. No, very concerned. Why the Star Chamber approach? If they had a gripe about the themes addressed in the book, why didn’t they come over for a chat at morning tea? (We have enough Tim-Tams to go around…)

The first I knew about it was a call we received from two former teachers at the school, who complained about the heavy-handed tactics of the chair of the Committee and basically told him to take a hike.

Apparently the investigation has been going on for weeks, and shows no signs of wrapping up soon.

Naturally, I have sought answers from EQ, and who better to address my questions than the Director-General (or, in this case, the Acting Director-General — we have had an election in Queensland lately, and a few heads have rolled.)

No doubt a graduate of the Sir Humphrey Appleby School of Information Spin, the A/D-G had little to say but managed to spread it over two pages. Yes, she could confirm that an investigation into the book was under way. But, no, she could not reveal:

• the terms of reference
• who had been questioned
• what questions had been asked
• when the investigation would conclude

If appropriate, I might be invited to address the Committee at a future date. Which could mean that I might not.

And that, at length, was all she could say. To have said anything of substance would have shown, in Sir Humphrey’s words, “great courage”.

Those of you who have visited the book’s mini-site may well wonder what all the fuss is about, if the book delivers on its mission to promote discussion about important social issues, as well as being an entertaining insight into the lives of teachers. Early reviews from teachers and people outside the education system have been uniformly positive. Readers interstate and overseas have often commented that the depiction of characters in the novel “reminds them of teachers they have known” or even of themselves, if they have had the dubious fortune to teach in a public school. Which is, of course, the object of satire.

If the A/D-G or her Ethical Standards Committee are reading this, I can assure them that this novel was inspired by fact and people I have known, but from a variety of sources rather than a single school. I taught university for 15 years—a teacher is a teacher is a teacher. I had a stint as Publishing Manager at the Board of Senior Secondary School Studies, which was overrun by teachers, all of whom had stories they planned to put into a book one day. I was Publishing Manager at the Criminal Justice Commission, which handled many complaints against EQ and its employees. I know of what I speak—and 17 titles on, I’m very capable of fictionalising it!

Where satire gets bogged down in local issues and does not call to mind universal themes, it fails. From all evidence at hand Primary Instinct has succeeded as satire – to the extent that EQ is considering it as a candidate for a Brisbane re-enactment of Fahrenheit 451.

Word is getting around. Libraries in South-east Queensland can’t keep copies of Primary Instinct on the shelves. Neither can the bookshops. If you’re curious about this latest attack on creative expression — or you simply want a good gossip about the not-so-secret lives of teachers—go down to your local bookshop and demand a copy. And, if they are still not in stock, email us with Send Me Primary Instinct as your Subject, and we’ll send it to you postage-free. With a money-back guarantee. Love it, or return it, for a full refund.

[Anna Bartlett interviewed Juliet Williams about her upcoming kids picture book The Giggle Gum Tree.]

AB: The Giggle Gum Tree is the first picture book you’ve had published, which must be very exciting for you. How long have you been interested in writing?

JW: I was interested in reading before writing. I read a lot as a child, and loved adventure stories by Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl that are still popular today. I wrote lots of poetry and kept a journal for many years, with all sorts of writing in it. Journals are a great place to experiment with writing and test different genres.

AB: What do you think is the best part about writing for children?

JW: I don’t feel restricted by anything when I first think about a story idea or concept. I can literally let Juliet my imagination go wherever it likes and this is such a fun process to go through. Things only become restrictive when the writing starts, but then I enjoy the technical challenges involved. The process of creating a picture book is a great mix of these skills and of course reaching that ultimate goal of watching a child read the story, enjoy it and read it again.

AB: The Giggle Gum Tree is a sweet, imaginative story about two sisters who work together to save their favourite neighbourhood tree from destruction. Where did your inspiration for this story come from?

JW: My daughters and I would go for long walks around our neighbourhood and we came across lots of giggle gum trees. The girls would walk underneath it (or be pushed under in the pram) and the leaves would tickle them. It was the highlight of our walks and they giggled like crazy. Trees were also significant in my childhood – a place for adventures and fun.

AB: One of the themes in The Giggle Gum Tree is community – working together as a community, and the impact that one action or decision can have on the rest of the community. For example, the decision to cut down the giggle gum affects everyone from the adults to the children to the cockatoo that lives in the tree’s branches. How important do you think it is for people to be aware of the impact their actions can have on those around them?

JW: It’s very important of course, and ideally everyone would think a lot more carefully about the impact of their decisions and actions if they were informed or aware of what these might be. Sometimes the damage is inadvertent because it was really hard to foresee, or was unexpected. I do believe people should think about the potential impact of their decisions/ actions and act responsibly, especially when it involves the environment and wildlife.

