Uncle Harry was a sheep farmer and I have vivid memories of hopping in the ute beside him and watching his favourite dog Beau respond to the ear-piercing whistle as he rounded up the mob and we moved them into new paddocks.Īs an adult I had weekend getaways to the coast in the kombi my husband and I bought (and still own 30 years later!) venturing north from time to time but always feeling a pull to the south. Aunty Flo lived in my great grandmother’s house, an iconic country shack with a rickety veranda, chooks nesting in rusty backyard cars and a couple of kelpies chained up out the back. My mother was born in Parkes, and still had aunts and cousins scattered around the area. Other school holidays were spent out west. Days blended into weeks and even though there were moments of boredom the return to city life always came with a sense of regret. We bought Jaffas and Fantales to devour at the small open-air theatre, sitting in canvas seats under the stars, covered in blankets. My family rented a house opposite the lake and I’d spend hours sitting by the water watching fish jump, pelicans cruise by and hermit crabs scurrying along the shore. But when I think back it’s really not surprising that it’s where my story ideas led me.Īlthough I grew up in the southern suburbs of Sydney I spent a good part of every Christmas holiday at Burrill Lake on the south coast of New south Wales. Connecting with both readers and fellow writers in this community is a daily joy and one I hadn’t expected as I never really set out to write in this genre. Over to you, Pamela!īeing part of the huge phenomenon that is Australian Rural Fiction has been a highlight of my writing career.

Her books are available on all online platforms and through Booktopia. When she’s not writing, podcasting or festival planning she wastes as much time as possible riding her handsome quarter horses, Morocco and Rio. An eclectic reader, Pamela also enjoys writing poetry and memoir pieces and is proud to be a Writer Ambassador for Room To Read, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes literacy and gender equality in developing countries.

She is the co-host of the exciting new podcasts Writes4Women and Writes4Festivals, and Program Director for the inaugural Storyfest Literary Festival happening in Milton, on the south coast of NSW, Australia in June 2019. Her novels feature complex women, tangled family relationships and sometimes a sprinkling of romance. Pamela Cook writes Rural and Contemporary fiction. It is my pleasure to welcome Pamela Cook to the blog today.

Blackwattle Lake by Pamela Cook