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An interview with: Layla Moseby Read, work experience student

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Layla Moseby-Read, a year 10 student at Scotch, recently completed a week of work experience at Wakefield Press. Layla comes from a strong publishing background; her dad’s book, Dear Grandpa, Why?, was published by Wakefield Press earlier this year.

Layla Moseby Read, work experience student

What is the first book you ever read?

The first children’s book I ever read properly myself was called A Year on Our Farm by Penny Matthews. I had actually won the book at school and I think that I was about five or six years old when read it. The first sort of novel that I can remember reading was Geronimo Stilton Christmas Catastrophe by Elisabetta Dami.

What attracted you to doing work experience at Wakefield Press?

I wanted to do work experience at Wakefield Press because I have always had a keen interest in English, and for as long as I can remember I have loved to read. At the start of this year I had to complete a test called the Morrisby test that assesses all of your strengths and weaknesses through a variety of different investigations. It collaborates all of the results and gives you a few ideas around potential career options that you would suit. For me my number one suggestion was an editor so I wanted to get a bit                       more of an idea about this job and if I wanted to pursue it in the future, and that’s why I chose Wakefield Press.

At the end of your work experience, what are your thoughts about working in publishing?

I really enjoyed doing work experience here and I do think that it is one of my higher ideas for a career. I really liked the environment that is associated with editing and publishing and how relaxed yet productive Wakefield Press is. This sort of flexible and strong work ethic really suits me, and I like the idea of working in a job like one at Wakefield Press. If I did go into a career to do with publishing there are so many different jobs within publishing and I think that this would help me to get on the right track but not have to be locked down into a specific role just yet.

Do you think boys read differently from girls? If so, how? If not, why do you think so many people believe that?

I think that boys and girls don’t necessarily read differently but there are different expectations for books that they should read. There are definitely books that are specifically aimed at each gender and I think this impacts the way boys and girls read. In our society it is typically thought that girls read more romance or classics whereas boys are more into the action and adventure side, but this is not necessarily true. So, I don’t think that boys and girls read differently but just they read different types of books.

 

What’s the last book you read for fun? What was fun about it?

The last book I read for fun was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and it was about a middle age lady suffering from a mental health issue. I believe that it was a ‘fun’ book for me to read because it was really intriguing and there was this big mystery throughout the entirety of the book. This drew me in and kept me hooked the whole time. It is also something a bit different to my typical reading style so I enjoyed the unpredictability and uniqueness about it.

What’s the last book you read and hated? What did you hate about it?

I can’t remember ever reading a book and hating it but I do remember starting the book Maze Runner and disliking it enough to not finish it. It’s not that it was written badly it’s just that it’s not really my preferred style and genre. It was also a bit unrealistic and incorporated too much science fiction to suit me. I prefer books that are true-to-life or that are partially based on past events.

How do you find out about books you want to read?

To find books that I want to read I either choose books that were suggested to me by friends or family members, or I take my time browsing the library or bookstore reading the blurbs of books to find one that I think sounds good. My mum is often the main way I find out about new books because she reads quite often and knows what sort of books I like and enjoy reading.

Name a book or books that changed the way you think- in any way at all, large or small.

When I was around 12 I read the Once series and this really opened my eyes to how horribly innocent people were treated in WWII. By reading about what Jewish people went through, it made me realise again how lucky I am to not be faced with that much hardship or distress in my life.

Based on what you see around you, do you think teenagers read more or less than they used to?

I think that there are quite a few teenagers that still do read a lot but because many different influences, like technology, it’s not as much as what it used to be. I believe that not everyone has to love reading or read every day just that they have to be able to read quite extensively and understand what they are reading. Reading is still in the school curriculum so I believe that most teenagers still read books even if it is the one that is assigned to them in class.

Who is your favourite author and why?

I don’t really specifically have a favourite author and it really changes the older I get. A few years ago I really enjoyed Robyn Bavati’s books and although I still, do my reading style has matured. If I had to pick an author now it would probably be Sunni Overend because her books are enjoyable to read and I think that they have a good plot line.

If you were banished to a desert island and could take three books with you, what would they be and why?

I would probably take Pirouette by Robyn Bavati, Animal Farm by George Orwell and The Dangers of Truffle Hunting by Sunni Overend. Pirouette has been one of my favourite books for a long time and it is a pretty easy book to read and that is what I like about it. Both Animal Farm and The Dangers of Truffle Hunting are books that haven’t read yet but have wanted to for a long time. I have read other books by Sunni Overend, so I think that I will enjoy this one, and Animal Farm is a classic, with an allegorical style that interests me.

