Angela Savage

The Age newspaper’s Good Weekend magazine of 26 July 2008 featured Melbourne author of the Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman mysteries Kerry Greenwood and her partner David Greagg in their ‘2 of us’ column.

Kerry briefly introduced David when we crossed paths in the green room at the Crime and Justice Festival the week before. David attended her sessions and she referred to him on several occasions, always with love and respect.

I also note David was responsible for drawing up Phryne Fisher’s astrological chart (which figures, given he’s a wizard).

It was a real pleasure to read what they had to say about each other in the Good Weekend. Kerry said, “In my novels, my heroes are always David, though he’s too modest to know. When I want a character of stainless-steel virtue and kindness and courage, it’s always him.”

David described Kerry as “smart as paint, loving, loyal, charming, sexy, wonderful… She still works for Legal Aid, not for the money but because she’s kept faith. It’s who she is. She’s a nicer, cuter version of Horace Rumpole.”

But the line I most loved was Kerry’s: “He’s always been the most interesting person at any party I’ve ever been to.”

That’s exactly how I would describe my partner Andrew Nette.

However, because the men in my books tend to be highly flawed individuals if not anti-heroes, I haven’t drawn on Andrew as a source of inspiration for any characters. At least, not yet.

Bravo to Kerry and David! To quote a Cambodian wedding blessing, “May you be together so long, all your teeth fall out and you can’t even eat bananas”.

At the risk of being gauche, here is a photo of my first ever royalty cheque.

It’s two years since Behind the Night Bazaar was published and this is the first time I’ve gone into the black with my publisher, Text, due largely to an advance (in Euros) for the German edition.

I am thrilled to bits.

And while on the subject of Nachtmarkt (German title of my novel), I received some copies while in Melbourne recently and they had a sticker on the front that said ‘Geht’s Nicht Thriller Das Monats’. I get that someone in Germany nominated it as a ‘Thriller of the Month’. I can only hope it’s their equivalent of Oprah!

Now when I fill in official forms, next to ‘profession’ I can put ‘writer’ and feel like I’ve earned it.

I had a great time as a presenter and participant at last weekend’s inaugural Crime and Justice Festival at the old Abbotsford Convent.

A First Offence: The first panel I participated in was at 10am on a chilly Saturday morning, where Fiona Macintosh (aka Lauren Crow) and I talked with Lenny Bartulin about being a first-time crime writer. Lenny joked that being ‘participating chair’ gave him license to redirect the subject on to himself if it veered too far away. In fact, the three of us had a ball sharing experiences. We all had different approaches to our writing: for example, Fiona blocked her ears and sang ‘la la la’ when I described how, if I hit a bump in the narrative, I would step outside the chronology and leap ahead to write a scene I felt more enthusiastic about. For Fiona it was all about spinning a good yarn from start to finish. She swears there are no ideas in her books, but I’m suspending disbelief until I read one. I liked Lenny talking about walking Sydney in the steps of his character Jack Susko, though he was glad to be in Melbourne to escape the ‘inspirational music’ drifting across the harbour in honour of World Youth Day/the Pope’s visit. Our small audience gave us great feedback on the session and I left on a high.

Colonel Mustard in the Library: Later in the day I caught up with my friend Stephanie and we saw Shirley Hardy-Rix interview Jennifer Kloester, Kerry Greenwood and Robert Gott about the enduring popularity of ‘cosies’ and the pre-DNA/serial killer world of crime fiction. Like any good Sister in Crime, I am familiar with Kerry’s work, and it wasn’t until I saw Robert interviewed that I remembered reading a review of his book, Good Murder, which sounded terrific. Robert swears that while he wanted to write a crime novel, he couldn’t be bothered with the research required for a police procedural, court-room drama or anything forensic. So he invented a character, amateur actor-turned-sleuth William Power, who knows nothing and set his books in 1942. Shane Maloney describes Power as Australia’s first ‘dickhead hero’. It was a real pleasure meeting Robert, who is also author of children’s educational books, two of which - on Cambodia and Laos - he kindly gave me for my daughter.

Steph and my next stop was Crime and Humour panel with Lenny Bartullin, Robert Gott and Leigh Redhead chaired by Russ Radcliffe. As well as the pleasure of hearing more from Lenny and Robert, the highlight of this session for me was Leigh describing her experience of a stakeout (part of her PI training course) and trying to piss in a car through a funnel into a bottle. It was hilarious - and informed a scene in her first novel Peepshow.

