I moved around a lot as a kid. As that also meant changing schools a lot, I have a few gaps in my general knowledge. Although I love reading and writing, I’m not terribly good at the ‘technical’ side of English - words like pronoun, adjective and adverb are all still a mystery to me.
2. What is your nickname?
Pretty much everyone who knows me calls me Bec, so it can actually feel a bit weird and formal when people call me Rebecka.
3. What is your greatest fear?
Do you remember that scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix where Mrs Weasley is sorting out the Boggart? With each wave of her wand, it turns into one of her family members, but as if they were laying dead in front of her. If I saw a Boggart it would be the same, my greatest fear is losing my loved ones.
4. Describe your writing style in ten words.
Emotional, open, wordy, naïve, sometimes cheeky, often somber, always honest.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Growing, determined, sensitive, passionate and hopeful.
6. What book character would you be, and why?
Hermione Granger. She’s smart, confident and resourceful. She very brave, she’s in touch with her emotions, she has a firm grip on sarcasm and she’s a book nerd at heart who loves the library. She’s perfectly imperfect.
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I’d go to 2096, I’d love to be able to sit down and chat with my kids when they are old and grey, talk all about their lives, hear about the world in that time and meet my great, (and possibly great, great) grandchildren!
8. What would your ten-year-old self say to you now?
“Wow. It gets so good!”
Being a kid was tough. I never expected that life could be so extraordinary for someone as ordinary as me.
9. Who is your greatest influence?
My kids. Watching everything through their eyes, is like seeing it again for the first time myself and this has had a huge impact on who I am and how I write.
10. What/who made you start writing?
I’ve loved reading and writing since I can remember, but when I was in about year three, my teacher Mrs Nolan formed a special writing group. We got to go to a different classroom and do our own creative writing and I just loved it. I distinctly remember exploring rhyming words and writing my first poems in that group, but mostly I remember just having the best time being encouraged to do our own free writing.
11. What is your favourite word and why?
At the moment my favourite word is “gobbles” which is how my daughter pronounces “goggles”. I find it so delightful that I can’t quite bring myself to correct her on it just yet!
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg is an Australian children's author. Her debut picture book, Reflection, is illustrated by Robin Cowcher and published by Walker Books. Follow Rebecka's Facebook page for latest updates on her writing and author events.
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