6. What surprised you the most when you visited Australia?
One of my main source texts for the Pleiades myths has been Munya Andrews’ The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades. Andrews herself is from the Kimberley region in Western Australia, so it was amazing to see the birthplace of these stories that have been orally passed down for thousands of years. Even though I knew how important the Seven Sisters are in Aboriginal culture, I was not expecting to see them so ingrained in everyday life Walking through Alice Springs, I saw homages to the Sisters everywhere. It felt like a homecoming for me and, like CeCe, I totally fell in love with the Never Never.
7. CeCe finds out about Aboriginal traditions and culture from Chrissie. How did it feel to address the difficult issues of racism and colonialism in Australia?
I never set out to make political or social statements – it is the characters who tell me their stories and experiences, and I simply write them down. Australia is a country of contradictions – it is still young and in the process of discovering itself, just like CeCe herself. During my research, I read a lot of historical accounts on what life was like in Australia from colonisation in 1788 to the present day, and I have also read about the 50,000-year legacy of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Camira and Alkina’s characters are based on those accounts, while aspects of Kitty’s life are drawn from the remarkable stories of the great pioneer women of the Outback, who were brought to Australia by their husbands and had to build a life in a harsh and brutal landscape. I admire each and every one of those who took their chance for a better life and boarded a boat to Australia. It takes serious courage and guts to cross to the other side of the world and walk into the unknown.
8. One of your ‘real life’ characters in The Pearl Sister is the Aboriginal painter, Albert Namatjira. What drew you to write about him and his home, Hermannsburg Mission?
I knew that Albert Namatjira was Australia’s most famous Aboriginal artist, but it was when I first saw one of his watercolours that I was intrigued. His style is completely different to the vibrant dot paintings that a lay person like me would expect of an Aboriginal painter. I found out more about his relationship with Rex Battarbee, his mentor, and how his artwork confused and astounded critics who could not understand how an Aboriginal could paint in such a ‘Western’ way. They are truly beautiful landscapes, outwardly executed in the impressionist style that Rex Battarbee taught him, but within the trees and the mountains and skies are endless hidden forms and shapes pertaining to the spiritual side of Aboriginal culture.
I drove through the Never Never to see Hermannsburg Mission for myself. Today it is a protected historical site and managed by the local Aboriginal Elders, still true to its legacy of integration and the effort that was made by Pastor Albrecht to learn the ways of Arrernte people.
10. You have mentioned before that there is an invisible plot thread spun throughout the books. Can you give us a hint about what is hidden in The Pearl Sister? What should we look out for in future books in the series?
There are hidden clues throughout the books, and every day I receive questions and theories from my readers as to #whoispasalt and where the ‘missing’ seventh sister is. I can neither confirm nor deny any of them! The overarching plot is detailed in a file that is well hidden. Only six people on the planet know the ending. I had to write it down for the production team of the TV series of The Seven Sisters.
11. Yes, whilst you were writing The Pearl Sister, you made a deal with a Hollywood production company for a TV adaptation of the Seven Sisters series.
The series has been optioned by Raffaella di Laurentiis’ production company, and the project is still in its early stages. The production company are very brave – they have their work cut out for them, as the story spans over so many locations and time periods, but I trust them completely to translate the sisters’ journey to the screen.
12. CeCe and Chrissie’s relationship is very tender and complex. Can you tell us more about CeCe’s journey towards discovering who she is?
When CeCe embarks on her journey to Australia, it’s the first time in her life that she’s taken off without Star. It was fascinating to write the development of her relationships with both Ace and Chrissie, who are very different people, but who each bring out something different in her. While Ace gives CeCe self-confidence and friendship, Chrissie helps CeCe find out who she is, what her roots are and what a ‘home’ truly means. Throughout the book, CeCe struggles with her identity, as we all do in our different ways at various points in our lives. CeCe is a work in progress and even by the end of The Pearl Sister, she is still uncertain about her sexuality, but at least she has begun her journey of self-realisation and rediscovered her talent, her passion for art and found the inner confidence she so lacked.
13. Can you tell us a little about the fifth book in the series, Tiggy’s story?
Tiggy is the most spiritual of the sisters – she calls herself a ‘snowflake’ and accepts that her sisters find her beliefs and often-accurate prophecies strange and unsettling. Like any ‘gift’, Tiggy wonders if her second-sight is also a curse, as it seems to land her in constant trouble. In The Moon Sister, we travel up to the majestic Scottish Highlands to a wild and snowy Highland estate and a fascinating cast of locals who befriend her. Tiggy’s journey to discover her past will also take her to the heat of Granada in Spain, where the magnificent Alhambra Palace overlooks the seven sacred caves of Sacromonte as they echo with the beat of flamenco music . . .
Acknowledgements
So many people have contributed to the research for this novel and I am hugely grateful to each and every one of them:
In Adelaide, my old friend and London lodger, Mark Angus, who was my tour guide, chauffeur and fount of knowledge, especially on the best Aussie wine! In Broome, Jay Bichard at the Pearl Luggers Tour, the staff at the Broome Historical Society and the Yawuru Society. In Alice Springs, major thanks go to Phil Cooke and Alli Turner, who travelled from Brisbane to The Alice to accompany us on our research tour. Driving out to Hermannsburg through the ‘Never Never’ was a journey I shall never forget. Adam Palmer and Lehi Archibald at The Telegraph Station, and Rodney Matuschka at Hermannsburg Mission. And to a number of Indigenous Australian men and women we met on our journey, who did not wish to be named, but helped me form a picture of their life and culture.