My Book Corner is delighted to welcome Anna Fienberg.
She is the award-winning Australian author of the ever popular Tashi series, novel Louis Beside Himself and illustrated chapter book Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Café with illustrator Stephen Michael King. We are honoured that she found the time to answer all our questions.
Tell us about you …
Last night I dreamed I rescued President Obama from an assassin on public transport. I felt brave and happy all day!
What makes you happy?
Good dreams, a morning walk by the creek, my son’s happiness, conversation with a friend, movies (with an ice-cream), reading fiction, Italy, helping someone in need, getting a good idea for a new story and still being in love with it the next day…
Where have you always wanted to visit?
Sicily. It’s stamped with footprints of half the ancient world – Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines! One day I’ll go and write in one of those small medieval hill-towns.
Where is your favourite place to write?
In my bedroom. All I have to do is wake up, get out of bed, stretch, and slide across to my desk. The gap between dreaming and writing is just one metre.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Imagine if Gina Rinehart suddenly had a change of heart and gave all her money to UNICEF, causing a chain reaction in billionaires, governments, nations, whereupon the world was flooded with compassion, care and ice-cream for everyone.
What is the best thing about being a published author?
You can go to work in your pyjamas. And you get to say what you really think.
Who or what inspires you?
Gina Rinehart, when she gives all her money to UNICEF. Also, Dr Fiona Wood who invented spray-on skin, Ann Tyler and Isaac Bashevis Singer (two of my favourite authors), and Dante Alighieri who wrote all about hell but also how to get out of it.
Worst habit?
Lately, talking too much about Dante Alighieri (who practically invented the Italian language.)
My favourite words:
Lambent, agog, and veramente. I like veramente (which means really and truly) because it rolls off the tongue like a liqueur chocolate.Lambent means softly shining (like moonlight) and agog means surprised as anything (making me think of a sea creature with its eyes out on stalks).
Next project:
In October this year Figaro and Rumba, illustrated by Stephen Michael King, will be published. It’s a storybook about Figaro the dog and Rumba the cat who are best friends. I’ve just seen a preview copy and I’m so excited – it looks Fabulous! as Figaro would say. So now I’m writing another Figaro story, called Figaro and Rumba and the Cool Cats. Kim Gamble, who illusrates the Tashi books, is drawing the pictures for a new Tashi picture book right at this very moment. It’s called Once there was a Dragon and it will come out next year.
Just for fun
Tea or coffee? Caffe latte
Paper books or ebooks? paper books (I love smelling them, writing little private notes in the margins, underlining the wonderful bits, reading them in the bath. But don’t tell my mother, who is a librarian).
Marmite or Vegemite? Vegemite
Write or type? I write AND type
Beach or bush? love beach AND bush (and pine needle Italian forests that are soft as a carpet under bare feet).
Anna Fienberg’s new books Louis Beside Himself and Figaro and Rumba are published by Allen & Unwin.
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