Want to complete your work experience at Wakefield Press?

Email Maddy to get the ball rolling.

An interview with: Guthrow Taylor-Johnson, work experience student

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Here at Wakefield Press, we often have work experience students learning about the amazing world of publishing. In the past, their work has been largely behind the scenes, but we’re shining the limelight on the students in our interview series. First up is Guthrow Taylor-Johnson.

A bit about Guthrow

Guthrow Taylor-Johnson

Guthrow Taylor-Johnson

Hi, I’m 15 years old and in year 10. As part of my requirement for my year level I chose to do three days of work experience at Wakefield Press. I enjoy reading but also enjoy playing piano, drawing, catching up with friends and watching an unhealthy amount of Youtube videos.

My experience at Wakefield was a great and memorable one and I hope that I was able to help in the few days I was there because editors are very busy people!

What is the first book you ever read?

 Lost in the Snow by Holly Webb, if you are talking about a novel of decent size. I read it in year 2 as part of a class novel and was hooked from that point on.

What attracted you to doing work experience at Wakefield Press?

 The idea of being around books, in a environment where messing up can be erased or backspaced. My mother (being an author) was very encouraging of having my work experience in an environment she was used to and I’ve always been interested in English as a subject, generally performing well in it. When it came down to it, publishing was a choice I was considering as a career and to make sure I understood the environment, expectations and requirements, I thought it would be in my best interests to apply for a two or three day position.

At the end of your work experience, what are your thoughts about working in publishing?

I can’t say I was hooked instantly as I spent the whole day editing. I can understand why this would appeal to people but I am a person who busies himself with other outlets, like playing piano, doing art and a bit of creative writing here and there. If I were to take up publishing as a career I would have to enjoy editing a lot more. Again, My personality is the problem, not publishing, although the stress of missing a mistake was difficult to deal with.

Do you think boys read differently from girls? If so, how? If not, why do you think so many people believe that?

 I think girls definitely read differently to boys because of their upbringing and our society’s expectations of them but as a female or male it’s harder to distinguish this gap. In my opinion some people might be more attracted to romance and others to action, adventure thrillers, although I think this has to do with personality, intelligence and maturity and not with gender specifically. I believe people think that genders read differently because of movies, social media, songs and the way books advertise books. Some books are clearly advertised to women and some to males. I originally had to think whether I knew any women who read romance novels or if that was just how Hollywood advertises books.

 What’s the last book you read for fun? What was fun about it?

 Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollet. I picked this book up because History is another subject I’m interested in so learning about this infamous cult [Jonestown] seemed like an obvious choice. There were parts I loved, like the scenes of accusation, and parts I was critical of, but in the end it was an enjoyable book.

What’s the last book you read and hated? what did you hate about it?

The Running Man by Michael Gerard Bauer. It was a perfectly well-written book, I just despised the way the book was trying to convince me to care about silkworms. With regret I read over 100 pages about this man painfully describing the day-to-day process of caring for silkworms and the silkworms’ slow and tedious evolution until the process begins again. Even though this wasn’t the main focus of the book, so many of the characters treat this activity as an everyday must. At times I was worried that the book was secretly converting me into a member of a cult.

How do you find out about books you want to read?

Mostly through my mother, Heather Taylor Johnson. Otherwise I just pick up a book in the literary fiction aisle that grabs me the most.

Name a book or books that changed the way you think- in any way at all, large or small.

I would have to say Jack London’s White Fang, Steven Chlobsky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Simon Butters’ The Hounded. These three books in particular changed the way I saw myself, my identity and my purpose. They connected with me in a way that changed my reading style: from fiction about magic space or dystopian rebellions, to novels about confronting real problems that exist in our modern world and inside our self.

Based on what you see around you, do you think teenagers read more or less than they used to?

Sadly, I must give the predictable answer of yes, less. There are just more ways to distract yourself, more virtual games, more ways to connect, more easily accessible knowledge, more ways to compete and say you are the best at this one thing. I don’t think this is change for the worse and this generation is the least free of all. I believe that reading was like a game back before Google and computers, and accepting that books would be non-existent in this world if it weren’t for the older generations and the need for written communication. When that disappears, then we can claim that we are no longer free.

Who is your favourite author and why?

I couldn’t tell you if I knew. Up until two years back I would have said John Marsden or Derek Landy, however my tastes have changed since and I don’t think I’ve read two books from the same author since. I consider this an accomplishment and couldn’t pick an author from just one book, so you’ll have to accept this as an answer.

