About Me
It took me a while to do something about the dream I’d always had of being a writer. But when I finally quit my job as a Brand Manager for Maybelline Cosmetics and went back to uni to study creative writing, lots of things happened which made me believe I’d taken the right step. The first piece of writing I ever sent off to a journal for publication - a poem - was accepted. It was the best $100 I’d ever earned. This is easy, I remember thinking!
Of course, it wasn’t always that easy. But I was lucky enough to win the TAG Hungerford Award for Fiction and thus receive a publishing contract for my first book, What is Left Over, After. My second book, If I Should Lose You, is due out in August 2012.
In between all that, I’ve had three children. Nowadays I write while the kids are sleeping, which is, of course, never for long enough.
My Books
My new book, If I Should Lose You, will be released in August 2012. More details coming soon ...
What is Left Over, After
In my defence I can only put forward this disclaimer: I don't consider myself to be a promiscuous person. Promiscuity implies a degree of carelessness whereas I was always very particular about who I slept with.
When it comes to love, Gaelle is careful. But when it comes to friendship, her heart betrays her in unexpected ways. Gaelle flees her life with little more than her clothes, her camera and her cosmetics. In a tiny seaside town, she meets thirteen year old Selena whose friendship, unlooked for and unwanted, will help Gaelle face the legacy of a vagabond childhood and a charismatic but unreliable mother.
'...this haunting, wise book heralds the arrival of a remarkable Australian talent.' The Age
What is Left Over, After, winner of the TAG Hungerford Award for Fiction, is available from all good bookshops. You can also buy it online here, or if you'd like the Kindle edition, please click here.
'...this novel is as luminous and delicate, clean and alive as the best of Sonya Hartnett or Amy Witting.' The Age
Upcoming events
State Library Take 3 WA Authors
I'll be joining fellow authors Stephen Scourfield and James Foley on Wednesday 23rd May at 6pm to discus all things books and writing. Please see the flyer for details.
UWA Extension
- I'm re-running the popular course Life-writing: Turing your life into a story at UWA Extension. The course commences on Tuesday, 5th June at 7.00pm and runs for 5 weeks. Click here for more details.
- I'm also running a follow-up course called Getting your life-writing ready for publication on July 28, 2012 at UWA Extension. You can find the details here.
Would you like me to speak at your library, school or festival? You can contact me here. I also regularly run writing workshops so please get in touch if you're interested.
Interviews & articles
This is a selection of the lovely things people have said about What is Left Over, After. Click on the links for more info.
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The Age: '... this haunting, wise book heralds the arrival of a remarkable Australian talent.'
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Herald Sun: ‘... a moving story about a woman gaining self-knowledge and maturity ...'
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Australian Women Online: '... a beautifully written, sensitive book.'
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Sydney Morning Herald: 'skillfully structured story ...'
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Flourish: 'Watch Lester ripen into an Australian literary favourite.'
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Scoop: 'This moving tale ... is an unforgettable one.'
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M/C Reviews: '...a beautiful, poignant novel...'
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Canberra Times: 'There's an overall sense of accomplishment here ...'
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Overland: 'My one complaint is that I wish it could have been longer ...'
What I’m reading
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
I've had this, and a couple of other books from Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series, sitting on my shelf for about a year, bought at a second-hand book sale. The ABC series that's currently on and that is adapted from the books inspired me to bump the books to the top of my reading list. And I'm glad I did.
I'm not a huge fan of crime/detective/mystery books - I rarely read them. But I'm loving Phryne Fisher. She's ballsy, fun, irreverant and bold. The mysteries are really secondary to her huge personality and the evocation of Melbourne in the twenties, and that's what you read the books for. They're a welcome change of pace for me and, while I'm not sure I'll read the whole series, it's nice to know the books are there for when I need a Phryne Fisher sized distraction.
My Favourite Books
Rather than provide a list of my favourite books, I'll share one with you each month because this lets me tell you a little more about the book and, hopefully, will entice you to read it!
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Yes, there are many more famous Bronte books around, which I also love. But this one has always seemed underrated. I first read it about twenty years ago and could not believe that it wasn't more popular, that I had stumbled upon it by accident, rather than recommendation.
I haven't re-read it for about ten years, so maybe I'll find something lacking if and when I do. But the overriding impression I still have is what a contemporary heroine Helen Graham, the main character is. She leaves Wuthering Heights' Catherine Earnshaw for dead. If you like some of the Brontes' works and haven't tried this one, then give it a go. I hope you'll like it as much as I did.
What my kids are reading
I'm a passionate advocate of reading books to kids. So every couple of weeks I'll share with you the books my children are enjoying.
Ruby's favourite (suits 5-8 years)
Warning - if you sit down to read At The Beach by Roland Harvery, make sure you have at least half an hour to spare because that is how long your children will want to pour over the pictures in this book for. This is the simple story of a family caravanning holiday to the beach, but the illustrations make the book. Lots of things to find, funny and clever pictures, a book that encourages good listening.
Audrey's favourite (suits 3-6 years)
Everyone in the family loves Stuck by Oliver Jeffers - it's a book that seems to cross all age barriers. The pictures are laugh out loud funny as they trace the story of just what one little boy will do in order to get his kite out of a tree. Ever seen a whale up a tree? Well, you will in this book ...
Darcy's favourite (suits 2-3 years)
Those Berenstain Bears are perennial favourites. At the moment, Inside Outsie Upside Down by Stan and Jan Berenstain is the book Darcy requests several times a day.
Check out my blog for more ideas and discussion about books for kids.
