FIONA MCCALLUM is the author of more than a dozen bestselling novels. Right Way Up is her 17th novel that looks at life’s twists and figuring out what you want. AKINA HANSEN writes.
The agricultural town of Cleve is located on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and has an estimated population of only 1 757 people. Like many country towns in Australia, it’s small and remote, but unlike others, it’s where beloved Australian writer Fiona McCallum grew up.
She was raised on a broadacre cereal and wool farm near Cleve where animals, crisp country air and wide, open spaces abound. Her upbringing was also indelibly shaped by drought, floods, fire and mouse plagues.
Fiona shares that her environment has been a huge influence on her writing – with many of her novels featuring rural settings and subjects. But importantly the emotional arcs she prescribes her characters are also drawn from her personal experiences.
‘I remember often being very lonely due to the isolation and the absence of my parents for long stretches while my dad was treated in the city over nearly a decade for a brain tumour. We were really close and his death at 45, when I was 19, devastated me and changed the course of my life.
‘Authenticity is really important to me as a writer, and I believe it’s what connects readers to my stories and makes them so popular … Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you want to look at it, I’ve experienced a lot of trauma, grief and upheaval, so have plenty on which to draw.’
Like many of her previous novels, her latest book, Right Way Up, continues in this vein. The story follows psychologist Colin Palmer and his wife, Joyce. Joyce is keen for Colin to retire so they can finally go on their long-awaited caravan trip. But we quickly learn that they aren’t quite on the same page. As Colin grows more apprehensive and complacent about the trip, we see how this brings up a lot of emotional turmoil for Joyce – how she often carries the brunt of the emotional and domestic labour in their relationship.
‘For Joyce and Colin, who go through a lot, I had to delve into my long-term trauma and grief of losing loved ones, pain and heartbreak of failed relationships, anger and disappointment over betrayal and being let down by others, fear of upheaval, uncertainty and change, and the trepidation, excitement and hope that comes with new horizons and beginnings.’
When Joyce abruptly leaves Colin for a new adventure, he’s left to reflect on his part in their marital break-down and so is driven to turn his life around.
Like many of Fiona’s novels, Right Way Up reminds readers about the power of choice and autonomy. For Fiona, she hopes that ‘readers will be entertained and then empowered or encouraged to contemplate their own lives and make changes for the better if they’re feeling stuck or discontented. And I also hope my down-to-earth characters and their relatable story will provide some welcome relief at a time when so many are suffering, and the world feels on the brink of implosion.’
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Fiona McCallum’s writing desk
DOWNLOAD THE IMAGE OF FIONA’S WRITING DESK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fiona McCallum was raised on a cereal and wool farm near Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and remained in the area until her mid-twenties, during which time she married and separated. She then moved to Melbourne and on to Sydney a few years later. Celebrating 10 years as a published author in 2021, Fiona currently resides in Adelaide where she writes heart-warming stories that draw on her rich and contrasting life experiences, love of animals and fascination with human nature.
Her first novel, Paycheque, was published in 2011 and became a bestseller. In the 12 years since, Fiona has written another 14 bestselling novels. Looking Out is Fiona’s sixteenth book.
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