An Interview with: Claire Morey, Intern
Meet our wonderful intern, Claire, who recently completed her Honours degree in history (and then plunged right into a two-week stint at Wakefield Press!). Claire talks about the importance of self-aware history writers and the impact university has on reading habits.
What is the first book you ever read?
One of the first novel-sized books I can remember reading is probably Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. It seems to be the most memorable, maybe because I loved the edition and Quentin Blake's illustrations so much.
What attracted you to doing your internship at Wakefield Press?
I've wanted to work in publishing for quite a long time but I hadn't really thought to pursue it while I was studying. Now that I've graduated and have a lot more spare time I thought it would be a great opportunity to get involved with the publishing industry.
At the end of your internship, what are your thoughts about working in publishing?
I really enjoyed the internship! It's helped me to solidify my interest in editing and proofreading, but it was also very interesting learning about other roles and how things operate behind-the-scenes.
You’ve done an Honours degree in history, so you must have read a few history books. What makes a history book engaging? And do you think history can tell us about the present as well as the past?
I really enjoy history books and historians that acknowledge their subjectivity and their inability to present a set of complete truths. In particular, history books that really cleverly weave together narrative and history with the past and present are the most engaging to me. A good example of this is Slicing the Silence by Australian historian Tom Griffiths. He is really fantastic at communicating history through interconnecting stories and historical figures in a constant conversation between past and present. Engaging historical writing can often read much like a novel.
What’s the last book you read and loved? What did you love about it?
Mary Lee: The life and times of a 'turbulent anarchist' and her battke for women's rights by Denise George (published by Wakefield Press)! I really loved learning about a woman who, despite being so integral to the women's suffrage movement of both South Australia and Australia as a whole, is hardly remembered or talked about in schools or general society. Reading such a captivating book has me thinking that primary and secondary school history could be far more interesting if we focus on incredible local historical events, such as women's suffrage in South Australia and the women who fought so hard for it, rather than learning about the First Fleet over and over again.
What’s the last book you read and hated? what did you hate about it?
I don't think I ever really hate books! It's possible I only pick things up that I think I will like at least a little bit, so maybe I'm not that experimental in my reading choices. One book that I remember really struggling with was The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. Perhaps it was a bit too postmodern for me back in first year university, I think I could handle it a bit better now (maybe).
How do you find out about books you want to read?
I get a lot of recommendations through friends, family, my boyfriend and uni. I also follow a YouTuber (Leena Norms) who works in publishing in London, so that has been a great way to discover contemporary titles that are being published.
Where do you buy your books? (In a bookshop, online, second-hand ... Or do you use libraries?)
A combination of all of them! If there's a book I really want then I'll buy it, and if it's a lot cheaper online then I am a bit guilty of buying books from Book Depository. I do like finding second-books and recently I've been trying to use libraries more often, but I do enjoy owning books, especially if I've really enjoyed it and want to reread it.
Does studying influence the kinds of books you read? (Other than set texts, of course!) If so, how?
Yes, I did English and History at uni so studying English got me very interested in a lot of classics as well as postcolonial literature.
Only in the last few years have I read many history books, which I never would have known about if it weren't for studying history at uni. Studying history has also given me a far greater understanding and interest in Australian history.
How do you feel about reading on-screen? Do you read e-books as well as print books? (And if you do both, what’s the split, time-wise?)
I much prefer reading print books, I only really read e-books if a print book isn't available.
If you were banished to a desert island and could take three books with you, what would they be and why?
This is very hard! First I think I'd pick The Art of Time Travel by Tom Griffiths because it's a great compilation of Australian and Indigenous history and it's really well written. Next maybe The Story of Art by EH Gombrich because it is so incredibly packed with information so would use up a lot of time while stuck on an island. The last one would probably be Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë as it is such a lovely, easy read that never gets old.