Get to know our Youth Ambassadors: Emily Winter
Emily Winter was raised on stories in suburban Brisbane. She enjoys nothing more than boiling up fiction, blending the flavours of language on the page in an effort to capture and preserve something true. She currently studies at the University of Queensland, combining her passions for creative writing, music and history.
If you’re a writer, what kind of writing do you do? Are you working on anything right now?
Writing for me begins with a setting. I often try to capture the beauty of mundane or familiar places – the aging fig in the corner of the neighbour’s yard, a child’s handprint embedded in the sidewalk like a memory. As a result, my work usually falls under the banner of literary realism in the YA genre, but I’m open to some magic every once in a while! I am currently in the process of polishing a manuscript set in my hometown, Brisbane, which I was fortunate enough to have shortlisted for the Glendower Award for an Emerging Writer as part of the 2022 Queensland Literary Award Series.
What are your reading goals for 2023?
This year I would like to read more short stories. A good opportunity to seek out fiction journals, and a nice break from university studies!
What is your favourite genre and why?
Literary fiction, both for adults and YA. Stories that aren’t in a hurry to be told, but are waiting to be discovered.
What book or author do you always recommend?
I am constantly singing praise to the works of Claire Atkinson. I have read her sensitive Nona and Me until the corners of the pages softened, and really admire her rendering of a diverse range of Darwin perspectives in Between Us.
If you could meet any author, who would it be?
I would love to meet Margaret Atwood! It would be divine to spend an hour or two in her company discussing any topic under the sun.
If you could pick the world of one book or book series to live in, what would it be?
To answer this question quite indirectly, I think the world would be a better place if we viewed it through Liesel Meminger’s eyes, the girl at the heart of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. A lens of youthful optimism which allows us to romanticise even the bland grey of a Sunday afternoon sky.
Do you have a book you always find yourself coming back to?
Similar to above. :)
Any upcoming releases you can’t wait to get your hands on?
She and Her Pretty Friend, by Danielle Scrimshaw should be a fascinating exploration of silenced queer history in Australia. I am also excited about Shivaun Plozza’s Meet Me at the Moon as I’ve previously enjoyed her feisty characters and authentic depiction of urban Melbourne in Frankie.
Where is your favourite place to read?
I can be instantly transported by a book pretty much anywhere, apart from in a moving vehicle!
Do you prefer paperback, hardcover or ebook?
I feel most comfortable with a paperback in my hands. Physical books have always felt more personable for me; seeing their cover art every time I pick one up feels like a greeting an old friend. However, I am by no means a fussy reader, and can understand the argument for less paper usage in the industry.