The next author in the ‘Few of my favourite things…’ 2015
HNSA Conference interview series is Sulari Gentill. She will be appearing on in
Personal Histories: In Conversation with Peter
Corris and Sulari Gentill on
21 March and
Historical
Fiction Sub-genres: Intrigue, Mystery, Fantasies and Time-slip on 22 March 2015.
Award-winning author Sulari Gentill set out
to study astrophysics, ended up graduating in law, and later abandoned her
legal career to write books instead of contracts. She grows French black
truffles on her farm in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains of NSW, which she
shares with her young family and several animals. Sulari is author of the
award-winning ‘Rowland Sinclair Mysteries’, a series of historical crime
fiction novels set in the 1930s about Rowland Sinclair, the gentleman
artist-cum-amateur-detective. The 1st in the series ‘A Few Right Thinking
Men’ was shortlisted for Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best First Book. ‘A
Decline in Prophets’, the 2nd in the series, won the Davitt Award for Best
Adult Crime Fiction. ‘Miles Off Course’ was released in early 2012,
‘Paving the New Road’ was released in late 2012 and was shortlisted for the
Davitt Award for best crime fiction 2013. ‘Gentlemen Formerly Dressed’ was
released in November 2013. ‘And A Murder Unmentioned’ will be released in
November 2014. Under the name S.D. Gentill, Sulari has released ‘The Hero’
Trilogy, a fantasy adventure series: ‘Chasing Odysseus’, ‘Trying War’ and ‘The
Blood of Wolves’.
A few of my favourite things...
Book
as child and a teenager?
As a child I adored the Anne of Green Gables books. Anne
Shirley spoke to the dreamer in me.
As a teenager I discovered To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper
Lee. The novel inspired me a lawyer, as
a writer and, most importantly, as a human being.
Author
or authors?
This is a tricky one as I know a few
authors now and I find it really difficult to separate love of a person from
the love of their book. So I’m going to
leave aside the authors I know, though, in doing so, I must point out that my
reading pile is dominated by the extraordinary work of Australian writers.
With this disclaimer, I give you L.M
Montgomery, Harper Lee, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and J.K. Rowling.
Period
of History
I like the 1930s for its contrasts and
social upheaval. Sitting as it does
between the glamorous 20s and the conflict of the 40s, the 1930s has been
comparatively overlooked by novelists.
And yet the decade was the vat in which fermented all the passions,
prejudices and philosophies that gave rise to the Second World War. It was a time of extreme politics, mad
schemes and absurd priorities.
Clandestine armies preparing for revolution, hooded and cloaked vigilantes
who identified themselves with playing cards, plans to kidnap the NSW Cabinet
and incarcerate them and in the old Berrima Gaol. I think it’s the absurdity, I love most.
I also have a passion for ancient history…
mythology more accurately. I am enthralled
by the intricate, interlocking legends of ancient Greece and Rome. I’m fascinated with the way bards like Homer
and Virgil intertwined their narratives into the rich tapestry of myth that
came before. Writing new stories into
those ancient tales, seems to me a storytelling tradition continued.
Character
in one of your books
Excluding Rowland Sinclair and his band of
bohemian companions, I loved writing Ethel Bruce, the wife of Stanley Melbourne
Bruce. Generally, when I write an actual
historical figure into one of my plots, I’m careful to build my
characterisation on what is recorded and known about the person. In the case of Ethel Bruce there was very
little, and so my imagination had free reign.
I could simply try to envisage who might have been married to
Australia’s eighth prime minister, a man renowned for his aristocratic
carriage. At the time Rowland Sinclair
meets her, Ethel Bruce is living in London with her husband who is serving as
Australia’s defacto High Commissioner (the position was made official the
following year). I wrote Ethel as a
gregarious Miss Marple-type character simply because it was fun to contrast the
reserved patriarchal propriety of Stanley Bruce with a wife who was irreverent,
adventurous and warm.
Scene
you enjoyed writing
I enjoy writing the scenes between Rowland
and Wilfred Sinclair. The contrast in
their characters, the conflict, and the underlying bond between brothers all
make for scenes which come alive with passion and fury and history all
expressed with the kind of courteous restraint typical of men of their era.
Place
to write
In bed, in my pyjamas. But I’ll write anywhere… where I go, so too
does my laptop! I do a lot of writing in
airport waiting lounges… of course I can’t wear pyjamas there.
Step
in the process of writing
I’m completely enamoured with every step…
each is imbued with a different combination of inspiration, potential,
immersion, and triumph. I’m not sure I
could pick between them.
Method
of writing
Straight into my laptop… no notes, not
plots, no plans. I just start writing
and keep going until it’s finished. I
research as I go and write chronologically.
TV
Program/Movie
Supernatural… Adore the way it twists a myth.
The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Foyle’s War, George
Gently Mysteries… for the way they evoke their era through not just setting but
characterisation and dialogue.
Comfort
food
Coffee and something to dunk into it.
The black sheep of a
wealthy 1930s grazier dynasty, gentleman artist Rowland Sinclair often takes
matters into his own hands. When the matter is murder, there are consequences.
For nearly fourteen
years, Rowland has tried to forget, but now the past has returned.
A newly-discovered
gun casts light on a family secret long kept... a murder the Sinclairs would
prefer stayed unsolved.
As old wounds tear
open, the dogged loyalty of Rowland's inappropriate companions is all that
stands between him and the consequences of a brutal murder... one he simply
failed to mention.
Sulari Gentill will be appearing in the following panels at the 2015 HNSA Conference:
21 March 10.00-10.45
am Session Two
Personal Histories: In
Conversation with Peter Corris and Sulari Gentill
What inspires authors to write historical fiction?
Join Linda Funnell’s conversation with respected novelists Peter
Corris and Sulari Gentill as they give insights into the inspiration
for their novels, writing processes and careers.
22 March 11.15 am-12.15 pm Session Three
Historical Fiction Sub-genres: Intrigue, Mystery, Fantasies and Time-slip
Blending different genres within historical fiction is an increasing trend. What challenges do authors face when intertwining mystery or fantasy with history? And why are readers drawn to tales of characters who travel across time? Posie Graeme-Evans joins Kate Forsyth, Sulari Gentill, Belinda Murrell and Felicity Pulman to enlighten us.
For more information on all our panels, please visit our site for program details. And
you can buy your tickets here.
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2015.
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The first 30 ticketholders to purchase a ‘Standard’ Whole Conference Ticket will receive a free copy of either The Lace Balcony by Johanna Nicholls, The King’s Shadow by Barbara Gaskell Denvil or The Island House by Posie Graeme-Evans.
All ticket holders will receive a Momentum ebook bundle in celebration of Felicity Pulman’s launch of Unholy Murder.
The first 50 fully paid ticket holders will receive a copy of Sherryl Clark’s new book Do You Dare – Jimmy’s War in celebration of her launch.
There are still tickets available to the cocktail party at the State Library of NSW on Friday 20th March. Sophie Masson is our guest speaker, Felicity Pulman releases her new book Unholy Murder and there is a debate 'What can historical novelists and historians learn from each other?' with Kelly Gardiner, Gillian Polack, Jesse Blackadder, Deborarh Challinor and Rachel Le Rossignol.
You can buy your tickets here.
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