Recently I, caught up with Susanne Gervay, ambassador for Room to Read, author of the children’s book series I
Am Jack and young adult
novel Butterflies
How/when did you know you wanted to be a
writer?
I was always a writer, but publication didn’t cross
my mind. I thought everyone wrote novels and by eight, I was writing to work
out the ‘meaning of life’ or to escape ‘the meaning of life.’ I only became an
author when my beloved father passed away. The intensity of the loss was so
great, that I needed to write about him. I wrote story after story. Writing and
life became intertwined.
Slowly came the realization that I wanted to share
my writing. I wanted other people to know that my father was special, that he
survived war, prison and migration and protected us all. Then as a sole parent
of two young children, I wanted to write for young people, so they’d always
feel there’s a friend in their corner – to play with, share growing up, be
there for the challenges of life and know they can be all they can be.
Were there any significant mentors/supporters
who really assisted you when you were starting out?
My writing group of unpublished writers was a key
support in my journey of becoming an author. I developed a lifelong friendship
with fellow novice author Moya Simons. We workshopped each other’s writing,
shared disappointments and successes. The writers in my writing group all
became published in the end, which was a great joy to me and to each other.
The
craft of writing for children and young adults might seem challenging to
some. What attracts you to that
demographic?
Writing for
young people is challenging as authors face parental, teacher and community
gatekeepers. How do you navigate truth with the inbuilt and well-meaning
censorship implicit in writing for children and young adults? You tread lightly
but do not compromise your commitment to the story and your readers.
Writing down to young people for worthy reasons can
never be acceptable. Young people feel and think about everything, except they
do not have the experience to navigate life. Writing is partnering them on
their discoveries.
Young people read very differently to adults. If a
story reaches them, they will read and re-read it many times. Story becomes
part of their search for identity and it is a privilege to travel with them. I
receive many emails and cards from adults and children sharing the impact of my
I Am Jack books, Butterflies for young adults, my picture books for all ages.
I
receive emails and letters for my books all the time from young readers,
parents and teachers. Some emails in response to the I Am Jack books are:
When I knew I Am Jack was true, I imagined myself in
Jack’s shoes. I felt sorrowful and sad as Jack had to put up with bullying for
a long time. It would have been a burden forever if I was Jack. – K
My heart just floated into nothing when I
discovered that Jack and Samantha were your actual children. – A
My son was a
victim of a false gay rumour at a school camp. [Later] they studied I Am Jack. My son's teacher told me that
my son finished the book before the class did, participated in the class discussion
which he is normally very shy in doing, all because he identified with Jack.
Thank you – L
I get bullied at
school almost every day and it makes me sick. I just didn't feel like going to
school. I pretended to be sick and stay home for the day. I've talked to the
School Councillor, I've tried to tell my mum, I've thought of getting back at
the bullies, but all these things don't seem to work. But I Am Jack inspired me to tell everyone that I am being bullied. It
makes me feel great and today I treated my mother with respect (I wasn't doing
that ….) – L
The cemetery
scene really resonated with one of my students as both his parents died in
Afghanistan. He is comforted by the thought that they are watching over him and
that he can talk to them at anytime, just like Nanna and Jack do with Grandad.
– R
I love writing for kids and young adults.
When
you set out to write, do you have a particular topic or issue in mind? If so,
how do you choose it (or perhaps it chooses you)?
I write from a very personal perspective. When
something touches me, it swirls in my mind, often for years, until it emerges
as the core of my book. For my young adult novel Butterflies, a girl asked me
to write about growing up with severe burns. While I initially refused to do
it, it wove into my passions on difference, disability, disempowerment/empowerment
and giving young women a voice. It was years of thinking and research –
interviewing burn survivors, parents, siblings, doctors, firefighters,
community until I understood it in my heart. Then I wrote Butterflies. When The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney asked
if it could endorse Butterflies. I cried.
Like tempering
steel, the process of passing through the fire helps make a person of
exceptional quality. Butterflies captures
these subtleties for the reader, and gives a stunning insight into a difficult
topic.
– Dr Hugh Martin OAM
President of the Australian and New Zealand Burn
Association and
Head of the Burn Unit, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead,
Sydney.
In
a world that is increasingly complex, how do you approach the task of having an
authentic voice for younger readers?
As an author for younger readers or adults, it is
the same process. You get into the mind and emotions of a character and react
to the world as that character does. This is the basis of all stories. An
authentic voice means you understand and are that character, know how they
react and feel. For example, in To Kill A Mockingbird the narrator,
Scout, is eight years old. The voice is authentic because it reflects a child’s
voice and her exploration of an adult world fraught with adult issues of
racism, sexual abuse, mental health, group violence, sole parenting and more.
It also reflects her journey, understanding, courage, values and who she wants
to be within the joys and adventures of being a child in a world that is so new
to her.
You’ve
been asked to conduct a workshop for the ACT Writers Centre. In what ways do
you think your workshop will benefit emerging writers?
At a key level, it provides the opportunity to
network with other writers and help establish and/or deepen your creative
community. It’s an opportunity to work as a group where ideas and craft issues
can be explored, developed and answered.
It demystifies the complex world of publishing which is essential for
those entering the world of children’s writing.
Is
there any general advice you can give emerging writers?
Read the books of much loved children’s writers.
Read school journals and short stories. Establish a writers’ group to share
your work, edit, comment, develop your craft, enjoy as well as struggle with
the process. Join your local writers centre, go to festivals and participate in
the creative life. When you feel ready, submit your work to magazines,
journals, enter competitions. Research publishers and what they are publishing.
Then submit the appropriate work for the appropriate publisher. Pin your badge
of courage on and learn from rejections so you can get closer to your goal.
Do not write for the market. Write from your passion
and belief in what you are doing. Publication is precarious, so you need to
write something you love and are committed to.
For those who want a quicker process, write on the
computer as it makes editing so much easier. Research during your writing
process. The internet can be a great friend.
The Biggest tip is to be willing to work on your
craft to ensure that your piece is as good as it can be.
This blog post is part of my Blogger in Residence with the ACT Writers Centre and first appeared in Capital Letters
