Almost A Mirror interview

Like freflies to the light, Mona, Benny and Jimmy are drawn into the elegantly wasted orbit of the Crystal Ballroom and the post-punk scene of 80s Melbourne, a world that includes Nick Cave and Dodge, a photographer pushing his art to the edge.

With precision and richness Kirsten Krauth hauntingly evokes the power of music to infuse our lives, while diving deep into loss, beauty, innocence and agency. Filled with unforgettable characters, the novel is above all about the shapes that love can take and the many ways we express tenderness throughout a lifetime.

As it moves between the Blue Mountains and Melbourne, Sydney and Castlemaine, Almost a Mirror reflects on the healing power of creativity and the everyday sacredness of family and friendship in the face of unexpected tragedy.

Kirsten Krauth is an author and arts journalist who lives in Castlemaine, Australia. Her writing has been published in the Guardian, Saturday Paper, Monthly, Age/SMH and Overland. She's inspired by photography, pop and punk, flm, other writers and growing up in the 80s. Almost a Mirror was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and her frst novel is just_a_girl.

Almost a Mirror
Transit Lounge Publishing
Author: Kirsten Krauth
ISBN: 9781925760507
RRP: $29.99

Interview with Kirsten Krauth

Question: What originally inspired the idea of Almost A Mirror?

Kirsten Krauth: I was sitting on the steps leading up to the Crystal Ballroom, a venue in St Kilda that used to host the likes of Nick Cave in the early 80s and the place had such a rich atmosphere, I wanted to explore what it was like to be part of the music and art scene there. So I started looking at photographs and videos from the time and it was such an amazing slice of Melbourne history. 

Question: Who do you hope reads Almost A Mirror?

Kirsten Krauth: Almost a Mirror is for 80s tragics, people who grew up loving Countdown, people who were at the Crystal Ballroom or part of the post-punk scene, and those who love Nick Cave. But it's also about the healing power of creativity and what it means to be a mother and artist.

How much of your inspiration comes from real life and real people?

Kirsten Krauth: Nick Cave and Rowland S Howard (and other members of the Boys Next Door and Birthday Party) feature as characters in the book and it was fun to imagine them on stage and at the Ballroom. I interviewed many musicians. But as with any fiction, it moves beyond fact to the realm of imagination.

Question: What or who inspired your love of reading/writing?

Kirsten Krauth: I always loved reading and writing. I can't remember a time when I didn't. My dad is also a writer and my mum is a passionate reader. Books were a huge part of my life growing up, a source of great solace and excitement and education. Teachers played a huge part. My English teacher in Year 7, Mrs Spooner, encouraged my writing with assignments I would do on the school holidays, little slices of memoir that ended up going for a hundred pages! My work and career as an editor and arts journalist/book reviewer have always involved working with words, too. 

Question: What book are you reading, right now?

Kirsten Krauth: When I was in the US last year, I was very excited to get a signed first edition of Blondie - Deborah Harry's memoir Face It. It's eye opening, and gives great insight into the 80s music scene.

Question: What's next, for you?

Kirsten Krauth: Hopefully, when I'm out of isolation, a series of launches around the country with my muso friend Michael Simic, and a chance to meet readers!