Audio transcript

Between the bookshelves – 5. Nathan Luff

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JADE ARNOLD: The Arts Unit recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples and storytellers of this place, now known as Australia. We are grateful for the continuing care of Country, waterways and skies where we listen, read and learn.

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You're listening to 'Between the bookshelves', the official podcast of the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge. I'm your host, Jade Arnold, the Premier's Program Officer, Reading and Spelling, at the Arts Unit. Join me as I chat with children's and young adult authors and other experts in education and children's fiction as we talk about the books and the strategies that may spark or reignite a love of reading. Let's dive in!

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Welcome to episode 5 of 'Between the bookshelves'. I'm joined today by children's author Nathan Luff. Nathan is the author of the junior fiction series 'The Nerd Herd' and 'Family Disasters' as well as standalone titles 'Chicken Stu', 'Bad Grammar: A School for Gentlemen' and his latest release, 'Jungle Escape'. Nathan is also a playwright, teaches music, drama and writing in primary schools and is the children and young adult manager for the Sydney Writers' Festival.

Nathan, thank you so much for joining me. How are you today?

NATHAN LUFF: I'm so well. Thanks for having me.

JADE ARNOLD: It's no problems. It's very exciting to have you here. So, one of the key aims of the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge, or the PRC, as we like to call it, is being able to connect children and young adults with stories that they'll fall in love with. So, with that in mind, we like to do a little 'between the bookshelves' pitch instead of an elevator pitch to help teacher librarians making recommendations for their students.

So, imagine, if you will, a student is standing between the bookshelves in their school or their local library or their book shop, and they're in the L section, and they see your title there on the shelves. Maybe it's got the PRC sticker on the spine, and you've got to help them make the decision to take your book home.

So, with that in mind, can you give us the 'between the bookshelves' pitch for your latest release, 'Jungle Escape'?

NATHAN LUFF: Sure, my pleasure. I just want to say a little quick something, which is that all of my books, for some reason, are inspired by a real location. So, I've been in a place, and often that place has made me think, 'Oh, my gosh, I really have to set a story there.

So, I want to start by saying that with 'Jungle Escape', I was in the Daintree Rainforest in far North Queensland, and I got out of the car. And it's the most pristine, beautiful place. And I thought, 'Wow, this is paradise. I've found paradise.' And then everything tried to kill me.

[laughter]

The plants, the animals, everything is deadly up there. And so, I thought, 'There has to be a story set there.'

So, it's a story of 4 spoilt, pampered kids who, for different reasons, get sent to this holiday camp. It's like a holiday resort, really. So, they're sent there without their parents. And they think they're going to this wonderful resort called Jungle Escape, and they'll have an amazing time.

But when they get there, it's this rundown, dilapidated building. And this woman, Sal, has bought this building with the plan of building it again and reopening it. But the kids unknowingly have signed up to this program that they're going to be the hired help to bring it back to.

They've never lifted a finger before in their lives, and now they're going to have to do a lot of that or escape. So, yeah, as I mentioned, everything wants to kill you. So, that's when the hilarity and the action ensues.

JADE ARNOLD: Sounds like so much fun. It sounds like a mix of the Fyre Festival and 'Holes'.

NATHAN LUFF: Yes, yes.

JADE ARNOLD: I've actually got a copy of the book here that's just come into our office, so we're very excited to read it, and hopefully, it'll make its way onto the PRC book lists in the future. But I might just read the blurb if that's OK with you.

NATHAN LUFF: Yes, go for it.

JADE ARNOLD: For our listeners. It says here at the top with a little note. 'Dear Evolution. If the bird you have made is too big to fly, it is too big-- full stop! Yours, Branson Hawthorne Esquire'.

And then it goes on to say, 'When Branson's parents announce a ski trip to Aspen, he's thrilled-- until he learns he won't be going with them. Instead, Branson is being sent to an exclusive retreat in the Daintree Rainforest that promises poolside luxury, cuisine classes and lessons in interior decoration. Not his idea of a holiday.

But, when the kids arrive at the resort, Branson and the others learn that they've been duped! The building is in ruins, the bathroom's covered in slime, and the pool is empty. It turns out the owners have lured the kids to Jungle Escape to work as free labour to restore the resort.

