1. What's your hidden talent?
I can shimmy and shake my body like a belly dancer.
2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Arghhh, I hate villains. I want to stab them! Especially Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series.
3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Christos Tsiolkas, JK Rowling, Rohinton Mistry, Maya Angelou and Arundhati Roy. Imagine the conversation! I’d be buzzing with inspiration for the rest of my life.
4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
Butterbeer! I’m reading Harry Potter for the first time and have been craving a few jugs!
5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Exploration, discovery, fun, satisfying madness.
6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Creative, empathetic, genuine, crazy, human.
7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
Chocolate wrappers. Mouldy coffee mugs. Incense. Pen/post-it notes. Laptop.
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!)
The word is ‘by’, from Cath Crowley’s beautiful novel Words in Deep Blue.
By the time she took her first breath my insides had spilled out.
9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
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!)
The word is ‘by’, from Cath Crowley’s beautiful novel Words in Deep Blue.
By the time she took her first breath my insides had spilled out.
9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
EL James (Fifty Shades of Grey) — WHY?!
10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
Never write another story. That way I can go on reading stories and can dictate my own!
Demet Divaroren is the co-editor of the CBCA short-listed Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in Australia. Demet was born in Adana, Turkey, and migrated to Australia with her family when she was six months old. She teaches creative writing at TAFE and writes fiction and non-fiction exploring life, love and the complexities of human emotions. For more information, see www.demetdivaroren.com.
