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| Hazel Edwards with Susan Whelan at Writers in the Park |
Bellydancing. Still doing Class 101 on Monday nights after 13 years.
I’m also an Aquareadaholic. I read in the bath.
2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Usually the focussed sociopath in a mystery. Patterned behaviour which the sleuth has to deduce ( and so does the reader).
3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Susannah de Vries (Australian history about forgotten females), Plato the philosopher, Agatha Christie for her poisonous plotting and George Orwell.
One would need to be a chef because I don’t cook much. Quite like Jamie Oliver’s enthusiasm.
4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
The Tardis.
5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Occasionally euphoric.Researched in unusual places e.g. Islamic Museum for Hijabi Girl. Often collaborative.
6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Quirky. Fantastic (in original sense of the word).Adventurous.Thought-provoking. Insightful
7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
Desk. Trail Magic Mousemat (son’s latest bookcover ). Purple quill for autographing. Hippo stamp. Mess of administrivia. Diary. Banner of Not Just a Piece of Cake showing cover of latest book.
8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
Slight difficulty. The nearest books are translations of Difficult Personalities (co-written with Dr Helen Mc Grath’ (Penguin) in Korean, Russian and Polish and I don’t read any of those languages.
9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
The Killer question. ‘What is the question you would least like me to ask, and what is your answer?’
10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
Long answer: For me they are ideas intertwined. Reading is vital but if I lost my sight I would use audio books. Now that I’ve finished my memoir, I’ve realized that many experiences are lost if they are not recorded at the time. And those which are used in fact, faction or fiction , enrich writer and reader,longterm.#
Short answer. Never write another story.
Hazel Edwards is a well known and respected Australian author. Her work covers a range of genres and includes books for children, teens and adults and works of fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for the classic picture book There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake, which celebrated it's 35th birthday in 2015. Hazel's latest book is the memoir Not Just a Piece of Cake: Being an Author (Brolga). Visit Hazel's website for more information about her books and writer events. You can also find Hazel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