Branson and his new friends need to find a way out of this hell hole and the Daintree Rainforest. Will they be able to escape this jungle, or will they end up as cassowary-- or crocodile-- lunch?'

Sounds like so much fun. Very excited to read that one.

So, what type of reader do you think 'Jungle Escape' would appeal to, and for students who devour it and are left wanting more, what would you suggest they read next?

NATHAN LUFF: I think 'Jungle Escape' is like most of my books. It's fast-paced, there's a lot of adventure and excitement there, but there are also laughs along the way. So, kids who like a good adventure but also like to laugh at some outlandish characters, then this is for them.

There's also-- I like books about kids who have to solve problems for themselves. So, often I find ways of removing the parents or adults from the story.

JADE ARNOLD: So, sending them on to a camp where the parents are off?

NATHAN LUFF: Exactly. So, kids who like those sorts of stories as well. I think in terms of similar type of books out there, George Ivanoff writes a similar tone, I think, books like 'Monster Island'. But even Tristan Bancks, in terms of-- he wrote a lot of comedy to start with, and now his books are a little bit more serious but still have that fast-paced action. And Nat Amoore is another one who kind of balances that adventure, action and comedy.

JADE ARNOLD: Like the 'Shower Land' series?

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, those are some really great recommendations. For our next 'between the bookshelves' pitch, let's chat about the 'Family Disasters' series. There's 3 books in this series. There's 'Crash Landing', 'Storm Warning' and 'Road Rage', and they feature on the 3 to 4 PRC book list. Could you give us your 'between the bookshelves' pitch for it and tell us what type of reader you think would enjoy it?

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah, sure. And I'm going to start again just by the inspiration for this because I was on an island called Stromboli, which is off Sicily, and it's a volcanic island, an active volcanic island. And you can stay on the island, which I did. And as you climb the island, there are signs saying if there's an eruption, head for the ocean. I thought, 'Ooh, scary.'

And as you head down toward the ocean, there are signs saying if there is a tsunami, head for the peak. And of course, what goes through your mind is, 'What happens if both these things happen at the same time?' So, terribly exciting, but also a scary place to set a story. So, it sat with me for years and years before I found the story to fit it.

So, 'Family Disasters', the series, is about Jakob and his parents, who are the most embarrassing parents that you've ever met. They just-- you shouldn't be in public with them because things will go wrong. So, they go on a holiday, and every holiday they have, and every book coincides with a different natural disaster as well. So, we've got-- in the first book, they are stuck on the volcanic island that, of course, erupts.

In the second book, they're on a cruise ship during a cyclone. And then the third book is a road trip story, but the roads are all closed because of flooding, so they kind of have to take a really circuitous route to get home.

JADE ARNOLD: It sounds great. 'Family Disasters' perfectly captures that feeling of being a little bit of an outsider. So, as you've said, Jakob isn't really part of the 'in crowd' at school, and he often ends up in situations beyond his control, like being glitter bombed. And these situations tend to make him this magnet for laughter at his expense.

He's also hyper aware of every cringy transgression his parents make, and I know it had me suffering from some serious second-hand embarrassment throughout the story. Clearly, Jakob's desire to avoid these situations, or at least try and recover from them and reinstate his status or reputation, leads him to even further strife.

What was the inspiration for this, and are these drawn from some personal experiences or are you just really good at imagining the worst-case scenario for any possible situation?

NATHAN LUFF: It's definitely both.

[laughter]

So, there is a lot of real life in this book. But interestingly, I always thought when I write and because it's first-person narrative. So, I always-- you know, I'm in the mind of 'Jakob', I think 'I'm like Jakob,' or 'Jakob was like me' when I was that age.

Yet when I was-- started to talk about the book, I've got a son who is now 11. And he kept saying, 'Oh, the mum and dad in the book, that's you and Mum.'

[laughter]

I said, 'What? What are you talking about?'

JADE ARNOLD: Did it hurt?

NATHAN LUFF: It did. It did a lot. Until he gave me specific examples, and I thought, 'Oh, he's right.'

