Wordsville

Narrelle Harris

Narrelle Harris was born in Newcastle, Australia and proceeded to move every few years until most of her friends thought she was on a Witness Protection program. Her itinerancy included three years abroad, teaching English in Egypt and Poland. Although now settled in Melbourne with her husband and her cat, she continues to relieve itchy feet with regular travel. Narrelle has been writing almost since she could hold a crayon, but spent too many years working for financial institutions as a bank teller. Narrelle has also been a playwright, songwriter, actress, editor, public servant, kitchen hand and — once only — a very bad telemarketer.

Her first novel was the crime/thriller Fly By Night (2004), which was nominated for a Ned Kelly Award. Her 2005 novel Witch Honour, had been short-listed for the George Turner Prize for Science Fiction and Fantasy in 1998. Its sequel, which was short listed for the same award the following year, was published in 2007.

The Opposite of Life was released in early 2008 and has been praised for its fresh take on the vampire genre. Narrelle is currently working on the sequel with a working title of Walking Shadows.

Narrelle also has an essay in the newly released Outside the Law 3, a collection of true crime essays edited by Australian crime writer, Lindy Cameron.

If you want to hear Narrelle talk about books more often, you can tune into the Outland Institute from 12-2pm every Friday on Joy 94.9, where, as the resident ‘book learning expert’, she discusses books and pop culture with John Richards, Joy’s Pop Culture guru.

Who taught you to read and how old were you?

I really don’t know. I think I was looking at books before I started school at the age of 5 and picked it up really quickly. I’m 45 now, so that’s a long time ago. I don’t really remember a time when I couldn’t read at all.

Which books did you love as a child?

Pookie the White Rabbit! (by Ivy Wallace). He had wings! I still have that book.

I also had a giant omnibus which had fairy tales, poems and extracts from novels. That’s where I discovered The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe! As I got older I read all of those, and then discovered Diana Wynne Jones.

Which five fictional characters would you like to meet? What would you like to ask them or talk about?

Miles Vorkosigan — though I can’t imagine what we’d talk about!

I suspect we’d talk about travel

Bertie Wooster — the boy needs a pep talk on how to disentangle himself from all those unwanted engagements!

Neville Longbottom — my favourite character from the Harry Potter books. I think I’d just let him talk about plants and botany for a while, and then I’d tell him how clever and brave he was in the final battle with Voldemort. (I have a T-shirt that says ‘Neville would have done it in four books’. Dr John Watson — I want to know how he copes with living with Holmes.

Is it cheating to say Gary Hooper from my own books? I think I’d like talking about vampire fiction with him.

Name the last two books you have read and rate them out of 5 (5 is the best) You can add a few sentences to say why you liked or didn’t like them if you wish.

I read Richard Harland’s World Shaker (4/5) which was a ripping steampunk yarn and enormous fun.

I also read Catherine Deveny’s Free to a Good Home (5/5). She’s a wicked, rude, angry woman and I think she’s utterly brilliant. I often get caught laughing out loud on public transport while reading her columns.

Where is your favourite place to read?

Snuggled in an armchair when I’m on holidays and know there aren’t going to be any interuptions!

You are being sent to a remote island for who knows how long – which three books are you going to take with you?

PG Wodehouse — The Code of the Woosters — a masterpiece that I never get tired of. Whatever the latest Lois McMaster Bujold Vorkosigan book is at the time, because I know I’ll want to read it at least three times. Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.

How do you organise your personal library at home?

Alphabetically. Of course! Unless it’s non-fiction, and then it’s by topic in whatever shelf space I have left.

Print or e-book?

I have both. Someone once said the best book is the one you have with you at the time. I like print books still, but when I’m travelling I like to keep it light so I download e-books onto my iPhone. E-books also mean that I *always* have something to read on me, whereas depending on my plans for the day, I don’t always have a print book.

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