Bec Stafford interviews Karen Healey.

1. While We Run is the follow-up to last year’s popular release, When We Wake. Can you tell us what readers can expect from this new instalment in the series and a bit about your experience writing the sequel?

When We Wake was a pre-dystopia edging into dystopia. While We Run chronicles the slide into true dystopia, as experienced by Abdi Taalib. Without too many spoilers, readers can expect to explore more of the secrets of the Ark Project as I put Abdi and Tegan into even more dangerous situations with bigger stakes. They can expect explosions, kissing, blood, politics, and fighting. And they can expect the creepiest antagonist I’ve ever written. Most of my villains do bad things for what they think are good reasons; Diane is my first true sociopath.

This is my first sequel, so I expected some difficulty. But really, this might have been the easiest manuscript I’ve ever put together. I’d established so much of the world-building and character backgrounds for Abdi, Tegan, Joph, and Bethari. The plot was a dream. It was just the ending that gave me real trouble; I didn’t want to let them go!

2. While We Run is told from Abdi’s point of view. How did that expand what you knew about his character while writing When We Wake?

Tegan, who narrated When We Wake, is upfront, upright, and mouthy—a character who, when she sees something wrong, jumps in and starts punching. Abdi is much more controlled and contained, and someone who prefers manipulation to direct confrontation.

These fundamentals didn’t change. But the Abdi who starts talking in While We Run is six months from the end of When We Wake: six months of being in government custody, six months of being a government spokesperson for a programme he actually despises. He has undergone traumatic events and they have left very real marks on his body and his psyche. His mother’s advice, which he’s always respected and relied on, is no longer helping. Tegan’s own brand of upfront antagonism isn’t what the situation requires. Abdi has to feel his way to a new equilibrium and accept the consequences of his choices.

3. Abdi and Tegan inhabit a dystopian Australia that has been shaped by, among other things, climate change and barbaric immigration policies—both hot topics in contemporary politics. How important is it to you to express your political ideas in your work, and is it something that you feel writers have a responsibility to address?

I don’t think that writers have a responsibility to address political ideas in their work. I think it’s something they always do. All writing is political writing, even if the political statement is “I am reflecting the status quo as I see it.”

That said, though I’m fairly didactic and unapologetic about it, I don’t have any issue with writers who don’t want to be explicit or didactic in their politics. I explicitly address social injustice and environmental degradation because those are topics that genuinely infuriate me. It’s not in the service of an ideal of what writers ought to do.

4. Which of your fictional characters from While We Run Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

Abdi, because I wrote in his voice from his understanding of the world; Tegan, who I got to explore from the outside; and Diane, because she’s so very unpleasant.

While We Run is published by Allen & Unwin and will be available in all good bookshops and online from this Wednesday, March 26.

I really wanted to do a complete profile for this inspiring young woman, however, as is with most women who are really worth talking about, there is very little information to be found.

Natalie Panek is an up-and-comer in the scientific world and, with a couple of successful Tedx talks under her belt, people are beginning to sit up and take notice… slowly.

In her last Tedx talk she spoke of the gender inequality we create for ourselves as women. We create it for ourselves because we don’t seek out the women who really make a difference, who are working to keep their heads above water in a highly masculine industry and who themselves may not value what they’re achieving enough  to realise that we need them to speak up and become the role models for future generations.

So, as there is a severe lack of biographical information, I’ll link you to her Tedx talks and let her speak for herself. You’ll be hard pressed to not walk a little taller and enjoy the day a little more after hearing what Natalie has to say.

We will certainly be watching to see how she can reshape the feminist movement.

Revolutionising Female Empowerment

Why we explore

Natalie also has her own YouTube channel, where she posts videos of her adventures. A rolling stone gathers no moss, and this young woman is certainly going places.

Our current site editor, Elise Bianchi, introduces us to Sausage the trilingual cat.

Two young Brisbane entrepreneurs, now based in Japan, are making a name for themselves with their cute and lengthy character Sausage the trilingual cat. Ian Glidden and Dave George, childhood neighbours from Brisbane, established Sausage Vs. The World  as a t-shirt-selling business in the Japanese city of Kobe in 2013 and they have ambitions for their long, precious cat that stretch across the globe.

Originally intending to take on the Japanese market as newcomer foreign designers, Ian and Dave decided that this wasn’t ambitious enough and set their sights on the world—hence Sausage Vs. The World. Both Ian and Dave are University of Queensland alumni and, originally conceived in Brisbane, Sausage’s first run of prototype t-shirts were sold among the language clubs at the University.

But turning Sausage from an idea into a business has proved both challenging and rewarding. They have had to wrap their heads around the graphic t-shirt business, experienced flawed samples, and disagreed about ideas. But they have persevered, done their research, and committed both time and money to make Sausage a reality. The result of their persistence is an initial three t-shirt run that is currently for sale on their bright and eye-catching website.

They have also taken to social media with Sausage, with the majority of their advertising being through Facebook and Instagram, where Sausage sometimes goes on adventures in real life. In Japan, particularly in Kobe and Osaka, there has been some subtle advertising with stickers, as well as a lot of word-of-mouth and in-person sales. Two Australians making t-shirts in Japan has turned out to be quite an intriguing talking point!

