JESSICA TOWNSEND
The debut author of 2017’s Nevermoor— the first of a nine-part series for children—ruled the night at last month’s Australian Book Industry Awards in Sydney, picking up the Matt Richell New Writer of the Year; Book of the Year Younger Readers; and the coveted Gold ABIA for Book of the Year. The Sunshine Coast author, 33, who humbly swats away comparisons to J.K. Rowling, told WHO’S Karina Machado about what’s next in the wake of her game-changing triple victory.
How do you feel about winning these awards?
I’m completely stunned, and of course delighted. The Australian book industry is thriving right now, and I’m so honoured to have been recognised by the ABIAS among an incredible shortlist of writers.
You were in the UK when you found out—what’s behind your love affair with England?
I lived partly in the UK (and partly on the Sunshine Coast) during my twenties when I was writing Nevermoor ... London is my favourite city in the world, and much of Morrigan’s story reflects what I felt when I first moved there—she lands in a magical, vibrant city that takes her by surprise yet somehow instantly feels like it belongs to her. What can you tell us about your new book? My next book is Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, the second book in the series (published by Hachette Australia on Sept. 25). It takes us back to Nevermoor, where Morrigan has joined the Wundrous Society and is discovering more of the dangers and magic of the world.
What other new ideas are brewing?
Morrigan Crow takes up all my head space at the moment. I’ve always planned this as a nine-book series, and I have a solid road map for where the story is going. But there are constantly new Nevermoor ideas in my brain
clamouring for attention. Is Hollywood calling yet?
The film rights have been sold to 20th Century Fox and Drew Goddard [executive producer of 2015’s sci-fi thriller The Martian] is on board to write and produce, which is incredibly exciting. He’s passionate about storytelling, and he wants to do the right thing by the book and its readers.
What would you say to other young writers out there who are nurturing a dream?
It took me a long time to finish Nevermoor, and there were a lot of points at which I might have given up if I hadn’t really loved the weird little story I was telling. So, my advice to anyone wishing to finish writing a book is to write the thing that lights you up inside—not necessarily what other people want to read, or what you think publishers want to publish. Publishing trends change; if you write the thing you truly love, no matter how weird it might seem, others will connect to the specificity of it. And don’t give up.