AB: You’re actively involved in an organisation called Community Connections, and are donating your royalties from the first print run of The Giggle Gum Tree to this organisation. What does Community Connections do, and how has your involvement with them influenced your writing?

JW: I have worked at Community Connections for about 15 years in various roles. It is a not for profit community organisation based in The Barwon – South West region of Victoria. It provides many different services to families, children and communities in the area, ranging from free legal advice to drought counselling. It has a focus on early intervention methods to support families and has developed some great early childhood and literacy programs in recent years. My work in the out of home care (foster care) programs showed me just how resilient children can be, with or without parents. But they all need the best support possible in order to thrive, and this can be done a whole lot better for foster kids, through adequate funding and an appropriate, caring protection system.

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[Anna also managed to catch up with Elizabeth Botte, illustrator for The Giggle Gum Tree.]

AB: How did you first get involved in illustrating? Have you always been interested in art?

EB: It was certainly the most passionately relished subject throughout my schooling. I was rather rebellious in most of my classes, yet morphed into the ultimate teacher’s pet during art and graphics. I remember drawing people’s portraits when I was 7, most of them hideous I’m sure, but it just felt so satisfying to focus my attention like that.

AB: You’re a painter as well as an illustrator, and have had several exhibits over the years. How is illustrating picture books different from creating your other artworks?

EB: Actually, I haven’t painted much lately. I seem to find so much more excitement with a story or brief and a deadline, far more than losing my mind staring at a blank canvas till the wee hours of the morning. It’s also tremendously satisfying collaborating with others to produce something useful.

AB: Do you stick to a set routine as an illustrator, or work more flexibly? Where do you like to work?

EB: I do a lot of work on my laptop, which of course could be taken anywhere. But usually I’m in my studio, which indeed is where I am now. It’s just so peaceful here. And the world is even quieter at night, so I often find myself focussed and working till 4am, and up again at 7am to get my son to school.

AB: How would you describe the style of the illustrations in The Giggle Gum Tree? Why did you decide to use this style?

EB: I was given a lot of freedom with The Giggle Gum Tree. Naturally I went straight for my favourite style. I Botte love those sweet picture books from the 60s and 70s. Though I’ve been doing a lot of work digitally lately, I felt some scenes, like the chickens in the farmyard, definitely had to be painted. So the whole thing is old fashioned paint and ink… okay maybe with just a couple of digital touch-ups.

AB: You’ve illustrated a number of other books besides The Giggle Gum Tree. What’s special to you about this one?

EB: The Giggle Gum Tree is such a lovely story. I look forward to reading what Juliet writes next. It’s empowering and inspiring reading about two productive little girls, thinking clearly and finding a solution. It’s probably the youngest audience I’ve illustrated for. I keep getting work for teens and adults – great too, but I love the cuteness that one has permission to delve into when aiming for a younger crowd.

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[Lauren Daniels was recently able to have a chat withm Tom and Simon Sykes about their upcoming book The Hitchers of Oz.]

LD: The Hitchers of Oz: Hitchhiking Stories and Observations from Australasia and Beyond is a true labour of love. It can be seen as an intimate, honest collection of stories and experiences from the point of view of the hitchhiker. Though the book is notably born from a passion for travel, what else inspired you both to compile this collection?

T&SS: Between us we have travelled and hitched extensively in Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East and came away with great personal experiences as well as many second-hand tales from fellow travellers. We couldn't believe our eyes when, after researching the topic, we discovered that, while there have been plenty of collections of travellers' stories, a definitive anthology specifically about hitchhiking had never been published. We thought it criminal that this cultural phenomenon had been so overlooked and thought we were fairly well qualified to rectify things!

LD: The Hitchers of Oz is loaded with big names who have hitchhiked Australasia and across the rest of the globe over the last several decades. How did you approach these celebrities, musicians, and high profile contributors in the first place? How did you woo them to contribute to this work? Are there any responses from any of them that really stand out?

T&SS: Essentially we prepared an invite letter/email and targeted those well-known figures we thought might have some experience of hitchhiking. This isn't difficult in a country like Australia where the pursuit is T&SS so popular and widespread. Luckily these days many celebrities have websites or fan mail addresses you can contact them through, which certainly made things a lot easier from our end. We also advertised for people to send us their stories or thoughts through hitchhiking groups, travel websites and our website. Wooing has never been necessary because people are usually so interested in what, even after three books, is still quite an original project that they commit pretty quickly. Amongst our favourite responses are Chuck D's who, in a short and sweet epigram, sums up the joys of hitchhiking and David Lovejoy's whose dramatic tale of being stranded in Indonesia is quite excellent.

LD: What are some of the common themes of The Hitchers of Oz? Without giving too much away, what do these themes communicate to the audience? How are readers enticed?

