Born in South Africa, Angela Jooste lives and works in Melbourne. While she loves reading and writing, she also works as a curator, and especially enjoys curating exhibitions, which is just another form of storytelling. A lifelong fascination with art also led to studying and teaching art history at university [perhaps too many years at uni!]. Along the way, she decided she wanted to write stories about art, not academic papers. Actually, she just wanted to write stories. To find out more, visit http://www.angela-jooste.com.

 

SIX MINUTES WITH ANGELA JOOSTE:

Today LitPick is joined by Angela Jooste for Six Minutes with an Author! Angela’s debut novel, Chasing Light, was published in December. Angela was born in South Africa and now lives and works in Melbourne, Australia. 

How did you get started writing?

When I was a kid I loved making stuff up. I was an only child with a vivid imagination! But I loved reading and getting lost in imaginary worlds. At school one of my favourite subjects was English and creative writing, and I was appointed the editor of the school magazine in my final year. Then at uni studying undergrad for a BA I spent a lot of time reading and writing stuff that wasn’t related to my course! I think it was then that I realised I wanted to write fiction. 

Who influenced you?

Too many to name! However, here are a few that have had a great influence, whether for their imagination, voice, style, ideas or simply because I love their work: Melina Marchetta, Tim Winton, Meg Rosoff, Angela Carter J.K. Rowling, Jeanette Winterson, Isabelle Allende, Alice Hoffman, Philip Pullman and Shakespeare.

Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting? 

Favourite setting – the sea.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

Read, a lot! Read great writing and not so great writing so you can learn what works and what doesn’t. Read what seasoned authors have to say in interviews and books, like Stephen King’s “On Writing”. And write – every day – write about stuff that’s happening in a journal; write observations down in a notebook or on your phone; write, not necessarily to publish or show people, but to find your voice. And figure out whether you love it and you’d do it, even if you don’t get published. 

Where is your favorite place to write?

Since I have a laptop –I’m happily mobile. Love writing at my desk at home, at the State Library of Victoria, which is like my office away from home, and sitting crossed-legged on the couch. 

What else would you like to tell us? 

Since this is about writing, I posted this on my blog – it’s a small piece of advice from the British poet Ted Hughes about being a writer and finding your voice. I keep it blu-tacked by my desk:

“Here’s how I do it; you can do it too. Anyone can. You just drink in the world around you. Look, feel, dream, read – and tell it your own way. And when you write, listen hard and you can hear the music in the words, aloud in your head. Make music and meaning merge. And it must matter. You have to care.”

Angela, congratulations on the release of your first novel! We are already looking forward to the next one! Thank you for spending six minutes with LitPick!