Ian and Dave have also had to tackle the Japanese idea of ‘cute’ and how it differs to Australia and other parts of the world. Sausage may not be as cute as many Japanese characters, but they are aware of this and have tried to establish his own particular charm. Though their primary demographic is men and women from 18 to 30, they have also received considerable interest from parents wanting kid’s sizes, so they are currently looking into those options too.

The website features their comic, which they consider to be the heart of Sausage. Ian, graphic designer and original Sausage creator, regularly updates the comics to tell their trilingual character’s story as he travels around the world, as well as updating the site with special Sausage illustrations. Sausage, like Ian, speaks English, Japanese, and Chinese. The site recently ran a series of Japan-themed Sausage illustrations, including Samurai Sausage, Schoolgirl Sausage, and Godzilla Sausage.

In the future, Ian and Dave would like to take Sausage into stores and they are currently on the hunt for any Brisbane-based shops that would be interested in taking some Sausage stock and spreading the brand within the Brisbane community. They are currently looking at prototype bookmarks, stickers, and plush toys for Sausage, while he will continue his adventures around the world.

Website: www.sausage-cat.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SausageVsTheWorld
Instagram: www.instagram.com/SausageVsTheWorld  

The discussion of what happens to us after we die has long been one rife with anger, fear, hope, and supposition. In Afterworld, we get to see one woman’s brilliant idea of what the place between could be like.

Blurb (thanks to Goodreads):

“Dom is the youngest person ever to arrive in the Necropolis, the ‘waiting place’ between death and what comes after. And it isn’t long before he catches the attention of Satarial, a cruel Nephilim from the beginning of time, who has grim plans to use Dom as entertainment in his vicious gladiatorial games. When Dom’s still-living sister, Kaide, appears in the Necropolis too, Satarial has the leverage he needs, and the stage is set for the biggest shake-up the afterlife has seen in centuries.

Dom’s only option is to compete in the Trials and attempt to win the chance to enter the Maze. In his favour he has an enigmatic young Guide, Eva, and a Guardian, Eduardo, who may not be what he seems. But will they be enough?”

This marvellous novel begins in India, and I’ve always heard that the first thing that hits you when you walk off the plane is the smells, then the heat. So either this is true, or Lynette has heard the same thing I have.

She portrays the feeling of impending hopelessness in a way that had me gasping for breath.  The differing levels of desperation with each character, each valid in their own rights, and the disconnect between Dom and his parents added to my discomfort.

All this made for a stark contrast when Dom transitioned into the Afterworld. It worked beautifully.

I felt as though Lynette worked hard to validate each belief system, or at least as many as could comfortably fit into the setting. Ringing true the saying, life is what you make it… apparently so is death.

I found the concept of time being the only currency, and having it resonate as the only thing in death that has any value, a little ironic.

Afterworld is unlike anything I’ve read in years and I loved every minute of it. The pages flew by quickly and though the themes make you think, it isn’t anything that will cause you a great deal of heartache or an attack of the worries.

https://www.facebook.com/authorLynnetteLounsbury

https://twitter.com/linet3177

http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781743315101

 Paperback, 409 pages

Published February 26th 2014 by Allen & Unwin

ISBN13 9781743315101

Chris Kneipp reviews the 2013 TV series, Sleepy Hollow.

Something dark is rising in Sleepy Hollow and it’s going to keep you glued to your TV screen. This paranormal/police series from the Fox network has just finished its first season run and the second season is slated for release later this year. While perhaps not for everyone, I thought it was a wonderful retelling of the old story, though it has more in common with a series like Supernatural than it does with the original tale by Washington Irvine.

The show tells the tale of Ichabod Crane (played by Tom Mison), a soldier in the American Civil War. The first episode opens on the battlefield, where Ichabod shoots an axe-wielding mercenary who shakes off the bullet and keeps coming. Our hero is mortally wounded, but manages to behead his killer before dying. Now that could have been the shortest TV series of all time, but for the intervention of his wife Katrina (Katia Winter), a witch. Fast forward a few centuries and Ichabod awakens in a cave on the outskirts of the town Sleepy Hollow, New York, very much alive. As you can imagine, claiming you are from the 1700s is going to get you committed, but when a string of people are beheaded with an axe, one person believes him: Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie), a police lieutenant haunted by her own childhood supernatural experience. Together, Crane and Mills uncover a terrifying plot to bring about the end of the world.

The show’s creators do a great job mixing the drama with occasional light comedy, and the cast of characters, both good and evil, do a great job bringing the story to life. I haven’t seen Tom Mison or Nicole Beharie in anything before, and if this is any indication of their talent then I’m looking forward to seeing them in other roles in the future. Mison plays the stiff but likable hero convincingly, though I do find myself wondering why he is always in the same clothes he was wearing when he crawled out of the cave (Eww!). Nicole Beharie also lends much to the success of the show and it’s nice to see a female lead who doesn’t need to dress in black leather and high heels to kick ass.

The supporting characters in Sleepy Hollow are well-played and it was interesting to see Orlando Jones (Mad TV) and John Cho (Harold and Kumar) step away from comedy and into dramatic roles. Lyndie Greenwood plays Abbie’s troubled sister Jenny and brings another great tough-girl character to life.

As all good series do, Sleepy Hollow’s season finale frustratingly ends with a killer cliff-hanger (no spoilers) and the show’s ratings suggest that there’ll be plenty of people glued to their TVs when season two comes out later this year. No release date has been announced, though Fox has confirmed they are shooting it now.

Guess we’ll all just have to be patient until then.