MEET OUR JUDGE
In honour of historical novelist, Elizabeth Jane Corbett, the HNSA is delighted to be running the EJ Corbett Mentorship Contest which offers the chance for a previously unpublished author from Australia or New Zealand to receive a mentorship with Wendy J Dunn to develop an unpublished historical fiction manuscript for young adults.
Last week we introduced our mentor, Wendy J Dunn. Today we’d like you to meet our judge, Dr Rachel Nightingale who kindly answered some questions about her approach to young adult fiction and judging the contest.
Rachel is an author, award-winning playwright, educator and actor. With a passion for storytelling and the theatre, it was only natural that her first fantasy series, the Tales of Tarya trilogy, would centre on both. She has also co-authored Mandala: Journeys Within the Circle, with artist Karen Scott, and Raluana Lane, a historical fiction novel about the invasion of Rabaul (Papua New Guinea) during WW2. An award winning playwright, her plays have been performed in Australia, New Zealand and Manila. Having survived improv theatre, travelled the world and immersed herself endlessly in research and creative practice, she often finds herself at the mercy of stories that demand to be written. She lives in regional Australia with her family and a very bossy cat.
Submissions close for the contest on 4 December 2024
HOW DO YOU VIEW YOUNG ADULT FICTION?
Once upon a time the genre of ‘young adult’ literature didn’t have a name. There were simply some books that were thought to be for younger readers, although they had loyal fans amongst adults as well. Nowadays, ‘young adult’ is a swiftly growing, popular genre, with many attempts to define it. For me, at its core young adult fiction is about the journey of an adolescent protagonist as they learn something about how the world works, and how they can take their place in it.
Elizabeth Jane Corbett’s beautiful book, The Tides Between, follows young Bridie Stewart as she journeys on tumultuous seas, travelling from England to Australia to start a new life. Bridie is changed deeply by her journey, but she learns as much from the myths and legends of Wales, told to her by a young storyteller, as she does from the life altering events of her travels.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A WINNER?
In judging the HNSA EJ Corbett Mentorship competition, Elizabeth’s novel will be at the forefront of my thoughts as a model for what I am seeking. Writing that has clarity but also sings, characters that draw you into their lives, historical veracity that transports you to a time and place far from here – these are what Elizabeth did so well, and that I hope to find in the competition entries.
I am also seeking potential, the seed of a story that will grow into something that will intrigue and delight. The aim of the EJ Corbett mentorship is to help you to lift your work to the next level through mentoring sessions with the wonderful Dr Wendy J. Dunn, author of YA novel The Light in the Labyrinth. Wendy’s support will enable one author to nurture their story so that it blossoms to its full potential. Perhaps that story is yours.
WHO WAS ELIZABETH JANE CORBETT?
Elizabeth Jane Corbett sadly passed away in January 2020. She was a talented author, dedicated member of the HNSA Committee, reviewer for the international Historical Novels Review, and a mainstay of our historical fiction community. She had a great love of Wales, and learned the Welsh language in order to research her books fully. Her debut young adult historical novel, The Tides Between, was named a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book for older readers. Liz described the book as ‘an historical coming-of-age novel about fairy tales and facing the truth. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the power of myth.’
When Elizabeth Jane wasn’t writing, she worked as a librarian, and taught Welsh at the Melbourne Welsh Church. In 2009, her short-story, Beyond the Blackout Curtain, won the Bristol Short Story Prize. Another, Silent Night, was short listed for the Allan Marshall Short Story Award. She died suddenly in her beloved Wales at Stiwdio Maelor on a research trip for her next novel about the wife of Owain Glyn Dŵr – the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales.
Her advice to aspiring authors was: ‘It will be hard work and you may have to wrestle with confusion and self-doubt (even after you’ve won prizes and been published). So, focus on the journey and learning your craft. And remember, writing is the real magic.’
Liz liked red shoes, dark chocolate, commuter cycling, and reading quirky, character driven novels set once-upon-a-time in lands far away. The HNSA Committee hopes the mentorship will keep the memory of Elizabeth Jane Corbett alive while providing the opportunity for an aspiring author to walk in her red shoes in writing a successful historical novel for young adults.
ready to enter?
There is still time to enter the contest! Submissions close on 4 December 2024.
