Five minutes with author Kirsty Jagger | HerCanberra

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Five minutes with author Kirsty Jagger

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Roseghetto is a raw but tender story about growing up in public housing in Sydney. We caught up with author Kirsty Jagger ahead of her appearance at the Canberra Writers Festival on August 20.

The protagonist of Roseghetto becomes a journalist wanting to chronicle the cycle of povertyand all that goes with itwas that your hope with the book?

I wrote this book to preserve a little of this real-life place before it was gone forever, capturing snippets of stories lost in the process of eviction and demolition. I wanted to show the insidiousness of domestic, family, and intimate partner violence, and the full spectrum of that violence. I wanted to explore the systems and cycles that people get stuck in, often through no fault of their own, and then struggle to break free from. I wanted to tell the story of a young girl who, despite all odds, saves herself.

It’s also important to acknowledge that violence against women and children is not something relegated to just those living in poverty. It occurs across all cultures and communities. It takes many forms, including physical, sexual, social, emotional, cultural, spiritual, and financial abuse, and a wide range of controlling, coercive and intimidating behaviour. I hope this book helps raise red flags in the minds of readers when they encounter similar behaviours in real-life situations, and I hope people who can relate to some of Shayla’s experiences feel less alone having met her.

The book has been described as equal parts tender and intense. How hard was it striking the balance between the violence depicted throughout and the tender moments?

The book does ask the reader to sit through some painful moments. But I think the reality is, none of us make it out of this world unscathed. This book doesn’t shy away from that.

A lot of the struggles Shayla faces are invisible to the people around her. She often treads a very lonely path. I think every single human being on earth can relate to fighting their own battle and, at some point, feeling as if they’re facing it alone.

In fact, I think one of the key things that readers love about Shayla is just how relatable she is. Sadly, her experiences of the world are not unique. In fact, particularly for women, they’re pretty universal.

And there’s something really affirming about seeing yourself in the story of another, particularly when you’ve been feeling alone. Being able to relate to the struggles of a fictional character gives comfort, seeing them triumph over adversity gives hope.

Roseghetto is a book for anyone who has had to fight for their place in the world, even if they felt like giving up along the way. Shayla is incredibly resilient. She doesn’t let what has happened define her. Life throws everything it can her way, but she persists and, ultimately, she succeeds.

Music plays a big role in the book. It sets the temporal scene but also acts as a comfort of sorts for Shayla and her mother. Friends, neighbours and her grandparents all offer refuge for Shayla too. Tell us about some of the supports she leans on and how vital they can be to those living a life like Shayla’s.

Thank you for noticing! I really love how musical the book is and actually created a Spotify playlist (Roseghetto – the book) so readers can listen along to the soundtrack of the book while they read.

In particular, music plays a big role in shaping the character of Shayla’s mother, Lauren. She’s very much a product of the pop culture she’s consumed, which in the 70s and 80s, I feel, romanticised toxic relationships and perpetuated the idea that true love was meant to hurt. I wanted to play with this concept, use it to shape how Lauren perceives the world and understands her relationships.

Shayla has a beautiful friendship with the ‘gutter kids’, Charlie and Sean. They’re the same age, growing up in similar circumstances, listening to and supporting each other during difficult times. Shayla also has a lovely relationship with her grandparents, Doris and Walter, who provide a safe space for her throughout the years and encourage her love of reading, writing and learning. Teachers and mentors recognise Shayla’s potential and provide encouragement when her resolve is waning. All these things spur her on, keep her going.

Ultimately, though, I like to think it’s her love of books that saves her. They provide education and escape, both figuratively and literally, as a child and an adult. And, as book lovers, I think we can all relate to turning to literature for comfort, company or escape at some point in our lives, right?

Were there any books (or other materials) that informed the writing of the bookand/ or sustained you through its writing?

I read a bunch of craft books including On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King, and How to Be a Writer by John Birmingham.  I also took a bunch of Writing NSW courses during this time, including ‘Writing Trauma’ with Meera Atkinson, ‘Manuscript Development’ with Linda Funnell, ‘Editing Your Manuscript for Mood, Voice and Atmosphere’ with Kate Forsyth.

As a reader, I enjoy a fictional book set in a real time and place. It makes the story more believable for me and I feel more invested in the characters. Extra points if the setting is gritty. And I love an underdog. Some of my favourites during this time were Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton, Honeybee by Craig Silvey, One Hundred Days by Alice Pung, Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart, and Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley.

What’s on your TBR pile?

Ooh, I don’t want to admit how far behind on my TBR list I am right now! I am contemplating audio books, just so I can catch up.

I am looking forward to God Forgets About the Poor by Peter Polites, Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton, Women & Children by Tony Birch and Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko.

But I have a bit of catching up to do before then!

Feature image: Matthew Duchesne.

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