Kelli Hawkins writes reports for a private investigator, as well as working on novels for adults and children. She lives in Newcastle with her two teenagers. Over the years she’s travelled whenever possible and worked all kinds of jobs. Kelli’s been a political journalist, a graphic designer, a mystery shopper – even a staple remover. Her debut novel is a thriller called Other People’s Houses.
Today, Kelli Hawkins is on the blog to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …
Kelli Hawkins
1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born in Taree on the mid-north coast of NSW, raised in nearby small-town Wingham where I went to school until the age of 14 before heading to boarding school in Armidale. I studied journalism in Bathurst then worked in Sydney before living in the UK and USA with Matt, my eventual husband, returning to settle in Newcastle, NSW. We had two kids, who are now teenagers. In between, I retrained as a graphic designer, also working at a myriad of jobs – everything from a grants writer to a mystery shopper to a staple remover.
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
At age twelve I wanted to be a secretary, because in eighties movies secretaries wore sharp suits, carried briefcases and worked at the top of skyscrapers in New York city – my idea of heaven. At eighteen I wanted to be a journalist, jet-setting off to war-torn locations. By thirty I had calmed down a little. I was pregnant with my first child and was so excited to be a mother and have a family.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?
I didn’t realise it at the time, but I had no real fears or doubts at eighteen. I felt bulletproof – I believed I would always be one of the lucky ones. But over the past few years I’ve come to realise life is much more difficult and complicated than that. My husband was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in 2018 and died in 2019. I now take nothing for granted. I will always miss him. But I also feel very fortunate that we had such a wonderful twenty-seven years together – two children, travel and so many laughs.
4. What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?
Books as a kid definitely influenced me – anything by Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and Judy Blume. I was a wide reader. If I had to pick just one, maybe Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As a child, what more could you want in a book? Chocolate, kindness, eccentricity and punishment, all in one slim volume. I adored the Dexter TV series, based on Jeff Lindsay’s books. A serial killer trying to do good – such a brilliant idea. As a writer I am always searching for a hook like that. And finally, I read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins after a spate of reading literary fiction I had decided I ‘should’ read. While I still love so much literary fiction, The Girl on the Train was such a page turner. Reading that book was when I realised I needed to write what I really wanted to read.
5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a novel?
I was always one of those kids with a book in my hand – in the car, eating, even walking! So having a novel on the shelf of a library or bookshop was always going to be the pinnacle of well, of everything, for me. But having said that, writing a book always seemed far too massive a project and my confidence in my writing was never great. It wasn’t until I started reading books to my own kids I thought I’d give it a try. That’s not to say I haven’t tried other creative pursuits – I studied art for my HSC, photography at university and sold repurposed furniture and lamps at markets. I love anything creative – except sewing. I am in total awe of people who can sew!
‘The Girl on the Train was such a page turner. Reading that book was when I realised I needed to write what I really wanted to read.’
6. Please tell us about your latest novel!
Other People’s Houses is a thriller set in Sydney. On the tenth anniversary of her son’s death, Kate Webb still grieves. Kate – a borderline alcoholic – attends open houses on Sydney’s wealthy north shore, imagining the lives of the families who live there and taking a memento from each one.
Then she visits the Harding house – the perfect house with the perfect family. There, she finds a photograph of a kind-looking man, a beautiful woman she knew at university and a boy – a boy that for a heartbreaking moment she believes is her own son.
As Kate becomes obsessed with the Hardings, uncovering the sordid truths that lie beneath their glossy façade of perfection, she insinuates herself into their lives, grappling with her own demons as her world spirals dangerously out of control.
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
First and foremost, I hope they are entertained. That’s really my major goal. But I also hope the characters and some of the moments in the book stick with them, that perhaps they’ll think about those people and moments later.
8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?
In Australia, Charlotte Wood writes so beautifully, as does Sofie Laguna. Favel Parrett’s Past the Shallows was just perfect. We are spoilt for choice with thriller writers – Petronella McGovern, Nicola Moriarty, Kate Mildenhall, Sally Hepworth, Jane Harper and Christian White, just to name a few. Robin Hobb writes fantasy, but you read her books for the flawlessly-drawn characters. I love thrillers of the Lee Child and Michael Robotham variety. I write for kids too and adore reading that and young adult fiction – Justine Larbalestier, Nina Kenwood, Karen Foxlee and David Walliams. Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, The Serial Killer had a such a distinctive voice. Humour in novels is difficult but amazing – Marian Keyes, Frederick Backman, Caitlan Moran, even Jane Austen. Sorry for the huge list, like most writers I find it hard to choose!
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
My goal is at once deeply ambitious and also kind of small. I hope to keep writing. To continue to write fiction as my full-time job. That’s it!
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Don’t lose hope. I sent three novels off to publishers before having success with the fourth. I have a children’s book coming out with HarperCollins in September too. Keep writing – most days, if possible – attend courses and hone your craft. If you put in the time, accept the criticism and keep at it, you’ll get there.
Thank you for playing!
—Other People’s Houses by Kelli Hawkins (HarperCollins Australia) is out now.
Other People's Houses
The perfect house. The perfect family. Too good to be true.
Kate Webb still grieves for her young son, ten years after his loss. She spends her weekends hungover, attending open houses on Sydney's wealthy north shore and imagining the lives of the people who live there. Then Kate visits the Harding house - the perfect house with, it seems, the perfect family. A photograph captures a kind-looking man, a beautiful woman she once knew from university days, and a boy - a boy that for one heartbreaking moment she believes is her own son...
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Comments
March 18, 2021 at 8:26 am
I loved this book. Twists and turns with some dry humour thrown in and a page-turning story that I devoured over a weekend.