Good Reading for Kids caught up with STUART WILSON to discuss The 113th Assistant Librarian, a fantasy adventure story where books have power, cats are more than they seem, and the library is the most dangerous place in the city.
What sparked the idea for The 113th Assistant Librarian?
I love fantasy fiction, but while there are many books about heroes going on epic quests (The Lord of the Rings, The Book of Three), I am more interested in stories about the ordinary people who live in a fantasy world. I want to know about the lives of the average fisher or tollkeeper, who have a day-to-day job to do, as well as having to deal with the occasional bog octopus or demonic incursion.
What kind of power do books hold in your novel?
In my story, books can be dangerous, especially when they all in the one place. The ideas bounce back and forth, until the accumulated power of their stories ignites. Journey Across the Northern Ice Floes by Dame Amelia Poleglaze has a habit of turning the reader into a human icicle, while A Collection of Children’s Tales Both Fae and Frightening can spit out the kinds of monster that are described within. And then there’s Death of a Thousand Cuts by Imelda Sturgeon, which – well, you get the idea. But there’s more than the literal danger they represent. References to a yellow apple might be enough to damage trade relations between two countries, while a misinterpreted sentence could have lifelong consequences…
Who is Oliver and what kind of adventures will he go on in this story?
Oliver is the sixth child and first boy in his family, and feels enormous pressure (mainly from his father) to be a certain type of person. Attending the Calling, where all 13-year olds are allocated a Trade, he desperately wishes to be inducted into one of the heroic trades, like his five sisters (an explorer, a mage, a lawkeeper, a blacksmith and a ranger). To his horror, he gets stuck with the title of assistant librarian. He quickly discovers, however, that the library is one of the most dangerous places in the city, and the books inside even more so. Thankfully, he has the mysterious Agatha there to help him, as well as a growing number of cats.
What’s your own connection to libraries?
I adore libraries. There are very few places that allow anyone to walk in and simply spend time reading (or writing or watching or listening!) without having to spend any money. From an early age, my parents would take me to the library – that’s how I first read The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. There was a period in primary school where I would spend a couple of hours in the local library each afternoon instead of going to afterschool care, and I went through every single Dick King-Smith book they had on the shelf. When I was older, I was able to read all 14 omnibus volumes of Michael Moorcock’s Tale of the Eternal Champion thanks to my local library, and go through all the titles in the then brand-new graphic novel section. Like a lot of people, I then rediscovered libraries once again when my son was born.
Where did you get your love of storytelling from?
I write for the same reason that I read – I want to know how the story will end. It’s honestly a similar process for me, whether I hear about a great concept for a story, or I dream one up myself. It’s just that writing takes a lot longer than reading, obviously…
Describe this book in three words.
Books are powerful.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stuart Wilson lives in Naarm/Melbourne with his wife and son. He is the author of the ‘Prometheus High’ books. While he has never been lost in a library, he did get lost on a plane one time.
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