meet the judges of the 2018 rachel funari prize for fiction: briohny doyle
Today we introduce you to author Briohny Doyle, one of the judges of the 2018 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction.
*
What comes to mind when you think of our 2018 theme, ‘metamorphosis’?
Kafka of course! And given that this is a prize for women’s writing, I’m thinking about Grete, who really needed her brother to ‘step aside’ (become a bug) so that she could get some agency and recognition!
Are there any positive experiences from your career journey you’d like to share?
So many. My first novel The Island Will Sink was also the first book published by what is now Brow Books. It’s so exciting to be involved with one of Australia’s most important publishing ventures from the beginning. I am also loving the personal emails from people who read my non-fiction book, Adult Fantasy, letting me know how it helped them think about their lives.
What are you working on in 2018?
A new novel – I don’t want to get more specific than that for a while.
What are you reading right now?
Pink Mountain on Locust Island by Jamie Lau. It’s so vivid and energetic
What’s on your To Be Read pile?
Oh god, what isn’t! In new Australian books Jennifer Mills’ Dyschronia, Kate Cole Adam’s Anaesthesia.
What do you read to feel inspired?
It depends what I’m writing. While I was working on Adult Fantasy I read Chris Kraus, Maggie Nelson. At the moment I’m looking to thrillers and Greek tragedies.
Is there a writer or book that has influenced your work?
JG Ballard and Don DeLillo
Why have you agreed to get involved with the judging of the 2018 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction?
For fun! And it’s great for Australian women writers to have their own prizes.
What’s the secret to writing a good short story?
I don’t think there is a secret, or if so, no one whispered it in my ear. Short fiction, like all fiction, is about having a story to tell and working hard to make the writing do it justice.
What will you be looking for when judging the competition?
Risky choices pulled off well.
Entries for the 2018 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction are now OPEN and close 5pm Friday 20th April, 2018. Submit stories up to 2000 words that engage with the theme ‘metamorphosis’. For more information, click here.
