Ken Spillman 

Ken Spillman has been writing for publication since his schooldays. His writing includes the acclaimed Young Adult novels, Love is a UFO and Blue, as well as the Jake series for younger readers, which commenced with Jake's Gigantic List and continued with Jake's Monster Mess and Jake's Balloon Blast.

Get to know more about Ken from the interview below.

Who was/is your favourite author? Why?  
My list of favourite authors grows longer by the week. Any author who gives me a free pass into another world, and a sense of participation in the lives of others, is a favourite forever. Australian author Scot Gardner, who has written many books for teenagers, does that every time.

Who was your role model when you were in primary school? 
An idealist even then, I think I was more interested in ideas than particular people - apart from sporting heroes. When I admired people from history, it was usually for what they said, or for what their actions represented - the anti-slavery campaigners, the people who got voting rights for working people and women, and so on.

Was there a role model in your life who inspired you to start writing? 
There was. At 14 and 15, I had an English teacher named Chris Waddell who saw the value of creative writing and took the time to provide detailed, encouraging feedback on every piece I wrote. He took my work seriously, which gave me the confidence to take my own work seriously, and to keep at it.

If you could be a book or cartoon character for a day, who would you be? Why? 
Perhaps it's a boring choice, but I wouldn't mind being Superman! I have two reasons… First and foremost, I'd love to be able to fly. Secondly, it would be wonderful to get around the place helping the good people of this world deal with those who are not so good. As a child, I loved the Robin Hood character - taking from the rich to give to the underprivileged.

If you could meet a famous person, who would it be? Why? 
Tough question! It's not something I'm particularly interested in. As a fan of sports, however, I would probably choose Roger Federer. There's nothing in particular I'd want to talk about, but I have a feeling that it wouldn't be too hard to just sit together for a while and have coffee.

What are your hobbies? 
Reading, browsing around libraries/bookshops, watching sports, travelling overseas, swimming, and enjoying great food and wine in moderation.

What do you enjoy the most about writing? 
Creating characters who are real to me in almost every way, and going on some kind of journey with (or through) them. I also like having flexibility in my life with the management of my time - it isn't a 9 to 5 job.

What motivates you to write? 
I just love stories, and believe they are important. Ultimately, I guess, I want to make some kind of difference. I want readers to connect with my characters and to take something from that experience. It's great when people email me to say that they have!

Do you have a favourite book that you have read more than once? Why do enjoy this book? 
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It's a book I can read every year or two, and find something new that I can immediately connect with my life.

Where is your most favourite place in the world? 
Beaches, forests and mountains are all in this contest. But I also yearn for the crowded, noisy, smelly streets of Delhi, where I can feel part of some great, colourful, monstrous, beautiful humanity - yet profoundly alone.

Where do you get your ideas to write? 
From anywhere and everywhere. From the things people say and do, from the things I see and feel, from the vast and surprising storehouse of memory.

When did you write your first book or piece? 
My first book was a work of non-fiction - a history of Subiaco that I wrote in my early twenties for publication in 1985. Prior to that, I'd had short stories and poems published around Australia and also overseas.

When did your passion for writing begin? 
In Year 4, my teacher got the class to write imagined autobiographies - of animals as well as people. I found that I loved escaping into the head of others - seeing a different point of view, and 'experiencing' things that, in real life, I could not. In Years 9 and 10, Chris Waddell empowered me to take that interest further.

A last note to our young readers… 
Through reading, you can learn more about people than you will ever learn through talking to them. You can eavesdrop on souls. Don't be put off by books that are just not 'up your alley'… Find the ones that are, and remain open to the occasional side-journey.

Adapted from Scholastic.com

 Here are some books by Ken;

Jake wants it all. His birthday list is longer than an anaconda and there's no way he's asking for socks or jocks. Nope, this birthday he wants a pirate, a dinosaur and a leopard! Luckily for Jake, Auntie Lyn knows just where to find all three. Packed with fun illustrations by Chris Nixon, Jake's Gigantic List is about discovering the magic of a great story.

Jake's room is only slightly messy - until Dad asks him to tidy it. He's emptied his sock drawers and his toy cupboard and he's dragged out all the dusty forgotten stuff from under his bed. THIS TIME, Jake is going to do the job properly. There's a surprise in store for Dad but it isn't the one Jake planned!