T&SS: The Hitchers of Oz is first and foremost an entertaining read, full of ripping yarns and hilarious observations but there are, we suppose, deeper human themes. Our book explores the way people behave when they pick people up or get a ride, the power (im)balance between patron and passenger as well as the notion of trust, which of course is vitally important as stepping into a car with a total stranger carries certain risks. But if you don't take the risk (which is actually statistically very small) then you might not be exploring all that life has to offer. This is why hitching has a risqué, alternative, bohemian reputation which is also analysed in the book through references to the vast amount of music, literature, film and fine art inspired by it. Think of Marvin Gaye or Jack Kerouac or Jim Morrison or Douglas Adams.

LD: In these recent times marked by terrorism, suspicion and occasional bouts of xenophobia, with the media rife with fear-mongering, disasters and travel bans, what is your collection hoping to inspire? Might it be considered as a kind of reality check? Have you had any responses from readers yet which share in a kind of optimism?

T&SS: It's interesting that since we published our first book in the UK, No Such Thing As A Free Ride?, car sharing schemes have become the vogue as governments and individuals try to reduce carbon emissions and avert environmental disaster. In most developed countries people agree that there are just too many vehicles on the road causing too much pollution. Our book implicitly suggests that, because hitchhiking can be fun and adventurous, people should probably do it more and thus make travel more carbon efficient. Of course trust is a big issue, as already mentioned, and since the 1980s there has definitely been more fear and loathing towards hitching, partly due to a few high-profile but actually very rare incidents when passengers were murdered by patrons or vice versa. Our book sort of says that there are risks inherent in all forms of transport but no one stops getting on boats after a ferry capsizes or rants against the evils of air travel because crashes have occurred in the past.

In hitching, the good generally outweighs the bad, but we haven't been afraid to include negative views in the collection such as that of Rabbi Apple. We have been so impressed by the positive worldwide response to our books that we have to assume that there is still a wellspring of trust and compassion out there with people being prepared to help each other broaden their experience without money changing hands. Some readers have informed us of an international hitchhiking conference that takes place in Vilnius each year. Others have told us that they believe themselves to be the world's oldest active hitcher.

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[Jeremy Green managed to catch up with Euan McCabe about his book World Cup Baby.]

JG: World Cup Baby is a story of obsession, detailing all your many observations and experiences relating to the global phenomenon that is the FIFA World Cup™. What is it about this sport, and in particular this event, that so captures your attention?

EM: I first became aware of the football World Cup when I read about a Dutch football fan who threw his television set out of his lounge window when Holland lost the 1974 final to West Germany. Being 10-years-old at the time and having recently become interested in sport, I found this extreme over-reaction utterly fascinating. What could possibly move somebody to act in this way?

Essentially, what I love most about the World Cup is this constant battle between what is truly beautiful about life - great football, global participation and unity, the way it fills people with joy and hope - and what is so dastard about life - terrible football; division, conflict, despair and anger; cheating and colluson; even political bullying. Football is the world game, a global movement with a presence in every country and amongst almost every ethnic group. With 214 nations competing from the start, it's bigger than the Olympics.

JG: This event has the ability to capture the complexities of human nature, perhaps more so than any other. What are some of the characteristics of human nature that have revealed themselves to you through observing the World Cup?

EM: The World Cup reflects life on this planet, especially the extreme differences, and this manifests itself both in the behaviour between players on the pitch and the supporters off it. It is, quite simply, the most colourful and diverse and complex showcase of human behaviour that you will see anywhere.
The extremes of fanaticism seen outside the tournament itself also helps set it apart from anything else.

It produces power surges, brings down telephone EuanM exchanges and websites, induces strike and riots, produces record TV viewing figures and often provokes political fallout between governments...it even produced a war once - between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969. It's this bizarre effect on people that makes it unique.

On more thing - 5,000,000 South Koreans watched their 2002 semi-final match in public areas, while 14,000,000 people watched part of Germany 2006 in public places in that country. This ability to 'mobilise' people is extraordinary.

JG: World Cup Baby is clearly a product of a significant input of time, travel, and observation. How has your appreciation developed through these experiences? Do you feel that you have grown personally as a result of observing and collating these ideas?

EM: I don't whether I have grown personally in some respects - watching TV for an entire month represents little in terms of maturity, contribution or output - but the one thing the World Cup has taught me right from the outset is this - despite humankind's obvious shortcomings, this is one great planet we all share. Especially when the World Cup is on. It has also encouraged me to travel and see this world up close and - although this sounds as corney as a Miss World contestant, but it's true - it has taught me to respect and enjoy other cultures. Especially at football matches, where different nationalities collectively express themselves like nowhere else.