[laughter]

So, I'm kind of across multiple characters, as is my wife. So, yeah, we are kind of the more embarrassing ones, sadly.

But yeah, so there's a lot of things like, for example, when we go on holidays, I'm quite frugal. So, that idea of filling up your pockets with all of the breakfast buffet but also being so-- because I'm so against breaking rules that I do it in a way that I think is really subtle. But of course, I'm making everyone look at me because I'm looking about the room like a mad person. So, things like that. I'm always trying to save money, whereas my wife is much more, 'Let's just go and do crazy things,' and you end up in places you shouldn't be. Things like that.

There's also a scene where a family plays a board game because board games are supposed to bring families together, but my experience is often they end in screaming and tears. And so that particular scene is pretty much just me verbatim writing what happened when I played a board game with my in-laws.

[laughter]

It was-- yeah, it was hilarious. So, I use a lot of things from real life, absolutely.

JADE ARNOLD: I think very particular board games are very good at destroying friendships. Monopoly being top of that list, I think.

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah, absolutely.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah. [laughs] On that note, what is your favourite situation Jakob finds himself in, and do any of the situations you've made make you cringe to think about?

NATHAN LUFF: Yes. So, one of my favourite things across the series is I really like wardrobe malfunction. It makes me funny when I see it in real life. And so, I do it to Jakob all the time. So, in the first book, when they crash-land, they lose all of their luggage.

So, from that day on, and because the books all follow on right after each other, he never has his clothes back. So, it's always, every book, it's the fun of trying to work out 'what is he going to wear this time' and 'how is Chris Kennett,' who's the illustrator, 'how is he going to then draw that and get-- ?'

So, I love a wardrobe malfunction, and one of my favourite ones is when he has to get new swimmers from the lost property on the cruise ship. Of course, they're way too big. After going down the slide, he realises he's no longer wearing them in the pool. And so, things like that, because I often have dreams where things like that happen, and it's just the worst.

If you're in the situation, it's terrible. But for other people, it's funny. And so, I guess that's kind of where this book sits. Horrible if you're in it, but observing--

JADE ARNOLD: Funny for everyone else?

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah. I had a wardrobe malfunction, which kind of inspired it as well, as a teacher, which is the worst because you're surrounded by kids. And so, it was early on in the day, and I bent over to pick something up, and the whole back of my pants split.

And as a teacher, you can't-- it's not so you can just say, 'Look, I'm just going to go out to the shops and get some new pants.' You're there for the day. There's no one to cover you.

JADE ARNOLD: You're stuck, yeah.

NATHAN LUFF: So, it was a whole day of just kind of keeping my back to the wall and walking along in a strange way. People just thought--

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, not being able to write on the board, and you just act as this hyperaware but seemingly crazy individual who can't turn around to write on the board.

NATHAN LUFF: Absolutely. That was me. So, these things do happen, and they're a gift as well as a curse.

JADE ARNOLD: Yes. Well, I'm glad that you can turn those horrific experiences into something funny for everyone else.

Something I think you've captured really well in this otherwise very silly, rollicking adventure is this sense of how kids outgrow certain stages much before their parents are willing to let go of it. In 'Crash Landing', Jakob's parents reminisce on one of those stages, saying, 'I miss those days. You loved us so much and you weren't afraid to express it, unlike now.' Is this something that you see with the students you've taught over the years, or your own children?

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah, both. So, definitely as a teacher first, it was because I was a RFF teacher teaching music and drama. So, I would teach from Kindy through to Year 6. And you see that change, even through a year like the Year 6 students at the start of the year compared to the end. And it would break my heart every year because they go through that awkward stage, and you see them approach it.

And now with my own son, he's now getting to that age, and it's just different. And it's part of growing up. And as a parent, you have to let go. But as an author, of course, this stuff makes its way into your work as well. Yeah, because there's an innocence that they lose, which is sad as well.

JADE ARNOLD: And really trying to figure out who they are and who they, as they grow, who they are changes. And so, it's learning to, I guess, love the child, regardless of what stage they're at, but also try and guide them down the right path.

NATHAN LUFF: Absolutely. And as they gain that independence and their own voice, there's also a joy in them discovering that. You've got to remember those things as well.

