Writer Hannah Bent, appeared on the program to discuss her debut novel, ‘When Things Are Alive They Hum’.
Topics discussed include:
- The ten-year writing and gestation process of the novel, balancing real-life with fiction – the difficulties and freedoms this can and did impose on Hannah.
- In a novel called ‘A gift’ by Trent Dalton – how Hannah went about passing on the gifts given her by her real-life sister, Camilla, into the book. An appreciation of life, of beauty and so much more.
- How she went about making the literary voice of the character of Harper, authentic.
- The sibling bond at the core of the story between Marlow and Harper. Its complexities. A Ying and Yang dynamic.
- Another main component – a love-story between the two down (up) syndrome characters featured. How real-life institutions have discouraged such loving relationships before and how that both informed and compelled Hannah to write such a one.
- A central theme of - respecting the wishes of a loved one, but wanting to do what (one thinks) is best for them, even if that goes against said wishes.
- How in a novel full of love, everything is traced back to love. How it endures us through a lifetime and its hardships.
- Plus, a whole bunch more!
Thanks so much to Hannah for appearing on the program, you can pick up your copy of ‘When Things Are Alive They Hum’ from Ultimo Press here:
https://www.ultimopress.com.au/