Marcia Van Zeller was born in Canada where she completed a BA at the University of Toronto before landing a job in television production. In the 1980s she moved to Perth, WA to pursue a career in journalism and writing. We caught up with Marcia to discuss her novel, Be a good girl, Valerie.

What inspired your novel Be a good girl, Valerie?

When #MeToo erupted in 2017 I couldn’t look away. The allegations about Harvey Weinstein were eerily reminiscent of some of the male conduct I observed, experienced or heard about in the early-mid 1970s when I worked in a TV drama production unit in Toronto. Back then the women who were targeted by producers, directors and other men in power would often tolerate sexual advances – even laugh about them. When I heard the stories of the Weinstein accusers it became clear that those cases were heading to the criminal courts, I realised that I, and many of my fellow working women from the 1970s, had similar cause to be aggrieved. I channelled my own long-buried anger into the main character of Valerie and made her a proxy for women who have missed out on the opportunity to bring abusers to account.

While Anna and Valerie are from different generations, they share very similar experiences. What do you hope readers take away about how much has, or hasn’t changed for women in the workplace since the 1970s?

I hope readers, especially women of working age, will take away this idea: When Valerie was young and a target for powerful men in her office, there were no laws against sexual harassment in Canada, the UK, or Australia. The 1980s were a watershed decade, with sexual harassment being recognised as a form of discrimination in Canada and the UK and declared illegal in Australia. Anna has mechanisms for reporting and seeking restitution that were not available to Valerie back in the 1970s. So do my readers. I’d like readers to be aware of their rights.

What did you enjoy most about developing Anna and Valerie’s friendship?

The incongruencies and overall generational shock – like placing Valerie, wearing her Rockport penny loafers and a frumpy skirt and blouse, having a cocktail with Anna in a trendy CBD bar at sundowner hour. Anna, using her extensive vocabulary of SMS abbreviations and Valerie trying to figure them out. Any setting where the two are together – they’re so different on the surface. I had fun with those scenes.

Was there a particular scene in the book that was especially challenging to write?

The most challenging scene was the one in Colin Howard’s London office at night after most of the broadcasting company staff have gone home. The scene was challenging because I had to draw upon a spectrum of events from my own life, some but not all involving people in the broadcasting industry in Toronto, as well as the stories of women I knew directly, including one who experienced a more traumatising assault than depicted in that scene. I also drew from some of the stories of Harvey Weinstein’s victims. So, the ‘research’ involved was not pleasant. I also had to put a lot of soul-searching into deciding how far to take this scene. How far along the continuum of sexual assault and rape should I go? I needed to make this significant event in the story proportionate with the kind of book I was writing.

Read our book review of Be a good girl, Valerie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, I have spent over half my life in Perth, forging a long career in professional writing and editing. Over the years I have covered diverse subject matter and evolving formats, from print to screen to digital. ALong the way I have entertained various ideas for creative writing projects of my own, but it was not until 2009 that I was able to pursue any of them to fruition.

Enrolling in a creative writing program at Curtin University, I completed a PhD project comprising an historical novel and thesis. My PhD accreditation opened the door to a new career path at Curtin as a tutor in professional and creative writing units.

For me, the road to published authorship has been a long one. To other writers out there who feel it’s taking too long to make their dream of becoming a published author a reality – practice your craft, read widely and dan’t let age become a barrier.

Visit Marcia van Zeller’s website