JADE ARNOLD: Yes, of course. That's so lovely. Before we move on to your next series, let's come back to our 'between the bookshelves' chat. Let's say that our young reader has now devoured the entire 'Family Disasters' series and they're on the hunt for their next read. What would you recommend they try next?

NATHAN LUFF: I think in terms of that series, you'll be well, well met to read Tim Harris's-- all of Tim Harris's books, really. But 'Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables' would be one. I think, again, that similar humour and fast-paced storytelling.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, awesome. That's a great recommendation. Your other series is 'The Nerd Herd'. This series has 5 titles-- 'The Nerd Herd', 'Raging Wool', 'Outfoxed', 'Pig Out' and 'Kitty Litter', all of which feature on the 3 to 4 book list. Could you give us your 'between the bookshelves' pitch for this series and tell us what type of reader would enjoy it?

NATHAN LUFF: I'm going to start again with that moment of inspiration this time. So, I actually grew up on a farm and this is a lot of farm animals. But the inspiration for this was I was in a city, I was in Melbourne, and I visited a petting zoo. And at this petting zoo there was a barn with a fire, a really cosy fire. And some of the animals were there around it, just having a wonderful time. And I thought, 'What sort of fancy petting zoo is this?'

Now, our animals never had fancy things like barns with fires. So, that was kind of the inspiration that I was going to tell this story set at a petting zoo. And so, the 3 main characters, there's Baarnabus, who is a lamb, there's Billy the Kid, who is a goat, and there's a llama called Shaama Llama Ding Dong.

And they really want to be in that barn with the fire. But there are all these other bigger animals who don't let them, who pick on them all the time. So, you've got a large pig called Kevin Bacon. You've got this big bull called T-Bone. There's a cat whose real name is Fat Cat, but she finds that offensive, so she calls herself Plus-sized Puss, and a fox as well that comes in. So, all these big animals are picking on them.

And so, these 3 lovely soft animals get together and say, 'Hey, we need to stand up for ourselves.' And there's strength in numbers. So, they form a gang, which is the Nerd Herd, and they start trying to establish a reputation as animals not to be messed with. They end up being the animals that will fix any problem. And these bigger animals eventually do have to come to them when they need help with things.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah. That's so lovely. And I can tell you had a lot of fun naming all of your characters.

NATHAN LUFF: I did.

[laughter]

JADE ARNOLD: So, you've got this wild assortment of characters like you just mentioned. You've got Barny the Lamb, who's a bit of a pun fiend, and you've got Shaama, the hoarding llama, and Billy the Goat, who is more obsessed with his perfect coat and will sacrifice his vision to look good. Did you draw any characteristics from yourself or people that you know, and are you a bit of a pun fiend yourself?

NATHAN LUFF: I'm always pulling from my own personality, but also those around me. I definitely think Barny and Shaama have elements of me. Billy the kid does not. I do not have my fancy angora coat, and I do not care much about appearances, but I certainly know people who do.

But I would say that with all of my character-- all of my main characters in my books are drawn from who I am fundamentally, which is-- I grew up as one of 5 boys. And I was the smallest of the 5, even though I was the second oldest, and I was the sort of kid that did get picked on a bit because I was so small. I was into things that other kids weren't necessarily into. And some of my brothers were quite ferocious and scary.

So, I write from a place of those-- of feeling powerless and what that means and how you find that inner strength to stand up to those things. And you'll find it in all of my books. Even if I don't sit myself down to write that story, it ends up being one of those stories, and you just tell it in lots of different ways. And it's just-- it's who I am. It's part of my fabric. So, this story is about that as well. And so, I definitely am-- Barny is me, a version of me.

JADE ARNOLD: That took such a serious turn. But I love that. I really do.

NATHAN LUFF: This is the interesting thing about, well, certainly my work, but a lot of work for kids is that it can be really fun and light and lots of jokes along the way, but they can also be really serious stories that we're talking about underneath. And that's the place I like to sit, because stories are about characters and relationships, and so that's where things get real.

JADE ARNOLD: I love that, though. I'm sure that there's a lot of students out there who will really appreciate that real kind of message that you've got under there of the underdog, or the one that you wouldn't normally assume to be the main character taking action and driving the narrative and having a bit of fun and a lot of chaos along the way.

