Reading Time recently interviewed Kate Constable about her most recent publication, Tumbleglass. We thank her for answering our questions.
You’ve written both fantasy and contemporary novels. Your two most recent novels, The January Stars and Tumbleglass are contemporary novels with an additional magical element. Why have you infused these two genres?
I’ve always loved stories that bring the magical into the everyday. I’m a firm believer in ghosts and omens, and time slip is my absolute favourite genre. I haven’t given up hope of travelling in time myself one day! I have also written high fantasy set in alternate worlds, but surely there is magic in our world, too.
What was the thinking around making the house the primary time slip location in Tumbleglass? What were the disadvantages?
I’ve lived in a lot of old houses and often wondered about the people who lived in those walls before me, what their lives were like. Were they happy there, what did they think about? How might the house itself have changed through time, with additions and renovations and even coats of paint? So the original idea behind Tumbleglass was all about diving back into the history of a single house and taking snapshots of the people who lived there. I also liked the restraint of keeping the location in a single place but during different time periods — sometimes it’s easier to write when you make rules for yourself.
What is it about the relationship between sisters that interests you?
I come from a long line of sisters! My mother was one of two sisters, I am one of two sisters, my own children are two sisters, so it seems like the most natural sibling configuration to me. I am interested in the sister dynamic, the bond of shared memories and being in alliance against your parents. But it’s also true that siblings can get under your skin like no one else.
How did you settle on the ring as the time slip device?
When I’m writing time slips I try to keep the mechanism as simple as possible, it’s easy to get bogged down in complicated explanations. A ring is an elegant, small and wearable item that lends itself to magic, and it’s also timeless in a way, so it can slip easily from one era to another. (Belinda Murrell has used various items of jewellery in her time slip series.)
There were so many time periods that Rowan could have visited. How did you decide on the ones that are in the story? What were some of the challenges you faced in remaining authentic to each time period?
It was really hard to decide! I love history and had a lot of fun researching the different times that Rowan visited. I was living in share houses myself in the 1990s, so that one was easy! I wanted to include one wartime period, and also a visit to the house when it was newly built. The 1970s was a time of social upheaval, with lots of demonstrations and protest movements, so that was an exciting time for Rowan to visit. But I could easily have chosen a dozen different decades — that would have made it quite a long book though!
Tell us about Rowan’s development through the novel. What is it about her that you want young people to understand?
Emily Gale made an insightful comment in her review of Tumbleglass about younger siblings ‘trying on’ a new role when an older sibling leaves home, and I think that was very true for Rowan, though I hadn’t thought about it in those terms. She starts out as quite a timid, anxious character, and she has to take on more responsibility and initiative than she’s really comfortable with, once Ash disappears. I think visiting the different time periods also helps her to appreciate that that change doesn’t have to be frightening.
How would you describe Verity’s role in the story?
Traditionally the blacksmith was seen as a magical figure, a creator, a worker with fire, and guardian of secrets. Verity, as a glass worker, plays another version of that role, with a bit of a twist. I did base some elements of Verity’s character on my dear friend Sandra Eterović, an artist, illustrator and maker who died in 2018. Verity’s house is closely based on Sandra’s house, and the book is set in her corner of Melbourne. She was like a godmother to my daughters, and I miss her so much.
Thank you Kate.
Read Barbara Swartz’s review of Tumbleglass here.
Read Renae Mihulka’s review of The January Stars here.