Photo: the Orkneys, Scotland, after Sff Worldcon 2005: from left, Paul Ewins, self, Donna Hanson, my daughter Natasha and Trudi.
I love seeing my fellow Australian sff authors do well. I love it when they are fellow Voyager authors. I love it even more when I know and like them. And I especially love it when they are fine writers.
Trudi’s work is adult fantasy, but tilted a bit towards the young adult market – don’t expectloads of graphic blood and gore. There’s more angst than grit, but Trudi doesn’t shirk from the depicting tragedy and the high price of victory.
Trudi Canavan’s first trilogy The Black Magician was enormously popular, particularly in Britain, and obviously must have left her fans begging for more because Priestess of the White, the first in her new trilogy, was the third most pre-ordered book on amazon.co.uk. It went on to be number one in the SF hardbacks national bestseller chart and number 5 in the national general hardback fiction charts immediately after publication this month.
And lucky Trudi also has had some of the most stunning covers (Orbit editions) in the business…
What can I say about Trudi? She loves chocolate and fudge and ice-cream and never seems to put on weight. I visited an awful lot of knitting shops when I travelled with her and the sound of her knitting needles was a constant in the car. Her Pippi Longstrom socks were a hoot. She cooks a mean Anzac biscuit without a recipe, and plays an even meaner game of Scrabble. (I’m never going to play with her again.)
And if you ever invite her to speak anywhere, make sure you have the mike turned up high, because she speaks very softly…
Congratulations, Trudi. Miss you.
Trudi indeed flies the flag proudly for the Oz contingent, as do Sean Williams, Jennifer Fallon, Sara Douglass, Ian Irvine, Fiona McIntosh and some old chook called Glenda Larke.
And you’re right — it’s absolutely thrilling when one of our own cracks the international market. Gives hope that others can follow in those footsteps.
And this post says something important about generosity of spirit, too. Writing’s a funny business. It’s easy to glower from the sidelines, feeling green, because someone else is sitting a rung or two higher up the ladder than yourself. It takes real class to celebrate someone else’s success.
Sigh. Not so much anonymous as brain dead. That was Karen.
Who is Pippi Longstrom?
Oh, and I did have a recipe for anzac biscuits on my laptop. I feel compelled to admit that.
You write a fine tale yourself, glenda. I always wonder if your editor finds anything to correct in your mss. They must love working on your books – easiest job they get!
And I’ll always remember that, if at any point Glenda was stationary during that trip, out would come the laptop and there’d be the sound of tapping keys. She’s one dedicated writer!
I miss you too – and the gnome. Sigh.
Anonymous-alias-Karen said…
Trudi indeed flies the flag proudly for the Oz contingent, as do Sean Williams, Jennifer Fallon, Sara Douglass, Ian Irvine, Fiona McIntosh and some old chook called Glenda Larke.
And there is a certain Karen Miller, is there not, who has recently added another notch to her flagstaff?;-)
Ah, Orkney. All that pre-history! I spent a couple of weeks there ten years ago and long to go again.
Another of my favourite “authoresses” Juliet Marillier set her Foxmask on Orkney, and very effective it was too.
May all my favourite writers be well and happy:-)
Yes, Satima – I think I shall be writing a similar post for Karen soon. She is doing so well, and I loved both her books. And I have actually read another as yet unpublished, which I reckon might even go further. Different style, and I suspect it will be a hit. Has one of the most memorable semi-comic characters ever!!
I’ve had the privilege of reviewing both Karen’s books to date for Specusphere (www.specusphere.com) and seldom have I enjoyed reviewing assignments so much!
I don’t get to review yours, Glenda, since Donna grabs ’em first, but I queue up at A&R to buy them, believe me:-)
I cut my teeth on Pippi Longstocking (alias Longstrom) – she was a wonderful literary creation in what would today be called YA – a feisty red-headed gal with braids that always stood straight out from her head and who was always in some kind of trouble. The book was written by Astrid Lingdren, a Swedish writer. I still had it, one too many moves ago, well into adulthood. Lost, now. Hope whoever found it took as much joy in it as I did.