Amy Brown has released her debut novel My Brilliant Sister.
Amy Brown‘s first novel, My Brilliant Sister, is quite simply brilliant.
It’s insightful, funny thought-provoking and a damn good read.
Originally from Havelock North, the writer and teacher now lives in Australia. She has published three collections of poetry and four children’s novels.
I asked Amy some questions.
How long did you live in Havelock North and what made you decide to move to Australia.)
I lived in Havelock North for the first 18 years of my life - I went to Havelock North Primary, Intermediate and High School. Probably my favourite place in the world is Ocean Beach, where part of My Brilliant Sister is set. When I left school, I moved to Wellington to study at Victoria University - a BA majoring in English and Philosophy, then an MA in Creative Writing. In 2008, I applied for a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Melbourne, which brought me to Australia.
My Brilliant Sister is a different take on the book My Brilliant Career [by Stella Miles Franklin]. What was it about Stella’s story that inspired you to write your debut novel?
When I first read My Brilliant Career, I was at a turning point in my own career (about to abandon academia and become a secondary school teacher) and also recently married. The sisters in Franklin’s novel interested me because they seemed like exaggerated versions of the two parts of myself - Sybylla (based on Stella Miles Franklin herself), who was a ruthless bohemian figure avoiding a conventional life, and Gertie, who was a traditionally feminine and dutiful daughter and fiancée. The way Franklin wrote about Gertie made me wonder if she’d had a real sister, which sent me to the archives. In the Franklin family letters, I found Linda, whose voice haunted me for the next eight years or so as I worked on My Brilliant Sister.
How did you feel when you held a copy of the finished book in your hands?
Thrilled, elated, slightly shocked - it’s [gone from] a surreal thing, something that you’ve been thinking and dreaming about for so many years to an actual physical form.
When you are on the hunt for a new book to read, what do you look for?
I love recommendations from people I trust (friends, colleagues, booksellers, librarians), and I love seeking out new work from writers whose other books I’ve enjoyed. Sometimes I prescribe things for myself too, depending on what I feel will suit my mood, or what I think will help with my own writing. I also particularly like reading local (New Zealand and Australian) writers.
How do you build characters that readers relate to?
I try to make sure that first I can relate to them myself - if I don’t believe in what they’re doing or saying or feeling, then no one else will. I also firmly believe in sharing drafts with trusted people - I’m extremely lucky to have generous and caring friends who read early versions of My Brilliant Sister and told me gently when parts weren’t ringing true.
What was the biggest lesson you learned from publishing this novel?
That it takes many, many people to produce a novel - not just the author. It’s the work of a team of supporters (family, friends, editors, publishers, publicists). And, connected to this, a book is never finished until it finally goes to print - a huge amount of work goes into the editing.
What advice would you give a writer planning to write their first book?
Take yourself seriously and make time to get it done. Plan before you begin writing, but also be ready to veer off course when the book wants to go in a different direction. Read lots to sustain you. And, when you’ve got a chunk of words written, be willing to share them with someone else to get some advice.
Tell us something quirky about yourself?
I am a very amateur DJ.
What’s next?
When promoting My Brilliant Sister settles down a little, I hope to start writing my next novel (which is currently in the form of thoughts and notes rather than prose).
How a resilient Kiwi village hopes to bounce back from a big drop in visitors.