If you were banished to a desert island and could take three books with you, what would they be and why?

This question got me thinking. Would I want to take three books I haven’t read? Books I would love to learn from or strategic choices that would help with my survival? In the end I picked The Life of Pi, by Yan Martel, The Odyssey by Homer (a very large book that I’ve been intending to read but could never find the time to), and Frankenstein’s Monster by Mary Shelly, a book I could study and increase the extent of my vocabulary by three-fold. Actually, maybe I should bring a dictionary for the last choice?

Read Guthrow’s interview with Simon Butters, author of The Hounded here. Keep your eyes peeled for Guthrow’s next interview with another amazing Wakefield Press author.

Interested in completing your work experience with us at Wakefield Press? Email maddy@wakefieldpress.com.au to book a position.

Interviews with Amazing Authors: Simon Butters

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In early October, work experience student Guthrow interviewed author Simon Butters. Simon’s book The Hounded was longlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s 2017 Book of the Year for Older Readers, and shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards 2017 Griffith University Young Adult Book Award. The Hounded is a book about depression and working out who you really are, from one of Australia’s most prolific children’s television writers.

Simon Butters, Author of ‘The Hounded’ and screenwriter for ‘Wicked Science’ and ‘H2O Just Add Water’

 

Guthrow: Why did you go from screenwriting to novel writing, and where did the idea of The Hounded come from?
Simon: Before writing The Hounded, I worked in television screenwriting in live-action drama and animation for children’s television for many years. The industry in Australia is supported by a quota system for the free-to air networks that requires them to produce a certain amount of new shows each year. I won’t bore you with the details, but the upshot is that the industry is not able to produce as much local drama as it used to.

Published by Wakefield Press in 2016, I wrote The Hounded between writing television projects as a way to further my creative writing. I did not write it for the financial rewards, it was a purely creative decision. As far as the idea, I had always been fascinated by perception, and the grey area between the supernatural, faith and psychoanalysis. So, is the dog real, or just his imagination …? That is open for each reader to decide.

 

I was also inspired by images of the dog at night in my youth. Your mind can play tricks on you when you see a shadow, and for a while you think it might be a dog, or a person, but when you walk closer, it just turns out to be a rubbish bin. Turns out, our brains evolved that way to look for danger. So I guess Monty is hyper-aware of danger, and his dog is the result.

G: How did your idea of the novel evolve or was the idea fully formed before you started?
S: When I started the book, I went the other way to my screenwriting training – which is to plan everything relentlessly before you begin. I wanted to go back to a freer way of writing and so I only wrote a short two or three line brief for each chapter – so I only had a rough outline of plot at the start (however I did know what the ending was going to be).

G: Were there any characters influenced by real people?
S: Most of them were influenced by real people – but I cannot tell you who … (but all characters have been heavily fictionalised).

The Hounded’s cover

G: Was the book originally about Monty or the Black Dog?
S: The novel was always going to be focused on Monty, and the dog only ever a passing influence, like a shadow that comes and goes.

G: What inspired you to write a novel that is so upfront and honest about mental health?
S: I guess to be honest, I wrote the novel out of a personal struggle. Being an artist is always a struggle to find that elusive sweet point between making enough money out of it to survive and to also satisfy your creative side. I have been an actor, director, writer, and all of these are tough. The ‘middle way’, where you work and be creative, is what I am trying to achieve in life.

Apart from the obvious analogy of mental health, Monty suffers from an unstated personality disorder, which I researched during development. After being left alone – which is a form of abuse – as a young child, Monty struggles to connect with the reality around him: other people, objects, and even his own body. This is where in the novel, he describes his body as going on autopilot.

 

In writing the ending, I was very concerned that it would be a step too far for young readers. If I went back to write it again, there is one line I would cut, but other than that I really tried to get the balance right between an honest portrayal, within the confines of the world, and not doing anyone harm in reading it. 

G: For a debut novel, The Hounded was very successful. Did you ever doubt your chances of success and how important was it for this novel to succeed?
S: When writing, I certainly didn’t think about success in any way, it was just about getting the job done and something that I enjoyed reading myself.

G: What did you learn from writing this novel?
S: I learnt that you need honesty in writing. You lay yourself bare as a writer like no other creative expression. Your words are your thoughts. That’s confronting …

G: What do you want your readers to learn when reading this novel?
S: I wanted a reader to ponder their own existence and what their purpose is. I believe, like the existentialists (like Silas and his ball, or Sisyphus and his rock) that you find your own purpose in life, and even if that seems insignificant, your actions provide you with purpose. That’s what Monty needs to learn, and that’s what I guess I need to learn. That’s what I think our whole world needs to learn.

