Fresh from her appearance at the Brisbane Writers Festival and before she heads off to the Northern Territory Writers Festival, Central Coast writer Donna M Cameron will offer insights into her book The Rewilding at Kincumber Library this month.
Cameron will give a deep dive into the book, the first part of which is set in a cave in Bouddi National Park.
The Rewilding has been described as a “compelling environmental thriller that asks some big questions about humans, the world we live in and how we are to survive it”.
Cameron will share images of the inspiration behind the book and reveal her surprising path towards the writing of it, and her unpredictable journey towards publication.
“I think, subconsciously, the idea (for the book) was planted in my head when I was bushwalking one day in Bouddi National Park, and out of the scrub stepped this beautiful young woman,” she said.
“She smelt of sweat and patchouli and was bare-footed and looked like she had been sleeping rough.
“I knew there were sandstone caves hidden in the cliff face nearby and I had heard rumours at one stage that there were people living in one of the caves.
“The biggest of the caves had a black leather couch in it for years, but that has been removed by National Parks recently.
“I realised this young woman must be squatting in one of the caves, and I think that idea just swirled around in me for a while.
“She almost felt mythical – like I had conjured her from another realm – because she stepped out of the path in front of me, smiled at me then disappeared into the bush again as if vanishing into thin air.
“Also, what a setting – all those beautiful hidden beaches and caves amongst 1,500ha of wild.
“What more could a writer ask for?”
Cameron’s talk on The Rewilding will be at 6pm on Thursday, June 20 at Kincumber Library.
It will be a free event and light refreshments will be served.