JG: The book deals with the raw fanaticism that can occur in relation to the sport and event. What advice do you have for those who are not currently fans themselves, but have partners, family or friends that are obsessed?

EM: Be quiet in June 2010. And if you can't be quiet, shift out.

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[Jeremy also got to have a chat with L R Saul about her second fantasy novel with IP, Sacrifice.]

JG: Sacrifice is a fantasy title unlike most we've seen before. Although it contains a journey to an alien world, so often seen in the genre, it also holds deadly magic-wielding priests, cunning street rats and sinister rituals. How do these elements and more make Sacrifice really stand out?

LS: I think what makes Sacrifice stand out from other fantasies is that it is set in a world that fights with politics, and not with weapons. There are many fantasy novels that are journeys and adventures, with battles and monsters - Bloodline included. In Sacrifice, you can expect a whole new game. It is a game where the players fight with political intrigues and laws. For this reason, all the elements of it seem quite unusual. You don’t have magic-wielding priests who go on a long journey with the protagonist and use their magic to fight off predators. You have magic-wielding priests who are as scheming and political as every other player in this civilised world.

And then, in comes Emme. Feisty, fist-fighting, and utterly courageous, Emme is used to the drunken brawls of her village, the beatings of her mother, the cruel tricks of the villagers who hate her, and the desperate need to learn wilderness survival skills in the forest of her homeland. And she lands in this amazing political mess that has been going on for twenty years. And somehow, she is so important to that political mess, that she finds herself a fugitive with a price on her head.

And the clash of the two worlds will turn the games of this alien city on its head.

JG: It is, of course, the start to a new series, moving in a different direction to that of your previous IP title, Bloodline: Alliance. It also has a decidedly darker feel. Why start this new series, and how do the themes differ between it and Bloodline?

LS: Because I have many ideas for future novels, I sometimes have the luxury of choosing the order of my books practically rather than passionately. So I wrote Bloodline: Alliance as my 'break-in book', and I would write the planned sequel if the first ever sold. Then I moved on to Sacrifice. I thought it better to have two novels circulating (and you don't circulate a sequel). I deliberately chose Sacrifice next because it was very different to Bloodline: Alliance. I was trying to show the reader the diversity of what I write, and that the only things they will find in every book are the two m's: mystery and message. My books will always have a mystery, and will be a way for me to explore the issues that haunt me. Everything else might be completely different, unexpected, if the mystery and message demands it.

I loved Sacrifice and its characters so much, I felt utterly compelled to write its sequel, Redemption, next. The characters seriously would not let me go until I finished their story. By the time I finished Redemption, Bloodline: Alliance was getting a great deal of attention from both readers and people in the publishing industry, so I turned my attentions to its sequel, Bloodline: Covenant. And I've been slogging away at it ever since.

So I finished Sacrifice and its sequel a long time ago, and I then went back to Bloodline's sequel. It’s complicated, I know, but I tried to move in an order that made the most sense in terms of building a readership.

I chose Bloodline first because it's not too different to most tolkein-esque fantasies out there. It’s a grand scale novel about prejudice, injustice, forgiveness, and fate. It’s a vast look at history and society and cosmic events.

Sacrifice is a much more intimate story. And it is set in a world that fights with politics, not weapons. It is, essentially, one person’s story: the main character, Emme, really does carry the weight of the book. It explores social classes, courage, poverty and the measures we use for valuing a human being. And I can say this: it is definitely setting up some absolutely astounding themes that I know will blow you away in Redemption.

JG: Both of your novels (and series) feature female characters put in tough situations, who nonetheless find strength through their experiences. What parallels can you draw between Shenna (Bloodline) and Emme (Sacrifice)? In what ways do they differ?

LS: I have always wished that there were more female characters in fantasy novels. There was this mistaken idea that the vast majority of fantasy readers were men and therefore we needed male-driven plots. I think we’re starting to see the error of that way of thinking, and more female protagonists are starting to appear. So now I get to write female protagonists and add to a growing collection.

Though Shenna and Emme get dragged through the mud, one of the big differences between them is that Shenna has to dramatically change, whereas Emme thankfully stays the same. Emme is a fireball of a woman with an astounding amount of courage, who is thrown into a world where she is snubbed and disliked. It is a world of social classes, and Emme is the lowest of the low, and yet she refuses to be anyone but herself. And you really come to cheer her for that. Emme just needs to find a place where she can fit. She has lots of passion and courage, and nowhere productive for it to go.

Shenna, on the other hand, has had her life stunted by a tragedy from her childhood, and Shenna must totally transform in order to truly find life and freedom. Shenna must grow and move on, and find a different purpose and path in life. Shenna has to discover who she really is.

[continued next column]