Written by Guthrow Taylor Johnson. Many thanks to Simon Butters for his time and generosity, and for his wonderful book!

Want a copy of The Hounded? Visit Wakefield Press at 16 Rose Street, Mile End SA 5031 or shop the book online.

 

Behind the Books: Meet publicist Ayesha Aggarwal

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In this series, we take you behind the scenes to get a glimpse of the glamorous life at Adelaide’s premier publishing house. This week, meet our gung-ho publicist (with a side in sales!) Ayesha Aggarwal.

Ayesha Aggarwal

What made you want to work in publishing – and how did you get your start?

I’ve always been an avid reader with a love of stories. I was the kid that always had to be told to put my book down about five times before I could wrench myself away, much to the annoyance of my mum (who also was 100% responsible for my reading habit in the first place). One of my earliest memories is coming home with every copy of the Mr Men and Little Miss books which I devoured in about a week. When Mum and I went to our local library, the librarians would vacate this bright orange stool so that I could stand on it and watch them check out my latest pile of books. So, really, publishing was always my dream job.

I got my start at Wakefield Press largely thanks to editor extraordinaire Margot Lloyd. We bumped into each other at a friend’s party and drunkenly discussed how much she was enjoying being at Wakefield Press and how I should apply to be an intern there. I dutifully sent in a request for an internship and my timing turned out to be excellent because there was a position as a receptionist opening up. So I applied for the role and had an interview (with three Wakefieldians!!) and I got the job. Whew!

What does your typical day at Wakefield Press involve?

My typical day is a flurry of tasks. I answer the phones and do all kinds of admin-y things as well as looking after various aspects of our marketing and publicity. Most days, I’m halfway through a press release, or adding an event to a newsletter, when the phone rings and I help a customer with a question about our books (quite often this is a budding writer who has questions about the publishing process).

Mainly, though, my job is to liaise with the media about articles, extracts or interviews about our books and to promote all our excellent authors. And I put together all our email campaigns. And flyers.

What’s the most absurd or surprising thing that’s ever happened to you on the job?

I took a phone call once where the caller wanted to speak with someone who was already on the phone so I asked whether they would like to leave a message. As they were midway through the longest message ever, I realised that I could now put them through to the person they wanted to speak with and told them so but got an earful about interrupting them while they gave me their message instead.

 What’s the best thing about working in publishing?

I think this is specific to small publishers like Wakefield Press but I really love the broad range of genres that we publish. It means I get to work with so many different types of people and dip into different industries all the time. One day I’ll be looking up food magazines and the next I’ll be trawling for blogs about young adult books. It keeps me on my toes because there’s always something new to discover.

What’s the worst thing about working in publishing?

As a publicist it’s my job to keep our authors abreast of all the publicity surrounding their books. The space for books in the media has continued to shrink and we’re publishing five or six books each month that are all pitched to the same major book journalists. At the end of the day, it comes down to luck and timing but it’s never easy to have to tell an author (who may have spent years writing their book) that they haven’t got an interview with Richard Fidler.

What kinds of things do you love to discover in a book (on the job or as a reader)?

I really enjoy when writers write dialogue as it is spoken so you can really get under the skin of the characters (except in the case of Irvine Welsh where the thick Scottish accents took a million years for my brain to comprehend).

What books are on your bedside table right now?

This my seem like blasphemy but when I’m not at Wakefield, I’m usually elbow deep in clay so I’ve turned to audiobooks to feed my reading habit. I’m such a sucker for a funny, insightful read so at the moment I’m revisiting Terry Pratchett’s Discwold series (I just blew through Good Omens and Small Gods last week). I also have Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist on my to read list as well as Lindy West’s Shrill.

Ayesha moonlights (sunlights, really) as a ceramicist on her days off. Her beautiful pieces can be found on her website, and for a limited time, some seconds pieces are available at Wakefield Press HQ.

Behind the Books: Meet events guru Maddy Sexton

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In this weekly series, we take you behind the scenes to get a glimpse of the glamorous life at Adelaide’s premier publishing house. This week, meet our events guru, editorial assistant and all-round office doer Maddy Sexton.

Maddy Sexton

What made you want to work in publishing – and how did you get your start?
I wanted to work in publishing since I was about eight, which seems like a lie, but I have a whole collection of ‘published’ work hidden in my parent’s garage with thrilling stories including ‘The Adventures of Starfish’, a story about a starfish (named Starfish) who goes out one day and then comes home (that’s the entire story), among other things. I’d write, illustrate, and bind all of my stories and tell anyone who would listen that one day I would be an author.

