ACCLAIMED AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR Suzanne Leal will be appearing in Glen Innes during November when readers have the chance to attend her only New England event at High Country Books, the town’s independent bookshop.

With five works of fiction under her  belt, Leal will be appearing at a range of events in rural and regional NSW and Victoria, in conversation about her latest novel The Watchful Wife. This story of love, faith and courage follows Ellen, a young woman raised in an austere and authoritarian church, whose husband is accused of a crime he swears he didn’t commit. 

“I wrote The Watchful Wife to explore the predicament of the family of a man accused of a shameful crime,” Leal said.

“Drawing on my experience as a (former) criminal lawyer, I wanted to examine the police investigation and court proceedings of a matter that may not be as clear-cut as it first appears.”

A regular at writer’s festivals across the country, Leal was born and raised in Wollongong and maintains strong connections to rural and regional Australia. She lives in Sydney’s coastal Malabar district, which she describes as, “quiet and tight-knit, and more village than suburb”.

“Whenever I particularly connect with someone, invariably I find they have been raised in regional or rural Australia. There is something about the connection to the land, the forthright and honest discussions that are possible and the warm and down-to-earth hospitality,” she said.

“I have family in Coffs Harbour, including my son, Alex. For some years, my parents lived in Toowoomba.

“I love discovering new parts of Australia during my regional and rural tours and really enjoy connecting with new readers. At rural and regional writers festivals, I have been hosted by people I’d not met before and have felt so welcomed.”

According to Leal, country people are great readers and keen to connect with authors.  

“I also think there is a particular hospitality amongst Australians who live in the country, and a willingness – and enthusiasm – to sit down and talk about books and writing.

“There is something about the closeness of the communities in many country towns that encourages people to get together to hear from new and established writers. I love being hosted in country towns.”

‘Turning over the rock’ 

Leal’s previous bestseller The Teacher’s Secret took readers into the world of a seaside primary school and the lives of students, parents and teachers which live nearby.  

“I wanted to examine what happens when a scandal unfolds in a close-knit community,” she said.

“In The Watchful Wife, I return to the schoolyard, but this time the students are in high school and their teacher arrested for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. 

“As I follow him from his arrest, I wanted to explore how a wife might cope with such a situation, and how far she might go to protect the man she loves.”

A lawyer experienced in child protection, criminal law and refugee law, Leal is a senior member of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

“Such issues often find their way into my writing as I consider the dilemmas of the fictional characters I create,” she said.

“I seek to make my writing accessible and to make it sing. I strive never to be didactic. I simply want to explore ideas and hold them up to scrutiny.

“I want to turn over the rock in the garden, see what’s underneath and hold it up to the sunlight.”

The event marks the fifth year of High Country Books, which has been platforming local and visiting authors for locals since it opened with a literary event in November, 2018.

Suzanne Leal in conversation with journalist Michael Burge on Saturday November 18 at High Country Books, The Makers Shed, 123 Grey Street Glen Innes. Book online.

For all Suzanne’s book tour events, check out her website.