by Jessie Cole
But when it came to starting the next book, I was in a predicament. My whole way of writing was built on the premise of privacy—how could I write knowing others would read it? I pottered and procrastinated. Finally, I spoke about it to a friend, who offered some very simple advice: ‘Write, and you can choose later if you want to share it. The process of writing is still private.’ And that is absolutely true. I knew it was up to me to decide if and when I wanted a story to be read, and once I understood that, I was off and running.
Which authors were you reading while writing Deeper Water?
I live in my childhood home in amongst my parents’ book collection. They were both avid readers, but over the years the influx of new novels into the house has considerably slowed. As a result, the bookshelves are something of a living time capsule. It’s an eclectic mix of things, but lots of Herman Hesse and Franz Kafka. Since having Darkness on the Edge of Town published, I really wanted to catch up with the fiction of my contemporaries, so I read Carrie Tiffany, Romy Ash, Tony Birch, and many others. What a rich writing culture Australia has! In terms of inspiration, I read a lot of non-fiction when I’m writing. Early on in the process I found a book called The Secret World of Doing Nothing by Billy Ehn and Orvar Löfgren an oddly rejuvenating read. Just recently I read Jay Griffiths’ Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape, which was completely mesmerising.
What is next for you?
I often have a bit of a spell from writing fiction after completing a novel, but I have been tinkering with the first manuscript I completed. It is a much more autobiographical tale, and though it hasn’t been published yet, it’s still very close to my heart. But I’m still trying to work out how it should be. Apart from that, I’m really not sure!
Reading Group Questions
Deeper Water is not only a story of sexual awakening, but of discovering secret unknowns. What does Mema learn about herself and her family?
Mema is named by her mother for Artemis, the goddess of wild animals, the moon and fertility. How does this naming foreshadow her character and journey?
The creek is an important character in Deeper Water. How does nature, in its cycles of destruction and creation, reflect or impact Mema’s life?
Mema is emotionally and physically connected with the land. Do you feel similar connections? Can you identify with Mema’s relationship?
When Hamish is confined to Mema’s place during the flood, he loses almost all contact with the modern world. How would you cope without the internet or a mobile phone in a stranger’s house for days?
When we look at our lives through the eyes of others, we see ourselves in a new light. What does Mema learn from this experience? What do you think Hamish sees?
Anja is wild, provocative and impulsive, the opposite of Mema at the beginning of the novel. Does Mema show any of Anja’s characteristics over the course of the novel?
What did you make of Mema and Anja’s intimate relationship? Have you had relationships yourself that defy normal classification?
What is your opinion of the quality of loyalty in the context of the novel?
Hamish’s behaviour towards Mema is ambiguous. Do you think he plays with her? How responsible are we for the feelings of others?
Mema’s mother is a dichotomy of hard and soft, nurturing and yet cold. Is her dual nature recognisable? Did you understand her frustrations?
How did you feel about Mema not yet being ready to leave home at the end of the novel?
About the Author
Jessie Cole was born in 1977 and grew up in an isolated valley in northern New South Wales. Her debut novel, Darkness on the Edge of Town, was shortlisted for the 2013 ALS Gold Medal and longlisted for the Dobbie Literary Award. Her work has appeared in Kill Your Darlings, Meanjin, Island magazine, Big Issue, Daily Life and The Guardian. Nowadays, she lives in her childhood home with her two sons.
jessiecolewriter.wordpress.com
PRAISE FOR
DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
‘It’s exquisite writing. Graceful, revealing, pitch perfect. Cole is an author who pays sharp attention to the world around her. And she deserves to have the world pay her some attention in return.’
Ed Wright, Weekend Australian
‘Jessie Cole writes with the most deceptively simple language. She pulls you into the story and along its threads until bam! She hits you right between the eyes. This is great storytelling.’
Meredith Jaffé, Hoopla
‘Cole captures the joys and menace of small-town life and human relationships that are never black and white but always grey.’
MX
‘Jessie Cole’s writing has the clarity of good modern novels, words that aren’t fancy and full of complex sentences, just a measured quietness that makes the story sing.’
Brittany Vonow, Brisbane Courier-Mail
‘This work operates at deeply engaging and emotional levels while excellent story-telling drives it.’
Nigel Krauth, Westerly
‘Darkness on the Edge of Town proves difficult to put down as it hurtles towards its confronting conclusion.’
Who Weekly
‘… it’s an accomplished portrayal of how seemingly random events can trigger life-changing outcomes.’
Sunday Canberra Times
Copyright
Fourth Estate
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
First published in Australia in 2014
This edition published in 2014
by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited
ABN 36 009 913 517
harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Jessie Cole 2014
The right of Jessie Cole to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Cole, Jessie, author.
Deeper water / Jessie Cole.
978 0 7322 9858 6 (pbk)
978 1 4607 0200 0 (epub)
Families – Fiction.
Healing – Fiction.
A823.4
Cover design by HarperCollins Design Studio
Cover images by Lilli Waters