Overall, 'The Nerd Herd' is pretty lighthearted, as we've discussed. There's lots of slapstick humour and a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. But as you were touching on before, there's these 3 very meek and mild farmyard animals that are trying their best to stand up to the constant bullying that they face. And our main character, Barnaby the Lamb, displays a lot of resilience, too, as his plans often go completely out of whack.

Why did you decide to include this in 'The Nerd Herd', and do you think it's an important message for young readers?

NATHAN LUFF: Absolutely. I think that resilience is something that I'm seeing a lot of young people lacking these days. I think that we-- and as a parent, I notice and have to pull myself back from doing too much, of trying to give space for kids to discover their own solutions to problems and also to fail. We're so adverse to seeing people fail. It's a horrible thing to go through it, but you kind of do. You learn through your mistakes.

So, this is a story about that as well, of-- the structure is very simple, and all 5 books have that same structure, which there are a couple of really big failures before they finally get to the solution that works. So, yeah, I think that's something that we should all be working towards, being more resilient.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, absolutely. This is the second series that you've worked on with the illustrator, Chris Kennett. What's the process of working alongside an illustrator for a novel, and how does it influence the way that you write?

NATHAN LUFF: It's interesting, because often the illustrator and the author don't collaborate or talk during it, and certainly at the start of a series. So, I didn't even know-- the first time I spoke with Chris was at our launch for the first 'Nerd Herd'. It's that thing because it's like a marriage that the publisher makes, and so, if they've done their job well, then the book emerges beautifully, which it did. We've both got very similar senses of humour.

But then, moving on from book 2, now I know what his style is like. You do start to write with that in mind. And 'Family Disasters', while it was a different style of illustration, I still know Chris's sense of humour, and I write in a very visual way. My training is in scriptwriting and playwriting.

So, what I love about it is you're setting up these visual gags, and then Chris will come along-- essentially, it's like a punchline. He'll deliver that thing. And I always know when I see it it's going to be perfect. He's going to just nail that.

And so, yeah, I'm also trying to amuse myself by coming up with things that are difficult for Chris to draw, to say, 'Huh, let's see if he can do this one.'

[laughter]

And only occasionally do I get notes back saying, 'Too hard'.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, that's fair.

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah, it's super fun. And because, as an author, when there are no illustrations, you're kind of there on your own all the time. So, to be able to share that creation is a nice thing as well.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, that's awesome. Let's return to our 'between the bookshelves' chat. So, for a young reader who has read and really enjoyed the entire 'Nerd Herd' series, what are some of the titles that you think they should try next?

NATHAN LUFF: There's so much amazing illustrated junior fiction at the moment, I wouldn't even know where to start. But I am going to say Kate and Jol Temple have a couple of really great series that I think they'd enjoy. So, the 'Frog Squad' or the 'Underdog' series as well would be a place to start there.

JADE ARNOLD: Both fantastic. I love the 'Frog Squad', another book with lots of puns. Maybe that's a reflection on me, but I think there's a lot of kids out there that really love that wordplay, especially as they're getting to that age where they're starting to really appreciate how they work and trying their own.

In addition to being a children's author, you're also the children and young adults manager for the Sydney Writers' Festival. Can you tell us a little bit about what that role entails?

NATHAN LUFF: Yes. So, we actually have quite a big program for kids and young adults where primary schools and secondary schools can come and hear authors talk. We have a big family day, which is kind of from little kids all the way up to the end of primary school. We have our all-day YA day, and we even have a day for upper secondary for kids who are doing HSC. So, my job is to program all of that, to pick all of the authors who are going to be presenting as part of that program.

JADE ARNOLD: Sounds like a massive job. So, for any teachers out there listening who've never attended the Sydney Writers' Festival Primary or Secondary Schools Day before, can you tell us a little bit about these programs and what students get out of them?

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah. So, the days we are at various venues across Sydney, and there's usually 4 or more sessions that run throughout the day. So, you come along. You get to see all 4 sessions.

