The story of a lili
When I was six, my parents took me to China on holiday. I really wanted my mum* to read me Snugglepot & Cuddlepie, but she was understandably over the gumnut babies after the ten zillionth read, so she suggested that I might try reading it by myself.
And that was the day I learnt to read in my head.
Since then I’ve read many, many books, and written a few as well.
I was first published when I was 13, in Voiceworks magazine.
I studied Creative Arts at Melbourne Uni, and then went and taught English in Japan for a while. When I came back, I got a job at the Centre for Youth Literature, at the State Library of Victoria, where I managed a website called insideadog.com.au, about books for teenagers.
I’m now studying for my PhD and writing full time. I live in Melbourne. I am an only child, but my parents have a very cute dog called Rita who they love more than me**.
*You might have heard of her. Her name is Carole Wilkinson.
** Mum has asked me to let you know that this is not true.
Frequently asked questions
Unicorns or zombies?
Zombies.
Where do you get your ideas from?
I pay a tiny gnome to sit in my front garden and think of ideas for me. And I read a lot.
Why do you write for young people?
It’s more fun. And you can do more interesting things. And the fans are better. And I don’t have to make my writing all fancy-schmancy.
Who is your favourite Sesame Street character?
Hard. Either Ernie or Cookie Monster. And my favourite Muppet Show character (since you asked) is a tie between Rowlf and Link Hogthrob.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Read. And go easy on adverbial dialogue tags.
Who put the bop in the bop-shoo-bop-shoo-bop?
It is a little-known fact that before inventing the ballpoint pen, Laszlo Biro was a Hungarian clog-dancing spy. One cold July night, Biro infiltrated a Parisian dance-hall and inspired a young can-can dancer to incorporate wooden shoes into her routine. This astonishing act of sneakiness caused the bop to be firmly placed within the bop-shoo-bop-shoo-bop. Biro then covertly penetrated a Welsh shepherding community and succeeded in establishing the ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong.
What fictional character would you most like to meet?
The BFG.
What fictional character would you least like to meet?
Aslan.
How soon is now?
About five minutes ago.