It was a treat to gather in person at Docklands Library on Saturday, 20 March. The sold out event was a little shorter than our usual gatherings as we didn’t enjoy a chat over afternoon tea in between speakers. However the vibe and enthusiasm was just as good with two amazing speakers and a room full of eager attendees.
The event began with a warm welcome from our ARA, Caz Goodwin, and we moved to Show and Tell. What a talented bunch. It’s always wonderful to see the amazing work people have been producing.
Our first speaker was Judith Rossell, multi-award winning author/illustrator of the bestselling Stella Montgomery series which includes WITHERING-BY-SEA, WORMWOOD MIRE and WAKESTONE HALL. Judith focussed on Withering-by-Sea to talk about plotting and character development.
Judith has illustrated more than eighty books. Here’s a sample.
Judith said she normally talks about illustrating but since writing Withering-by-Sea, she now often talks about writing. About seven years ago she wrote this book and it changed her career. A fan of darker stories rather than soft and fluffy ones, Judith had a fascination for the Gothic Victorian era. She created illustrations of what she loved and hoped a publisher would find a story to match her illustrations. After taking her portfolio around to publishers, nothing came of it. So she decided to write a story herself. She started the story by creating an image of Stella reading. This set her story in motion.
Judith hadn’t plotted the entire story so to figure out what would happen after she wrote the initial scene, she wrote things that could happen in the story such as a murder, a conversation, various characters, someone hiding something and someone witnessing the hiding. She felt readers would want to know what the thing was that had been hidden. So Judith wrote chapter by chapter, never really knowing what the ‘THING’ was! While she didn’t know everything about her story as she wrote, she did know she wanted to include an atlas, a great setting such as a grand hotel, and something from the other 500 tiny ideas she had floating about. Researching Victorian times of 1885 when the story is set, Judith loved the creepiness of the old photos she found. An image of a woman in a wheeled cart became one of Stella’s aunts.
A photo of a grand hotel at the seaside and a postcard of a cliffhouse fire became the hotel in her story.
Judith’s setting in Withering-by-Sea.
Judith also stayed at the Windsor, one of the oldest hotels in Melbourne to help with descriptions for her story setting. A ledge outside a window, hallways and Judith’s love of piers also found their way into her story.
After three years Judith still did not know what the THING was in her story. While visiting the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England, she saw a glass case display containing a silver bottle. It was this bottle which gave her what she needed to finish her story.
During Q&A we discovered more.
Judith had only written 4-5 chapters of Withering-by-Sea along with illustrations when she found an interested publisher, Harper Collins. She hesitated to sign a contract saying that she would rather wait until she had written the entire book first to make sure she could actually do it. And as we now know, she certainly did do it!
Judith is now working on a series set in the US in a different era and it sounds very stylish. We can’t wait for that series too.
In conversation with Caz Goodwin was our next speaker Alyson O’Brien, Associate Publisher at Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing. She leads the picture book imprint Bright Light - a groundbreaking new imprint of illustrated books that shine a light on privilege, race, equality, the environment, bodies and gender in ways that are engaging, fun, accessible and helpful for families and young readers.
Caz Goodwin (L) in Q&A with Alyson O’Brien (R) Associate Publisher Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing
Alyson loved classics as a kid such as ‘My Place’ and ‘Frog and Toad’. At primary school she loved Australian picture books and how they gave her a sense of belonging. She also enjoyed Judy Blume and Roald Dahl books. While not a huge reader it was television which instilled in her a love of story and she liked gritty, real-life programs.
After finishing high school, Alyson went to London where she fell in love with bookselling first in Fulham at a children’s bookshop then for ten years at Waterstones in Scotland where she helped launch the first Harry Potter books. Back in Australia she couldn’t find a bookstore which she felt at home with. She found a job as a publishing assistant with Little Hare, Hardie Grant and worked her way up, eventually becoming commissioning editor for two years then working with Bright Light.
Alyson O’Brien with some of the titles published by Hardie Grant and her imprint Bright Light.
When questions opened up to the audience, we learned more.
Alyson likes high stakes in stories that are emotionally complex. Like in ‘Charlotte’s Web’, Alyson likes stories that although they may have sad endings, the ending also has hope.
She likes texts that speak to her such as two of her own gems, MY TWO BLANKETS by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood and OLIVE by Edwina Wyatt and Lucia Masciullo.
She also likes stories that fight for justice.
Humour must be fresh, irresistible, hold her attention.
There should be a level of excitement and she wants to feel an emotional response to the text.
If she loves a story she will work with the author.
She is looking for themes such as the environment, consent and inclusivity.
She doesn’t want stories that will not make an impact.
She often finds illustrators on Instagram. The illustrator does not have to be from the kidlit world but if they can apply their style, then great.
She usually gives illustrators between 9-12 months to complete a book.
She will look at non-fiction if it encourages family discussions.
She doesn’t look at Young Adult or Middle Grade. Picture books for 3-5 year olds are her core books.
She advises to keep the audience in mind when writing.
One of the worst things about her job is being time poor and not being able to spend enough time with each book.
One of the best things about her job is finding stories or sketches in the slush and seeing them as finished products.
When reading books for pleasure they must be recommended by Jaclyn Crupi at Hill Of Content.
Thanks to our wonderful speakers, Alyson O’Brien, Judith Rossell and our Committee Caz Goodwin, Jess Rackyleft, Jo Burnell and Kaye Baillie and to everyone who came along. It was lovely to be together again. We can’t wait till our next event on 5th June!
