Welcome to my Bookshelves with Favel Parrett

I'm joined today by Favel Parrett, author of Past the Shallows, a Miles Franklin shortlisted HEARTBREAKER of a novel, and (more recently), When the Night Comes.  When the Night Comes is a beautiful story of friendship, and of the comforts that can be found in the most unexpected of places.  It begins with Isla and her mother and brother, leaving the mainland and coming to live in Tasmania.  Isla, as a narrator, is lonely and wide-eyed, and perceptive.  She sees that her mother is sad, is dealing with something, but she's not privy to the details.  Her new school is strange, and when tragedy strikes there, the ripples of shock travel through the community.  But then Bo comes.  Bo is big, and Danish, and loves the simple things in life; hot pastry, music, rolling in grass.  His relationship with the family, and most importantly with Isla, will shape that summer in her memory forever.

Inspired by the story of the Nella Dan, a real ship that serviced the Antarctic stations between 1962 and 1987, When the Night Comes is a gentle, elegiac love note to a time, a place and a very special ship.

Favel has very kindly agreed to give us a peek at her bookshelves so without further ado....

Welcome to my Bookshelves, with Favel Parrett

A few well worn books. The Dog is one of my all time favourite books - it’s just a beautiful piece of writing. Most of these books have been read a few times and much loved. Behind the Scenes at the Museum is a book that probably influenced my early drafts of Past the Shallows.

I have been collecting books about The Southern Ocean and Antarctica for a few years now. This is just a small sample of some that I have. Many are out of print these days and are becoming hard to find! I know of a few good shops and dealers that let me know when they find any that mention the Dan ships from Denmark that feature in my newest novel

More of my absolute favourites  - Per Petterson is an author I read over and over and over. I can’t get enough. I think he is one of the greatest writers I have read. Maya Angelou had a huge impact on me - she taught me about rhythm and voice. She still teaches me most days.  We lost a bright light when she died earlier this year. And MAPS - I love maps or all kinds. Old and new.

You can read a review of Past the Shallows here and When the Night Comes here.

You can follow Favel on Facebook here.