It’s finally here! Bounty is officially out in the world and I’m excited to be speaking about it at my first Sydney author event at Gordon Library on Tuesday June 16 at 6.30 pm. It’s free (including a glass of wine!), but bookings are essential — see QR code at the end of this post.
In a recent interview with Hornsby Magazine, I was asked whether I intended to write any more books – a question I should have anticipated, but which somehow caught me off guard. Did I?
Of course, I’d keep writing in some capacity. Shorter essays and observational pieces about life and relationships are my natural stamping ground and I’m interested in flash nonfiction, usually defined as a story of 300 words or less. But another book?
I tend to think of memoir as writing shaped around a particular aspect of a life, defined by themes, or perhaps a period of time, as opposed to an autobiography, which promises something far more comprehensive.
My first memoir, Marzipan and Magnolias, centred on my complicated relationship with my eccentric mother and on coming to terms with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. It’s a mother-daughter story, but also a story about secrets and inarticulate love. Writing it had been essential to my working through challenging events.
Similarly, Bounty revolves around two intertwined threads: my gradual re-emergence from the relative isolation that can accompany chronic illness, and the loss of my lifelong friend, Emma. Bounty, the strong-willed rescue dog that Emma urged me to adopt, helps guide me towards reconnection, community and, ultimately, acceptance of profound loss.
After Marzipan and Magnolias came out, I couldn’t imagine writing another memoir. But life just happens. When you’re living through intense events, you’re too close to the story to see it. But with time and a bit of distance, a coherent shape might emerge. For me, Bounty was the next story that demanded to be told.
So another book? I’ll just keep writing…and see where it takes me.
Book Club Offer: If your book club selects either of my books, I’d love to connect with you by dropping in for a virtual Q & A. If you’re interested, send me a message here. (Due to time differences, only within Australia and New Zealand.)
