I once was on a poetry reality tv show in a bush town in South Australia. I had to write a poem and read to the whole town. It was a competition with another poet who is a dear friend and luckily it was a draw!
2. What is your nickname?
I don’t really have a nickname — people mostly call me Alison. But a few people call me Ali. Others call me Croggers. One person called me The Crogster.
3. What is your greatest fear?
Being buried alive.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Ouch! That’s hard. Vivid, character-centred, lyrical. I want my books to move people.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Truthful, imaginative, feeling, stubborn, accurate.
6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would always be me, but there are a few worlds I would like to live in. One of them being Pellinor, in my epic fantasy books, because there are places there I would really like to visit.
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
To be honest, it’s usually much worse for women in historical times, so I prefer to live now, even with all the problems. I would just like the present to be better.
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
You did it! (I started my first fantasy novel when I was 10)
9. Who is your greatest influence?
Ursula Le Guin. I’ve loved her books all my life.
10. What/who made you start writing?
I can’t remember. I wrote before I went to school because I liked it so much.
11. What is your favourite word and why?
Dinner, because I really like eating
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Hmmm. That’s also a hard one! I can’t choose, because I have too many favourite books, but it might be a book of poems. Maybe by William Blake.
Alison Croggon is an award-winning writer who lives in Melbourne. She writes novels, plays, poems and essays. She is the author of the epic fantasy series The Books of Pellinor, which has sold more than half a million copies world wide. Her most recent book is The Threads of Magic. For more information, see www.alisoncroggon.com.
