ANZ LitLovers LitBlog

Virginia Duigan is the author of The Precipice, a psychological thriller longlisted for the 2012 Miles Franklin Award.  She has an established career as a writer.  She has been a journalist, broadcaster, editor and TV scriptwriter, and she wrote the  screenplay for  the film, The Leading Man.

Before coming to Australia she wrote for The Observer and The Times in the UK, and in Australia she has freelanced for The Bulletin, (now defunct) The Age, The Australian, The Financial Review, and Cinema Papers.  She has made radio docos, been a feature writer and Literary Editor for The National Times, and she reviews theatre, film, restaurants and books.  Her debut novel, Days Like These (2001) was followed by The Biographer in 2008.  The Precipice is her third novel.  (See my review).

This is Virginia’s contribution to ANZ LitLovers’ occasional series, Meet an Aussie Author:

1. I was born in Cambridge, UK – but not in the University.

2. When I was a child I wrote and illustrated a novel called ‘The Secret of the Green Medallion’, with story  & pictures heavily influenced by Enid Blyton.

3. The person who inspired me to write was Mr Gordon, the irascible, terrifying & inspirational headmaster of a primary school I attended for only one term when I was 11.

4. I write in  fits and starts, but mainly on the computer screen, and when the book is three-quarters through I write in a fever.

5. I write when the sense of guilt over not writing becomes overwhelming.

6. Research is  an inevitable byproduct of living.

7. I keep my published works in cartons in my study.

8. On the day my first book was published I thought I’d never get another idea.

9. At the moment I’m writing a short story about disillusionment and wrestling with the idea of a novel about messing up – not necessarily based on research.

10.  When I’m stuck for an idea/word/phrase I write nothing until it’s sorted.

Thanks, Virginia for participating in Meet an Aussie Author!

Find out more about at Virginia’s website.

My thanks also go to the publicist for the Miles Franklin Award, Rachel Caton from Honner Media, for her assistance in the preparation of this Meet an Aussie Author blog post, and for providing the author photo.