5 minutes with author Favel Parrett
In 5 minutes with author, Over60 asks book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next in this series is Favel Parrett, a Victoria-based writer. Her 2011 debut novel Past the Shallows won the Dobbie Literary Award and was shortlisted in the prestigious Miles Franklin Award. Parrett’s short stories have also been published in various journals, including Island, Griffith Review and Wet Ink. Her new book There Was Still Love is out now.
Over60 talked with Parrett about her best writing tip, the wonders of nature for writing, and the most epic novel she’s read.
Over60: What is your best writing tip?
Favel Parrett: It is possible! Keep going, keep working, keep putting your work out there.
What book(s) are you reading right now?
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson.
What was the last book that made you cry or laugh?
Tin Man by Sarah Winman – it made me cry.
What book do you think is underrated?
The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen.
What do you think is the most challenging work you’ve ever read?
Maybe not the most challenging, but the most epic – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
Surf, walk, daydream, garden, bird-watch. Nature is the key!
Which three authors – living or deceased – would you most like to have dinner with?
Tove Jansson, Maya Angelou, and Sarah Winman.