And so, we do a range of genres and people from different backgrounds to give you a real mix. So, hopefully there will be a speaker that will engage every kid that you bring along. So, you get to hear these great-- sometimes they're conversations about how they created their book, sometimes they're writing tips. So, it is a mix as well as to what they will present.

There's a chance to meet the authors at the bookshop and get books signed from them as well. And ask those personal questions that you're too shy to ask when they're on stage. So, it's just a day of celebrating literature.

And in the Primary School Days, especially, it's not just sitting and listening to someone talk for the whole day. There are activities, and we try to get speakers who are just really engaging and get kids so excited about books.

For me, that's the joy of what I do, is to try to remind people, reading is great. It is exciting because people don't see it as exciting. And also in school, it's that thing of, oh, it's schoolwork. They associate it with something that's boring. It doesn't have to be. And if you get the right-- and because authors are storytellers, so if you get the right storytellers on stage telling those stories, seeing the kids engage with that and then going and, you know, buy books. It's a wonderful day.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, awesome. The amount of times that I have been backstage at the Sydney Writers' Festival, and we've heard, like, the screams and cheers and laughter coming from that. The energy is insane. And just seeing the students come out of it with a smile on their face, often books in their hand. It's definitely a fantastic day if you're looking at trying to reinvigorate or spark a love of reading in your students.

I also noticed that the senior-focused Student Sessions are back this year. Can you tell us about these?

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah, so we call these Student Sessions. So, it's different from our Secondary School Days in that they're targeted for mostly for HSC English students. So, we have a number of sessions that are focused on specific texts that are on the syllabus. And then there is also a number that are focused on the craft of writing. So, for example, this year, there'll be a short story one, there'll be a poetry one, and we'll also have a Shakespeare, sort of a spotlight on Shakespeare session as well.

So, each year these sessions are with really top-quality authors, that sometimes then it's not necessarily young adult authors. It could be drawn from the adult program of Sydney Writers' Festival, but people with great experience to talk to the students about what they do. And we have high school teachers moderate most of the sessions as well, so that the kids who come along, it's really targeted on what they need to learn for going into that, those HSC exams and all that sort of stuff. Lots of fun.

JADE ARNOLD: Sounds amazing. Another initiative that's run by the Sydney Writers' Festival is Russ the Story Bus. Can you tell us a bit about Russ and who can apply to have it visit their school?

NATHAN LUFF: Russ the Story Bus is amazing. So, Russ is a bus. And instead of having seats inside him, he's all decked out, and he has shelves. And so, he's full of books. And Russ travels all around. Well, he travels around regional NSW and Western Sydney.

At the moment, we're trying to get a new bus, basically because Russ is getting a little bit old. So, at the moment, he is limited to Western Sydney, but we're hoping to maybe even get a fleet of Russes. That would be amazing.

JADE ARNOLD: Oh, that would be awesome.

NATHAN LUFF: And then we can get out further. But what Russ does is he visits schools in lower socio-economic areas. He delivers free author talks for these schools. And then every student who comes along to the author talk then gets to go on the bus and pick a book that they get to take away for free.

And there are kids-- and this happens every year, kids who are really quite emotional because it is the first book they've ever owned in their lives. And the way that they treat that, and the stories we hear afterwards of them bringing it to school and just not wanting to let this book go.

So, there's lots with how we run Russ, but there's also, there are book specialists on the bus to try to connect the reader with the right book as well. So, it is a special moment. They're not just taking some--

JADE ARNOLD: A random book. The first one that they've seen, and the cover looks nice, so we'll go with this one.

NATHAN LUFF: Exactly, exactly. And often it is the book from the author who has presented because they have connected with them. So, we try to get authors who will really engage with that area where we're going. But it's just the most beautiful program, and we love doing it.

And so, schools who do want to be involved, you do need to have an ICSEA value of under 1,000. And you can register your interest on our website, which is swf.org.au. There should be a form there where you can just put in your details, and then fingers crossed-- we can't get to every school, but we get to as many as we can.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, amazing. So, for the other programs for schools in the Sydney metro area, where can teachers buy tickets for any of those programs, and what other things are important for them to know?