I actually came to be in publishing very much by accident, mainly because I never thought I’d be able to crack into the field. A friend of mine used to work at Wakefield Press, and when she got a job in Melbourne, she suggested that I go for the role, and the rest is history. I’m very lucky to be here!

What does your typical day at Wakefield Press involve?
It’s a lot of reading – emails make up most of my material, but I also do a bit of proofreading and editing bits and pieces that come across my desk. My main job is events coordination, so the rest of my day is usually filled with organising book launches and other events for our authors. The rest of the time I’m trying to keep the bookshop stocked up and looking nice, which helps to break up my work a little bit.

What’s the most absurd or surprising thing that’s ever happened to you on the job?
I’ve only been here for a year, so I don’t have any exciting stories really! My biggest surprise was getting the job, followed closely by finding out just how glamorous it is to work in publishing! It’s kind of funny sometimes answering the phone and having a conversation with someone which seems to be quite normal and relaxed, and then just before they hang up you find out you’ve been talking to a TV network producer without even knowing it!

What’s the best thing about working in publishing?
The best thing for me is being able to work on lots of different books in (usually) really small ways, and knowing that although I might not have been credited in the book, I still had something to do with bringing the book into the world. It’s very satisfying, especially if the book was difficult to work on!

What’s the worst thing about working in publishing?
The constant suspicion that I’m not meant to be in publishing, and that someone will walk in and say ‘Hey, what are you doing? You’re not meant to be here!’ and kick me out. Otherwise it’s great!

What kinds of things do you love to discover in a book (on the job or as a reader)?I love when there’s a little ‘A-ha!’ moment in books, where the penny finally drops for you as the reader but might not have dropped yet for the characters. Also, I love weird humour (I read too much Lemony Snicket as a kid), so it’s always good to find a ridiculously placed bit of comedy in a book.

What books are on your bedside table right now?
It’s embarrassing but my bedside table is really just a ridiculously tall stack of unread books that I keep adding to in moments of weakness. One day it will get so tall that I can’t get out of bed, but I’ll probably still add to it. Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman is on top, along with The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton. I finished Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 recently, which I really enjoyed – one less on the stack!

Keep up to date on the Wakefield Press crew’s day-to-day activities by following us on Instagram! Maddy will be posting pictures, videos and polls to our stories every day. Visit us online or in store at 16 Rose street, Mile End, to see us all in the flesh.

Behind the Books: Meet editor Margot Lloyd

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In this series, we take you behind the scenes to get a glimpse of the glamorous life at Adelaide’s premier publishing house. This week, meet editor extraordinaire Margot Lloyd.

Margot Lloyd

What made you want to work in publishing – and how did you get your start?

I actually used to work for a few hours a week at Wakefield when I was a teenager, helping with mailouts and databasing. At that point, I hadn’t really considered a career in publishing, but it must have planted a seed. Many years later, finding myself at a loose end after finishing a BA, I thought I might enjoy editing so moved to Melbourne to study at Monash. I worked for a couple of publishing houses there, before moving back to Adelaide and starting (again) with Wakefield Press.

What does your typical day as an editor involve?

Mainly reading, which I guess isn’t surprising! Either that or checking emails or other small admin tasks to break up the day. We also have book launches and sales and other events, which are good fun and stop me from feeling like a total introvert.

What’s the most absurd or surprising thing that’s ever happened to you on the job?

Going to India with the Australia Council in 2017 sticks out. That was unexpected and amazing.

What’s the best thing about being a book editor?

Sometimes while I work I feel like an archaeologist with a tiny brush exposing an amazing piece of work. That feeling is pretty neat.

What’s the worst thing about being a book editor?

The constant and incurable worry that I’ve missed something.

What’s your pet editorial peeve (on the job or as a reader)?

Changing tenses halfway through a piece. Mainly because it’s such a pain to fix!

Also, surprisingly enough, exclamation marks. I use them all the time in casual writing, I think as an act of defiance against my work-self(!).

What kinds of things do you love to discover in a book (on the job or as a reader)?

Unexpected humour. While I don’t generally read comedy, I think the ability to make your reader laugh out loud without warning is very underrated.

What books are on your bedside table right now?

I’ve just finished Jane Harper’s latest book – which I thoroughly enjoyed – and I really want to read Elmore Leonard’s Out Of Sight, which Michael Bollen (Fearless Leader) lent to me.
The chances of me getting to it soon are slim to none. There’s always something else that needs to be read first.