My last appearance for the day was at 6pm on a panel called Just the Facts, Ma’am! with Marshall Browne and Gabrielle Lord, chaired by Liz Porter. I was starting to feel the jetlag kicking in by then so can’t remember a great deal. I was nervous speaking on a panel called Just the Facts, M’am when I’ve never been one to let the facts stand in the way of a good story, but on reflection, I realise I take for granted just how much research went into my first novel Behind the Night Bazaar. I think that’s what I talked about. Gabrielle had scrapbooks for each of her novels; one included a crime scene photograph obtained by ’sleeping with a cop’. Novel idea. Don’t think I’ll try it. After the talk, Marshall’s wife Marelle told me they’d travelled to Laos in 1975, just before the Lao revolution; they’d actually won the trip - couldn’t have been first prize, given the instability of the country at the time - and taken their nine-year-old daughter. I’d love to interview them some time for material.

Sunday afternoon I joined Dorothy Johnston and Leigh Redhead on a panel chaired by Beth Driscoll called Writing from Life. This was a great session from my perspective, interesting discussion and well attended by an engaged audience. It turned out Dorothy, Leigh and I all had more than a passing interest in the sex industry: Dorothy had worked in an illegal brothel in Melbourne in the 1970s and sets some of her work in Canberra’s sex industry; Leigh worked for years as a stripper, as does her PI character, Simone Kirsh; and of course I have an ongoing interest in the sex industry in Southeast Asia through my work in HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual health. Perhaps we’ll get the chance to speak on the politics of writing about the sex industry on another panel some time.

On the plus side, the festival had great speakers, a good program, excellent coffee and proximity to good food and wine. On the down side, being almost without heating anywhere in- or outside the buildings was a bit hard on some people (visiting the ladies toilets at the convent was an exercise in mortification of the flesh!) though in my case it helped keep me awake.

I enjoyed the chance to catch up with writers I’ve met before like Garry Disher and Jarad Henry, and to get to know other writers for the first time. It was also a great pleasure to meet Karen and Sunnie from the Australasian Crime website.

For childcare and/or transport, thanks to Steph, Christos, Melissa and Tiia, Georgia and especially Mary.

The Crime and Justice festival program was released yesterday and to my surprise, I am appearing on three panels. All sessions are in a space called ‘The Refectory’ (which sounds ecclesiastical):

Saturday 19 July, 10am - A First Offence: Crime and Justice is fortunate to feature some astonishing debut crime novelists this year - talking about their big break will be Lauren Crow, Angela Savage, Jarad Henry and, as participating chair, Lenny Bartulin.

Saturday 19 July, 6pm - Just the Facts, Ma’am! It is the quality of the research that often makes or breaks a crime novel; discussing how they fill in the fine details will be Gabrielle Lord, Marshall Browne and Angela Savage with Liz Porter as chair.

Sunday 20 July, 2pm - Writing from Life: Crime writers - like any other writer - often use elements of their own life and the lives of those around them in their fiction; discussing borrowing from life and the blurred line that divides fact from fiction will be Leigh Redhead, Angela Savage, Dorothy Johnston and, as chair, Beth Driscoll.

Needless to say, I am excited and nervous about sharing the floor with such terrific writers - and at least a few entertaining speakers that I know of - especially as I will be flying overnight from Cambodia with a two-year-old and arriving in Melbourne precisely 24 hours before my first appearance.

Given the venue used to be a Catholic convent, perhaps I could apply for a special dispensation from my fellow panelists: Jarad, Lauren, Lenny - please cover for me if I start nodding off. Or worse, e.g. whimpering, blathering, speaking in tongues…

I was brought up Catholic and used to get dragged off to visit a great-aunt who was a nun at the Abbotsford Convent twice a month for years. And you should see what these old haunts can do to us apostates, especially when we are jetlagged beyond belief.

From The Age, 31 May 2008

Does crime-writing pay?

The newest writing festival in Melbourne - Reader’s Feast Crime and Justice - is blessed with several patrons: international champion of crime fiction, Ian Rankin; international social justice patron, Irish human-rights barrister Brendan Kilty; and Australian crime patron, novelist Kerry Greenwood. It has also racked up a host of top-notch guests for its first bash, which will be held at the Abbotsford Convent.

Local crime writers listed to speak include Gabrielle Lord, Barry Maitland, Michael Robotham, Marshall Browne, Garry Disher, Sidney Bauer, P. D. Martin, Dorothy Johnston, Lenny Bartulin, Lauren Crow, Robert Gott, Leigh Redhead, and Angela Savage.

According to program director Simon Clews, this is the “biggest assembly of crime writers ever in Australia”.

To that list can be added poet Dorothy Porter, author of the bestselling crime verse novel, Monkey’s Mask. Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, Legal Services Commissioner Victoria Marles and writer and activist Arnold Zable will also be there on the weekend of July 18-20 with Rod Quantock, who will be speaking on “My Idea of Justice”, a sort-of soapbox event that will recur over the three days.

