Prolific and acclaimed children’s author Tania McCartney has recently published a book in New Frontier’s Aussie Heroes series. The fifth book in the series of junior historical fiction, Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend is an illustrated chapter book for children aged 8 - 12, and covers the remarkable life and work of one our Australia's greatest philanthropists. The book features beautiful illustrations by Pat Reynolds.
Here Tania talks about her research and writing of
this book as well as other aspects of her writing career.
Caroline was a woman of
‘pleasing disposition’. She was polite, pulled-together and proper, but she was
also adventurous, gutsy, fearless and tenacious, with a deep passion for
family, community and human rights.
In her portraits and in
the newspaper articles written on Caroline, she comes across as a rather formal
woman, but she was well-educated, well-married and well-travelled, so formality
was indicative of her status as well as the time.
As I got to know her,
however, I saw a real passionate side. Caroline was selfless and immensely
courageous. She moved around a lot and dealt with tens of thousands of
impoverished or displaced people and plenty of bureaucrats, so I’m sure she
would have had a healthy sense of humour. And I also sensed an almost ‘playful’
side. She adored her kids.
This book took a lot of
research, even with its relatively low word count. I researched in depth
because I owed it to kids to cover all bases of Caroline’s story but also
because I found it vital in terms of getting to know Caroline.
When you write faction,
and you spend time surmising certain scenes, you really
do need to know the character well. I researched her life in many different
places—I read existing books, I scoured newspaper articles and letters
(www.trove.nla.gov.au) and
I studied (authenticated) websites.
Rodney
Stinson of www.mrschisholm.com was priceless—he shared much
of his extensive knowledge with me.
Can you name five other Aussie Heroes you
think deserve a book? Any in particular who interest you?
I have more than five! But I’d love to write a book on May Gibbs, Dorothy Wall, Miles Franklin, Florence Broadhurst, and Ethel Turner.
Yes, I know they are
all women, but I find females so underrepresented in Australian history. When I
was researching Australian Story for
the National Library, it struck me how unbalanced the representation of
male/female stories and achievements are. Yes, men achieved a lot, but so did
women—they just received less press and less roles of status. There are many,
many women who worked behind the scenes in our history, who will never be
known.
With my choices, above,
all but Florence are writers, and not much at all has been written about them
(for children). I love that these women helped shape Australia’s literary
scene. At one stage, Aussie kids had not much more than American and British
books to read—May Gibbs was instrumental in creating Australian-themed books
for our children.
This book probably took
around three or four months of researching, writing, redrafting and
fact-checking. Editing to and fros added another few months.
What are some other non-fiction titles
you’ve published?
Australian Story: An Illustrated Timeline is a non-fiction,
high-image picture book for the NLA and my second book for them--Eco Warriors to the Rescue!—has just
been released. It’s a cross between faction and fiction in that it contains
much fact but with a fiction narrative. An
Aussie Year: Twelve Months in the Life of Australian Kids (EK Publishing)
is out this October and it is also a non-fiction book, hosted by fictional
characters. I love blending genres!
My adult non-fiction
titles include You Name It, Handmade Living and Beijing Tai Tai.
I love them both almost
equally. I really subscribe to that old nugget: ‘fact is stranger than
fiction’, and I find researching non-fiction and faction immensely rewarding. I
also love the educational components of non-fiction books, and how attracted
children are to them. Kids are on an endless quest of discovery, after all, and
non-fiction books are like adventure/discovery guidebooks.
Having said that! I
have to be honest and say fiction is my true love—an irony because I rarely
write it, and so desperately want to. This is why Ella McZoo was such a joy to write because it really fulfilled me,
and I’m feeling the call to write adult fiction again, too.
ABOUT TANIA
Tania McCartney is an author of both children’s and adult books, and has been writing professionally for over 25 years. An experienced magazine writer and editor, she also founded respected literary site Kids’ Book Review. She is passionate about literacy, and loves to speak on reading, books and writing. Her latest books include Eco Warriors to the Rescue! (National Library Publishing), Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo: A journey around Canberra (Ford Street) and An Aussie Year: Twelve months in the life of Australian Kids (EK Publishing). Tania adores books, travel and photography. She lives in Canberra with her family, in a paper house at the base of a book mountain.Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend (New Frontier, Oct 2013, $14.95, paperback, 9781921928482)
‘If Captain James Cook discovered Australia––if John Macarthur planted the first seeds of its extraordinary prosperity––if Ludwig Leichhardt penetrated and explored its before unknown interior––Caroline Chisholm has done much more: she has peopled—she alone has colonised in the true sense of the term.’
—Henry Parkes’s Empire newspaper, 15 August 1859
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