About the author:
Meg Bignell was a nurse and a weather presenter on the telly before she surrendered to a persistent desire to write. Since then she has been writing almost every day – bits and pieces here and there, either to earn a crust, to get something off her chest or to entertain herself. She has written three short films, mostly because she wanted to do some acting and no one else would cast her. She sings a bit too, occasionally writes and performs cabaret, but is mostly very busy being a mother to three and a wife (to one). She lives with her family on a dairy farm on Tasmania’s East Coast.
Buy a copy of The Sparkle Pages here // Read our review of The Sparkle Pages here
Your novel, The Sparkle Pages is about a woman searching for the elusive spark in her marriage. Can you tell us a little more about the novel?
It’s really the story of a woman completely thrown off kilter by motherhood, and her navigation of a world that doesn’t seem to have enough space for her whole self. My protagonist, Susannah, asks the question, ‘Is motherhood a natural disaster?’ and for her – and many women – it is in many ways. It’s also an exploration of committed relationships and all the compromises that come with them. I hope that it’s relatable, affecting and fun.
What inspired the idea behind the book?
I think I was inspired to write a certain book, and ended up with a completely different final product, so it’s hard to pin down exactly where the inspiration came from. Susannah herself is a complete amalgamation of things that I’ve read, watched, listened to, the stories and fixations of my friends and acquaintances, my own experiences as a mother and above all, my imagination. Once I started I found inspiration everywhere. I think if you have a book under your skin, the universe seems to speak to you anywhere and everywhere. Domestic life is a minefield of inspirations – it’s hilarious, tedious, excruciating, ridiculous, bizarre, painful and wonderful. Everything that art needs.
You live on a dairy farm and have three children. Life must be hectic. What’s your daily writing routine like?
It is hectic. I don’t spend much time in the dairy, that’s my husband’s domain so when it comes to farm stuff I work on marketing and helping to get rogue cows back in paddocks. Essentially I write whenever I can. The majority of The Sparkle Pages was written at night, on stolen time, when everyone was asleep. Now that I’m a contracted writer (squeak), I get the children off to school, go for a walk then settle in at my desk and try to ignore interruptions. But goodness the school day is short! And then I’m off doing afternoon activities etc. and with any luck I can get back to my desk by about 8.30 pm. I’ve learnt not to be too inflexible, or impose too many word-count rules, because it makes me anxious. As Susannah would say, a mother’s day is covered in thwarts.
What are you working on at the moment?
The first draft of my second book, which is due to send to my publisher, eek, about now. It’s a similar genre to The Sparkle Pages, with a whole cast of different characters, set in rural Tasmania.
In your downtime, what do you enjoy reading?
I have a varied taste in books. I tend to the ‘heavy, light, heavy, light’ formula of reading, and follow recommendations. I’m not a big thriller or fantasy person, because I like things to be more relatable. Humour helps. I love the writing of Nina Stibbe, she never gets too dark and has a wonderful knack of turning ordinary little details into charming insights. Although I do love a good ghost story, or something a bit gothic. Jane Eyre is my all-time favourite book. I’m also keen to read anything by Tasmanian writers (Robbie Arnott, John Honey, John Harwood, Minnie Darke, Heather Rose, Katherine Scholes etc.) – there are so many brilliant ones, it’s so exciting for our little state.
Leave a Reply