Today on Meet the Author, we’re featuring Katrina Roe. Katrina is an author, broadcaster and podcaster. Her books tackle real-life issues, many of which she has faced first-hand.
Her latest release is The Man Who Stood up to Ned Kelly. This picture book tells the story of Australia's most notorious bushranger, Ned Kelly, and a man named John Gribble, who stood up to him.
Where did the inspiration for your latest release come from?
I grew up in a little town called Darlington Point, not far from where this story is set. My family went to church every week in the local Anglican church. At the end of our pew, there was a plaque that read, In memory of Rev. John Gribble, founder of the mission and the blackfellow’s friend. I often wondered what that meant but never thought to ask about it.
About 30 years later, I was doing a podcast called Australia’s Invisible History with my father-in-law, Dr Paul Roe, the Outback Historian. He told me about Gribble’s work with Indigenous Australians, how he was constantly advocating on their behalf, and also told me about Gribble’s encounter with Ned Kelly—how he was firm and polite but also really called him out. I thought it was a fascinating piece of local history and that Gribble was a better hero than Ned Kelly.
Why is this story meaningful to you?
I was really surprised that something like this could have happened so close to where I grew up but I had never heard about it. I’d like Aussie kids to grow up with more of an awareness of their local history. I don’t see the bushrangers as heroes—they were very violent and threatened many people. Gribble, on the other hand, was calm and polite and put himself in danger to help others. I think that’s more heroic than the outlaws, who were only out to save themselves.
What do you hope readers will take away from your stories?
It wasn’t a conscious or deliberate choice, but all my books have themes of bravery and belonging. My characters often face big challenges, and they need all their courage to get through them. I really hope that the courage displayed by John Gribble in The Man Who Stood Up to Ned Kelly will encourage young readers to stand up to bullies and speak up about the injustices they encounter. I was quite a shy and timid child, and I still struggle to speak up at times, but I admire Gribble enormously for speaking up about the injustices he saw around him, particularly those against Australia’s First Nations people.
What were some of your favourite books growing up?
I read anything I could get my hands on. I read a lot of Enid Blyton books and my mother read us all the Australian classics like The Magic Pudding, The Muddle-Headed Wombat and Dot and the Kangaroo. Two books that captivated me when I was young were No Flying in the House by Betty Brock and I Want to Go Home by Gordon Korman. Both were so original and vivid that I read them multiple times. One of my absolute favourites in early high school was Anne of Green Gables. I remember weeping when one character died.
How important is it to read books when you want to be an author?
It’s essential to be an active reader, but it’s also okay to take breaks from reading. I deliberately didn’t read any fantasy when I was writing my last middle-grade novel because I didn’t want to be too derivative or imitate another author’s writing style. I tend to have bursts of reading and bursts of writing, not necessarily at the same time. I’m a slow reader because I like to savour words and expressions, so I supplement my reading with audiobooks. This is a good way for me to find new authors. I generally listen to a back catalogue book first to find out if I like the author’s style before I read their new releases.
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
You have to be persistent. Show up and write. And as Anne Lamott says, the writing has to be its own reward. It’s great to have goals of being published, but getting published won’t make you popular, boost your self-esteem, improve your marriage or your bank balance, or solve any of your problems. After you get published, you still have to start again on the work of writing the next book. Write what you enjoy and if it gets published, brilliant. If not, try again with something else that you want to write.
When you need some extra encouragement, who do you turn to?
I have a few people I turn to—my writers’ group and one or two close writing/creative friends who understand the struggle. My family tend to laugh at me when I get down about my writing because they have seen the up-and-down cycles over the years and love to remind me that I’m now up to my seventh book!
Have readers ever contacted you?
Probably the most encouraging feedback I’ve had was when I was grocery shopping at Woolies with my youngest child and a little girl pointed me out to her mother. I assumed she knew my daughter, but her mum cautiously approached me and asked if I had written a book. Her daughter had read Same at childcare and she had loved it so much. I don’t know how she knew I was the author, but they were both so excited to see me!
What is the working title of your next book?
MJ in the Here and Now. It’s a middle-grade friendship story about a soccer-loving Swiftie with big dreams for her last year of primary school. I’m also writing a picture book called Leaving the Farm about a family who have to move off the farm into town for the first time.
You can follow Katrina via her website and social media:
Website: https://katrinaroe.com/about-katrina-roe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katrinamacdonaldroe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrinaroeauthor/