Mary-Lou Stephens
Ironically, for a novel that starts with bushfire and drought, it was a very rainy day when the idea for this story landed inside my heart. I had interviewed Monica McInerney for a literary event in the morning, and in the course of the interview we talked about grief and how it informed her writing. That afternoon the premise for this novel revealed itself to me. I found the idea terrifying. It was too big, too daunting and so very sad. Also, I might have grown up in Tasmania but I knew very little about growing apples.
I emailed Monica the next day to tell her about the idea and added, ‘It’s your fault. It was all that talk about grief.’ She very generously replied that she could take none of the credit and that I must write the book even though it terrified me. In a wonderful turn of events, after I had overcome my fear and written many drafts, Monica became my mentor through the Australian Society of Authors mentorship program, and guided me through the final drafts before I submitted to publishers.
I emailed Monica the next day to tell her about the idea and added, ‘It’s your fault. It was all that talk about grief.’ She very generously replied that she could take none of the credit and that I must write the book even though it terrified me. In a wonderful turn of events, after I had overcome my fear and written many drafts, Monica became my mentor through the Australian Society of Authors mentorship program, and guided me through the final drafts before I submitted to publishers.
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