The Story Behind the Story

Volcano Boy (verse novel)

It all began with an invitation to Papua New Guinea in 1995, a place close to Australia but still mysterious and intriguing to me. It was a cultural relations visit which meant that I met lots of people, visited libraries and schools and did quite a few story-telling stints as well as launching a book fair. My tour took me from Port Moresby to the cool mountains of Goroka to volcanic Rabaul! It was in Rabaul that I was inspired with ideas to write a story but it would be several years before I actually wrote it and then as a verse novel! I was interviewed on radio just as I was leaving Port Moresby and was asked if I'd like to write about Papua New Guinea. The title of the book came to me at once as I replied that yes, I had an idea for a novel entitled Volcano Boy! At that point all I knew was that the setting was Rabaul. I was invited back to Papua New Guinea the following year to do some in-service in the beautiful Madang Resort and there did some snorkelling after classes–another memorable experience–the coral reef being among the most prolific in the world! Strange to say this also inspired another book–I used the underwater world I first saw there in my novel, Rift. I came to conclude that Papua New Guinea is a very evocative place for writers!
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