Finding Serendipity

Finding Serendipity

Tuesday McGillycuddy loves stories - and her mother is a writer. A very famous writer, who has locked herself away in her writing room to finish the final book in her best-selling series for children. But when Tuesday knocks on her door, she discovers her mother is missing!

In search of Serendipity, Tuesday and her faithful dog Baxterr soon find themselves on a very dangerous mission. They enter the magical world where stories come from, a mysterious and unpredictable world, full of real danger and heart-stopping adventure.

With the help of pint-sized heroine Vivienne Small, Tuesday will need all her wit, courage, perseverance and imagination in order to get to The End and be reunited with the people she loves.


Angelica Banks is not one writer but two. Heather Rose and Danielle Wood have been friends for years. They have both written award-winning novels for adults.


Danielle Wood won the Vogel prize for her first novel, The Alphabet of Light and Dark. She is also the author of Rosie Little's Cautionary Tale for Girls and Housewife Superstar - The Very Best of Marjorie Bligh. Heather is the author of three novels, White Heart, The Butterfly Man and The River Wife. The Butterfly Man won the Davitt Award in 2006.

Danielle has a PhD in Creative Writing and lectures at the University of Tasmania.


Heather Rose is an award-winning specialist in the creative industries. They live on either side of the Derwent River with their families. Between them they have six children (including a set of twins), a dog, three cats, quite a few guinea pigs and countless fish and bees.

 

 

Finding Serendipity
Allen and Unwin
Author: Angelica Banks
ISBN: 9781743310311
RRP: $15.99

Interview with Angelica Banks

Question: What inspired the story of Finding Serendipity?

Angelica Banks: We were inspired by the many wonderful children's books that we have read: both the ones we read when we were children, and the ones we have read to our children. Some of our favourites are Barbara Sleigh's Carbonel, JRR Tolkein's The Hobbit and Roald Dahl's Danny, Champion of the World. We are also really inspired by our young readers and by how passionately children can love the books that are important to them.


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

Angelica Banks: It's almost impossible not to find inspiration in the world around you, particularly the world of your own home and family. Our two main characters, Tuesday McGillycuddy and Vivienne Small, are based on our own daughters – Isabelle and Xanthe. Both our girls are so plucky and full of life, we couldn't help but borrow from them.


Question: What is the best thing about creating a character like Tuesday?

Angelica Banks: Creating Tuesday McGillycuddy was our way in to creating a whole new world. And while we were inventing this world – the place where stories come from – we had to ask ourselves some really strange and wonderful questions. Like: where do you go in your mind when you're writing? What is the relationship between writers and characters? And, how on earth do you actually get to The End?


Question: What advice do you have for aspiring writers or artists?

Angelica Banks: A writer writes. That may sound really obvious, but what we mean is: talking about writing isn't writing, planning to write isn't writing, wishing you were writing isn't writing. The only thing that actually is writing, is writing! And: stay on the chair until it's done.


Question: Are you working on another novel?
Angelica Banks: Absolutely. The second Angelica Banks novel, which is currently in progress, is called A Week Without Tuesday. And, we imagine there will be a third book to make up a trilogy.


Interview by Brooke Hunter