A few weeks ago I launched Kate Gordon's new novel, 'Vulpi,' which follows on from 'Thyla'. They are both set in Tasmania, both tell of shapeshifting-time-morphing creatures and are both YA (young adult) novels. The launch happened in the macabre Female Factory, the prison for convict women and 'nursery' for their children. I don't read a lot of YA and it is a pleasant surprise when I do. Kate is about to do a little shapeshifting herself (she is veeeerrry pregnant). This is beautiful and exciting news. Here's what I said at the launch;
There are
three things that I know about Kate Gordon:
1 – that she
has a quirky elegance in her dress style
2 – that she
has deep, loving, meaningful – and reciprocated relationships around her
And
3) that the
woman can write.
And as we
stand here to celebrate the launch of Kate’s latest book, Vulpi, this is
obviously a widely recognised fact – and that all of the hard work and
tenacious effort that Kate –and her muse Mephy ‘Danger’ Gordon –who may be a
cat, have put into the writing has paid off.
I say ‘may
be a cat’ – because having read Thyla, the predecessor to Vulpi – and of course
Vulpi – I have entered a secret – and local underground world of shapeshifting
and timewarping creatures – Thylas, Sarcos, Vulpis and the well and truly
baddies – the Diemens .
'Far out' –
the reader might think – a big jump from reality – a whole lot to suspend in
terms of disbelief – but the trickery and wit of Kate, her writerly skill has
eased me there through the familiar, accurate and harsh rendering of teenage
girl existence.
In Thyla we
are introduced to Tessa, who arrives at Cascade Falls, an exclusive private
girls school located somewhere up the mountain. Tessa has lost her memory – and
she has scars seared deep and wide across her back. In Thyla we are also
introduced to Cat, who is told in the negative – she is ‘gone’ – Cat is the
daughter of local copper, Rachel Connelly – and she had been a student at
Cascade Falls until she disappeared on a bushwalk with the school.
Luckily for
the reader, Cat is ‘found’ – and revealed to be a thyla herself – a
shapeshifter from human to thylacine form – one who shared Tessa’s experience
of the female factory many years before– as child inmates before they discovered their true
shapeshifting colours.
I learnt a
lot from reading these books – and one of those things is that they resided
there after the female factory had its curious first incarnation as Lowe’s rum
distillery.
It’s not a
simple story told in black and white, subtleties and nuance are present, the
characters are fleshed – or furred out –with a sharp yet delicate pen. Vulpi is
a wonderful reminder for me- a reader of mainly adult and mainly the ‘literature’ end of the spectrum, that rich,
entertaining and challenging work is found in the broad category ‘YA’ – young
adult.
Kate takes
this one step further – into genre YA – oh – and maybe even further genre
Tasmanian YA and my goodness she does it well. Yes, we Tasmanians do have a
particular penchant for reading about ourselves – our histories, (herstories) –
our landscapes and our mythologies – and Vulpi takes us around the state. We
travel on four legs, two legs and by boat (deftly borrowed from Kingston beach)
by one of our eponymous Vulpis, Archie – who is wonderfully described as having
a rather Nigella Lawson tone to his accent – he is the vulpine yet strangely
friendly character with whom Cat works ‘very closely.’ And a wonderfully
topical inclusion as a fox like creature in the Tasmanian wilderness. Wait
until the fox taskforce get their hands on this book!
This book is
a tribute to Kate’s hard work – and deeply enquiring mind. She takes YA one
step further – and doesn’t shy from the complicated layers of human – and
vulpi, thyla and sarco lives. She affords her characters growth and
transformation – and in doing so gently reminds the reader of this in our own
lives. This is layered and intelligent fiction and I feel privileged to be
launching this. I wish Kate and Leigh – and of course the shapeshifting
muse/cat Mephy all the very very best for the future. Kate – I want more of
your words.
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