A tale of two literary daughters

Rachael King

Houses full of books and a revolving door of famous writers characterised the childhoods of acclaimed authors Charlotte Grimshaw and Rachael King. Daughters of New Zealand literary giants, CK Stead (current poet laureate) and historian Michael King respectively, Charlotte and Rachael will speak at the Whanganui Literary Festival's main event on September 18 to 20.
Charlotte grew up an avid reader surrounded by books. Her father was Professor of English at Auckland University until he retired full time to write fiction and poetry. Charlotte recalls many conversations about books, and about local and overseas literary issues of the time. Many fascinating writers came to the house.
"I remember Frank Sargeson, who gave me presents: children's books and a wooden croquet set. Allen Curnow lived across the road and would put his latest poem in the letterbox for my father to read. I have memories of James K Baxter visiting when I was a child, and of visiting Janet Frame. I remember Sam Hunt visiting, driving an old ambulance, and accompanied by his dog, Minstrel. And Maurice Shadbolt, Marilyn Duckworth, Peter Bland, and many others," Charlotte says.
Rachael's father, Michael King, who died in 2004, moved out when she was four, so many of her memories involve being given books as presents and being read to while on holiday wherever he happened to be living.
"I remember Watership Down in Kawhia, The Horse and his Boy (which I threw up on after over-indulging at a birthday party) in Paremata, and Under the Mountain in Herne Bay. I also remember meeting authors at an early age - Sam Hunt, Maurice Shadbolt, Ian Mune and Bub Bridger for example - which made the idea of being a writer seem a perfectly normal career choice. Later, as an adult, I had the honour of meeting Janet Frame and many other writers in his company. He also encouraged me to write, and submitted my first poem on my behalf to the School Journal when I was six. I think it went: 'Little house mouse, so small and afraid. Please come out. I want to feed you.' It was rejected."
Both women have their own very distinctive writing styles and genre preferences. Rachael writes fiction, whereas Michael wrote non-fiction.
"I write much better if I get to make things up," Rachael says. Her first novel The Sound of Butterflies won the best first novel award at the 2007 Montana New Zealand Book Awards and Red Rocks won the 2013 Esther Glen medal for junior fiction, and was short-listed for the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Magpie Hall is a modern-day ghost story with a twist, set in New Zealand. Rachael's work has been translated into eight languages and has been acclaimed worldwide.
While there were initial benefits in being known as Michael's daughter, that became a mixed blessing.
"People were interested in what the daughter of Michael King might produce. But I hope I have broken free. If I get one more 'in her father's footsteps' headline (last one in 2013 after seven years, three novels, and multiple awards) I might scream."
While Charlotte notes many differences between her writing and that of her father - they are of different generations and have different tastes - she also recognises a true, powerful quality in the best of his poetry and prose, "so there are obviously genetic similarities."
Her latest novel, Starlight Peninsula, published by Penguin/Random House in June this year attracted rave reviews. She has written six other critically acclaimed novels and two outstanding collections of linked stories. She is a winner of the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award among many other awards and prizes.
Charlotte completed a law degree as well as an arts degree at Auckland University and practised law in a large commercial firm, Simpson Grierson, for a while until the fiction writing took over.
"When I started writing myself, it never bothered me that I was the daughter of an established writer. I knew I had to prove myself with the work, but I had a kind of blind confidence about doing that. Probably the only thing I was ever confident about was that I could write fiction."
Both women describe a robust daughter/father relationship. Charlotte gets on well with her father, and that includes arguing with him, sometimes forcefully, since she was one year old.
"He is known as being intellectually tough and combative, but he can also be a very funny guy. I never think of him as being particularly fierce. He is good company, observant, sharp, often a kind person, although sometimes grumpy as well. He always said to my sister and me, 'you need to do well at school. Women need a career.' He always encouraged and nagged me to do well at school, which was good for me - I needed a bit of that when I was in some of my wild phases."
Rachael's father was a friend as well as a parent to her and she feels his loss acutely.
"I was 33 when he died, not yet a published novelist, but on my way. He was a sounding board, and an adviser. We shared book recommendations and went to literary parties together.
"We sat around and talked and argued. I had my first book published two years after he died, the same year I got married (he never met my husband) and had my first child. It broke my heart that he wasn't around for any of that. I feel I have been robbed of many things, but in particular, years of good company and conversation. I think he would have made me a smarter person. But I hope that his tolerance and good-heartedness has rubbed off on me."
¦ Whanganui Literary Festival is supported by Creative NZ and Wanganui District Council.
People, Place and Pace - Charlotte Grimshaw, Saturday, September 19, 10-11am.
As Strange As Fiction - Rachael King, September 20 , 11.30-12.30.