Zana Fraillon is the author of the new middle grade novel in verse An Octopus Named Houdini. Her other books include The Bone Sparrow. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Q: What inspired you to write An Octopus Named Houdini?
A: A mixture of dreams, research and an opportunity I couldn't pass up! A few years back I had this incredibly strange, very strong dream in which I was an octopus. And I wasn't looking down on octopus-me, but instead I was looking out through octopus eyes and seeing my octopus arms and looking up at the sunlight filtering in through the sea.
It was so powerful that when I woke up, the first thing I did was message my publisher saying I had my next book. And once I began researching octopuses and discovering how incredible they are, I had the amazing opportunity of meeting one up close in an aquarium. Once I had met the real Houdini, I knew exactly what shape this book would take.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between your characters Houdini and Juno?
A: A genuine friendship built on mutual respect and curiosity. They recognise themselves in each other - the way they see the world around them isn't necessarily the way most would see the world. They also recognise that due to their position in the world - one an animal and one a kid - they are not always listened to. They don't have the same power over what happens to them that adults do.
Q: What do you think Corinna Luyken’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Oh my goodness. I squealed when my publishers told me that they wanted to ask Corinna to illustrate this! I am a huge fan of her work, and her illustrations here add such depth and movement to the page. She gives the reader the same sense I had in my dream - of seeing the world through the eyes of an octopus. She really brings Houdini to life.
Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, “Spare, eloquent verse relays big emotions with few words...” What do you think of that description?
A: I may have squealed again here - and I am not a squealy person! I am obviously delighted with this review, but also with the recognition of what verse novels can do.
Similar to picture books (which, if I had to pick, I would say the picture book form is my favourite way of telling stories), writing in verse means telling these stories with fewer words - each word has to really count. They have to do the heavy lifting.
And for me, that means I get to spend real time with each word to make sure it is the perfect choice. I really enjoy that close working with language that this allows me. So to see that it has paid off is really encouraging, both for me and the writing form.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am trying to turn my Ph.D. into a novel (for an adult audience) and so having finished Houdini had decided that I wouldn't start anything new until that had been done.
But then on my way to my Australian launch, an author friend of mine noted that I had written a verse novel from the point of view of a dog, and one from an octopus, so now I needed to complete the land/sea/sky trilogy by writing one from a sky creature.
I instantly thought “A crow!” and once the thought got its hooks into me, it was useless to try and argue. So, I am in the very beginning stages of writing The Book of Krow - I am having a ball with it, so hopefully the reader will too.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: One of the things I love so much about the publication of An Octopus Named Houdini was that I never thought it would be possible.
I developed Long Covid/Chronic fatigue in 2022 and that pretty much put a stop to my life. My cells can no longer produce and store energy, and weirdly, mental activities are more draining than physical ones. Even thinking about something can wipe me out.
At times I am confined to a wheelchair in my house. I am often dizzy. My vision goes, so reading and writing are out of the question. Sometimes my speech slurs. I often struggle to find words.
If I hadn't met the real Houdini I would have given up on this story altogether, but I felt I owed it to her. So I wrote this the only way I could - when a sentence would come to me, usually when I was out on a slow walk with my dogs, I would jot it down into the notes app on my phone.
This was how the entire book was written. It obviously took a very long time - I would think of maybe a few sentences a week, but then all of a sudden there was enough there to work into a book. So on my good days I would spend half an hour or so before my vision went working on this quiet little thing.
To see it out in the world with stunning illustrations and such care given to it by the S&S team is overwhelmingly wonderful. It gives me hope that I can continue to find a way to create despite my disability.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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