MARK BRANDI is a Dagger award-winning author and his new novel, Southern Aurora, has just landed. Good Reading caught up with Mark to find out what makes him tick.
Street name where you grew up?
Napier Street in the town of Stawell, in western Victoria. It’s a place most famous for its annual running race. As a proud Italian migrant, my dad built our family a solid brick, double-storey fortress, replete with arched windows and an Alfa-Romeo in the driveway. It’s fair to say we stood out a bit.
Favourite memories there?
Climbing the many fruit trees in the backyard. In summer, I’d eat almost my entire body weight in apricots, nectarines, and blood plums. Also, my mum’s wonderful cooking, especially her lasagna. It remains my favourite comfort food.
What was your first pet and its name?
Tippy, a black and white kelpie, who worked the sheep farm we had outside of town. I named the dog in Southern Aurora in his memory. Sadly, like many dogs in my childhood, he had an unfortunate end.
What was your first job?
Once I finished school, I worked behind the bar in my parent’s pub. Country hotels are such democratic places, and I learned that everyone has a story, if you take the time to listen.
Inspiration behind your degree in criminal justice?
I’d accumulated a big HECS debt from many unfinished degrees, so I knew it was time to finish something! And with three older brothers working in aspects of policing and the justice system, doing something in that realm made a lot of sense. A lot of what I learned there, and in the career that followed, informs my writing today.
First piece of writing you had published?
A short story called ‘To Skin a Rabbit’, which was a fictional tale inspired by some events from my childhood. It was published in an obscure (now defunct) Irish literary journal back in 2014. Later, I read the story for broadcast on ABC Radio National, which inspired me to develop the narrative further. Ultimately, it became my first novel, Wimmera.
Best book you’ve read lately?
I’ve been spoilt by some fantastic reads of late. The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop is my favourite novel of 2023 so far. She is a wonderful writer, and this is possibly her best yet. In the non-fiction realm, Childhood by Shannon Burns is an absolute standout – a deeply personal account of the disadvantage faced by so many in our community.
What’s next for Mark Brandi?
I’ve got a couple of projects in their early stages. Sometimes, you need to stop and listen to your creativity, not direct it.
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