NATHAN LUFF: Yeah, so on our website is where you'll get all the information. So, there are different pages for primary and secondary and for our Student Sessions and for Russ the Story Bus. So, it's a good idea to go and check out everything that's happening there.

We also have a podcast series that we'll be launching soon as well, which is for families and would also be great in schools. So, some of our presenters talking about books. Yeah, so check it out. We are-- the school program happen in May, and Russ the Story Bus happens in usually Term 4.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah. Amazing. If you're at a school outside the Sydney metro area, the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge team head backstage to record student-led author interviews with the authors that appear at the Sydney Writers' Festival Primary and Secondary School Days. And that's all thanks to the amazing Sydney Writers' Festival team.

You can find these on the Arts Unit website, artsunit.nsw.edu.au, and search for 'author interviews'. You can also find a link to these interviews from the home page of the PRC website, premiersreadingchallenge.nsw.edu.au. We've been recording these since 2017, so there's a huge backlog of interviews with Australian and international authors that are sure to inspire your students to read and write.

Speaking of inspiring students, I'm aware that you offer author visits and writing workshops. How can schools book these, and what can they expect?

NATHAN LUFF: Yes, I love going out to schools. It's one of my favourite things. So, on my website, which is nathanluff.com.au, you can contact me through there through Creative Kids Speakers Agency who can book me.

I-- what I love to do is I love to go into schools and tell my life story because it has inspired the books that I write. So, I grew up, as I mentioned, on a farm, as one of 5 boys. You can imagine the hilarious things that happened in that sort of childhood. So, I just tell all these wonderful stories about my brothers. Hopefully they'll never hear the stories that I tell.

And that leads into then my books and how I crafted them from there, and the real-life inspiration that I draw constantly. And then I also love doing workshops, especially about characters and dialogue. They're some of my favourite things.

JADE ARNOLD: Amazing. And for our final question today, can you recommend a few books that our listeners need to know about?

NATHAN LUFF: Yes, I can. I thought long and hard about this because I read a lot for my work. I read a lot of books, and I've got so many favourites. But then I thought, you know what? What I might do is I might recommend the 3 books that my 12-year-old self would recommend to you. So, these are books going back but still books that are floating around that you can still find. So, these were, yeah, probably 3 of my favourites as a kid.

One is called 'Magpie Island' by Colin Thiele, and that book broke my heart. I think it was probably the first book where I just bawled. And I think because books that connect, whether they make you laugh, whether they make you cry, whether they make you scared, they're the books you really remember, so that book.

Another book, 'Taronga' by Victor Kelleher. So, Victor was my favourite author. I just read everything that I could. But 'Taronga' was set in this post-apocalyptic world where the world had moved on, but what do we do with the animals in the zoo? And so there are people within-- and so it was really exciting. And I do like stories about animals, so I'd recommend that.

And finally, a book that I found so funny, and I've listened to it as an audiobook recently, and it's still very, very funny, is Robin Klein's 'Hating Alison Ashley'. Classic and great story set in school, so relatable. And as someone who was an academic kid, I remember when those kids would come into your school, and they'd be that competition, and you're like, 'I like them as people, but you need to back off.'

[laughter]

So, I totally related with Erica Yurken.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah, the competitiveness there.

NATHAN LUFF: Yes.

JADE ARNOLD: Yeah. Thank you so much for joining me today, Nathan Luff. It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you about your books and your work for the Sydney Writers' Festival. And I'm sure our listeners with primary-aged readers will be eager to check out your books for a laugh-filled reading journey.

NATHAN LUFF: Thanks for having me.

[theme music - Matt Ottley, 'Dance of the Jellyfish']

JADE ARNOLD: Thanks for tuning in to 'Between the bookshelves'.

This podcast is produced by the Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education as part of the 'Listen @ The Arts Unit' series. For more information about our programs, to access our show notes or to listen to other podcasts, explore our website at artsunit.nsw.edu.au.

For more information about the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge, including our book lists, visit PremiersReadingChallenge.nsw.edu.au.

Theme music, 'Dance of the Jellyfish', composed by Matt Ottley. Copyright, Matt Ottley, 2024. Reproduced and communicated with permission.

Background music licensed by Envato Elements.

Copyright, State of NSW (Department of Education), 2025.