1. Briefly tell us about your book.
The Naturalist of Amsterdam is a historical novel about Maria Sibylla Merian (b. 1647), an adventurer, scientist, artist, rebel, businesswoman and book publisher, regarded by many as the world’s first ecologist. She was one of the first people to observe insect metamorphosis – insects at the time were thought to have emerged from mud – and in her fifties travelled on a self-funded voyage of discovery to the Dutch colony of Suriname in South American to collect, rear and paint its magnificent insect and plant life. Her daughter Dorothea Graff accompanied her as companion, assistant, field observer and artist and the story is told through her point of view. In the shadow of a brilliant but demanding mother, can Dorothea figure out her own identity to realise the everyday dreams of girls and women like her?
2. What inspired the idea behind this book?
I first came across Maria Sibylla Merian when I was researching the life of British bird illustrator Elizabeth Gould to write The Birdman’s Wife. I was at uni and a temporary supervisor who was an art historian told me about Maria, pointing me to her stunning watercolours and scientific writings. They were so incredible I could hardly believe Merian’s most famous book, The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname, (published by Merian herself) came out in 1705. Her illustrations stand the test of time, as vivid and vibrant as they were when she first created them. I found Maria’s adventurous and unconventional life irresistible and knew readers would too – Maria joined a religious cult, divorced her husband, apprenticed her daughters, conducted a successful business and bested many of the men who were her contemporaries. While in Suriname, she nearly died of malaria to boot. Maria taught art classes to young women and sold them art supplies – she made her own paint brushes and ground her own pigments – and when I discovered she had two artist daughters, I knew I had to write the family’s story.
3. What was the research process like for this book?
My research involved travelling to Amsterdam and getting my feet on the pavement, checking out canals and the city’s three-hundred-year-old canal houses, wandering along the streets Maria and her daughters lived and soaking up the markets, bustle and general atmosphere. My father’s Dutch, though I don’t speak the language, but this gave me a little feeling of connection and ownership to the story. Because of Covid, I couldn’t travel to Suriname as I’d hoped, and had to make use of the incredible digital sources and organisations available online. I first decided to write about Maria after a gig I’d done in Tasmania. I found a new issue of The Metamorphosis of Suriname – to celebrate 350 years since Merian was born, several foot tall and more than a foot wide – and spent a small fortune on it, lugging it home with me on the plane – on my lap. During my research I amassed a small collection of early editions of Maria’s publications, issued in limited edition volumes, outlaying more money perhaps than it would have cost me to go overseas for my research. So I’m now a rare book collector.
4. Does the creative process get easier for you with each book?
I always make the mistake of thinking it will be easier and I’m always proven wrong. But I’m an optimist. I guess it’s because each book is its own universe and the story, the characters, the setting, and for me, being a historical fiction writer, the background, has to pass through a process of gestation and evolution. I also always think that I’ll be more ‘productive’ with my new work. That I will somehow revolutionise my approach and be more efficient. Ha! Part of writing a book, the creativity part of it, is being patient so that the brew of plot, story, character, fascinating background, alchemises and transforms into what it needs to be on the page. And that’s just fine, I tell the monkey on my back. At least I know I’ll wrestle it through to the finish line. I’m working on a new historical fiction – set in Italy – and there’s nothing more exciting than a new story and new characters starting to come alive. The hardest part for me is the first draft. I love researching.
5. What are you hoping the reader will take away from reading this book?
I’m utterly fascinated and compelled by the stories of women who have contributed to our cultural history of science and art. Everywhere, in every country and place and throughout all time, women were involved in the making of history, in invention, technology, creativity. I think there’s a real recognition in readers that there are so many fascinating lives that we know nothing about, and there’s a hunger to learn. I always keep my eyes open for my next fascinating woman while I’m immersed in my current work. All of my characters – all of whom really existed – have grown out of the previous novel I’ve been writing. I want the reader to be entertained, amazed, astounded and to be appreciative of women like Maria and Dorothea, and the wonderful contributions they’ve made to natural history and art, not to mention the gutsy and adventurous lives they’ve led.
Meet the Author
Melissa Ashley is the author of historical fiction novels The Bee and the Orange Tree and The Birdman’s Wife, which won the Queensland Literary Awards Fiction prize and the ABA Booksellers Choice Award. She has published a collection of poetry, The Hospital for Dolls, as well as short stories, essays and academic articles. Melissa is passionate about historical women’s forgotten lives, particularly in science. Melissa teaches creative writing in private and institutional settings and lives in Brisbane with her family.
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