The festival will also present two awards in conjunction with Eureka Street for social-justice writing. The open category will be worth $5000 to the writer of the best essay on a human rights issue and for under-35s, $1500. More info: crimeandjusticefestival.com

[From Jason Steger's column]

Writing crime fiction set in Thailand presents a conundrum. I want to showcase the beauty and culture of the country and its people. But writing about crime means exploring the underbelly of the place, the seedier side that only makes it into travel guides under ‘Dangers and Annoyances’.

Take my current draft novel, working title Down by Pattaya Bay. Most of the action takes place in Pattaya on Thailand’s central coast — not the sort of place I’d recommend to anyone as a holiday destination (although more than a million tourists a year would beg to differ).

So I decided a couple of characters should come from Kanchanaburi in the west, a town Roo and I first visited in 1992. Kanchanaburi is probably most famous outside Thailand as the site of the Bridge on the River Kwai and the Death Railway, built by the Japanese during WW II using Allied Prisoners of War and indentured Asian labourers.

But there’s more to Kanchanaburi than its wartime history. The riverside town is charming — floating discos and karaoke bars notwithstanding — the people are laid-back and the food delicious, especially the freshwater fish. The province, also called Kanchanaburi, is rugged and picturesque, home to wildlife sanctuaries where wild elephants and even tigers roam. Erawan Falls. Tumeric Stream. Tiger Cave Monastery. Hellfire Pass. Golden Dragon Temple. Three Pagodas Pass. The names on the map alone make it sound alluring.

For all these reasons I chose Kanchanaburi as a secondary setting for my current book and, just after Buddhist New Year last month, my family and I paid a visit to the place specifically to scope out settings for my book.

In addition to local colour, I was interested in visiting a place I’d read about called Wat Tham Seua — the Tiger Cave Monastery — as the setting for a scene involving my heroine Jayne Keeney and a Thai Buddhist monk. The trip to the monastery brought home the importance of checking out a setting first-hand, rather than relying on other people’s accounts.

Here’s what the Lonely Planet guide to Thailand (2005 ed) has to say about Wat Tham Seua and the neighbouring temple of Wat Tham Khao Noi:

“These large, hilltop monasteries about 15km southeast of Kanchanaburi are important local pilgrimage spots, especially for Chinese Buddhists. Wat Tham Khao Noi (Little Hill Cave Monastery) is a Chinese temple… Adjacent is the half-Thai, half-Chinese-style Wat Tham Seua… Both are built on a ridge over a series of small caves. Wat Tham Khao Noi is not much of a climb, since it’s on the side of the slope. Seeing Wat Tham Seua means climbing either a steep set of naga stairs or a meandering set of steps past the cave entrance.

“A climb to the top is rewarded with views of Mae Nam Khwae on one side and rice fields on the other. Wat Tham Seua features a huge sitting Buddha facing the river, with a conveyor belt that carries money offerings into a huge alms bowl in the image’s lap. The easier set of steps to the right of the temple’s naga stairs leads to a cave and passes and aviary with peacocks and other exotic birds…”

In fact, Wat Tham Khao Noi is a hell of a climb, especially if you continue past the summit of the hill up five spiral staircases to the top of the pagoda — where the dizzying views are truly spectacular. Wat Tham Seua, by contrast, has a funicular railway making the ascent a breeze.

The LP’s description also fails to capture the fairground atmosphere of the quirky Tiger Cave Monastery with its glitzy, gargantuan gold Buddha and garish concrete tiger. Devotees can buy all sorts of offerings, including little dishes of baht coins to feed on to the conveyor belt that drops the coin into the huge bowl at the Buddha’s feet. Low-tech, high-kitsch, gloriously Thai!

I had planned to set a rather solemn scene at Wat Tham Seua, but having been there, I’ll be setting the scene next door in the more tranquil grounds of Wat Tham Khao Noi.

Still, I’ll find a way of bring the Tiger Cave Temple into the story, too…

Damien at Crime Down Under has tagged me to take part in the latest meme that’s doing the rounds. I haven’t done this one before, so here goes.

Here are the meme rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open it to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Unusually for me, I’m reading non-fiction at the moment: an illustrated hardcover book about popular culture in Thailand called Very Thai by Philip Cornwel-Smith with photographs by John Goss (2008 ed). For someone who sets their novels in Thailand, it’s a fantastic resource and a fascinating read.

Page 123 brings us to a chapter called ‘Cute - The subculture of cartoon mascots’. Sentences 6, 7 & 8 read:

Now Thai crafts have gone pop: fruit carving evolved into soap carving, Buddhist rock gardens into table-top fountains with dinky figurines. The shortage of timber forced wood carvings smaller, which suited the booming demand in sourvenirs and knick-knacks for tourists and locals with spare cash. Youngsters cruise markets with friends wanting to buy something, anything, under 200 baht, which invariably ends up being small and cute.

I’m forced to break the meme rules at this point as I just don’t have that many friends with blogs, and I know Sooz has already done this one. So I tag Helen Morgan and Bernard Caleo.