SPOTLIGHT ON… Aussie Rural Novelists

What happens when you take popular women’s fiction, i.e.: chick-lit and cross it with paddocks that stretch on to the horizon, dust and hard-work, and maybe a handsome farmer or cowboy (or two)? You end up with chook-lit, of course!

The allure of rural Australia is omnipresent; from television programming (think McLeods Daughters at the peak of its popularity through to more recent offerings such as Farmer Wants A Wife), magazines, clothing lines, through to regional festivals and tourist attractions.

Having grown-up in a small country town myself and seeing the grittier, harder aspects of the farming way of life, I must admit to being quietly ecstatic that there are Australian authors who so eloquently capture the rural way of life and sprinkle their own measure of happily-ever-after onto the stories of their characters.

The harshness of the farming lifestyle is heartbreaking at times; an entire season’s work wiped out by one freak storm or the farmers who plant the next season’s crop only to see the seeds, and their next season, washed away by unexpected rain.

It’s a hard way of life.

It can be devastating and not just for the farmers. Whole townships rely on these farmers and the cashflow generated by their crops and farms to survive. Many small towns around Australia operate on the razors-edge each and every year, holding on to bated breath to see if Lady Luck will be on the side of the farmers and the communities relying upon them.

It isn’t all bleak however; it must be noted that when times are good they really are good and interestingly it is the resilience of these communities that demands the most celebration.

And, that’s what I love about rural romance or chook-lit: the celebration of the ups and downs of rural life, the chivalry of the men, the versatility of the women to phase between being ‘a lady’ to helping on the farm, and of course the beautiful backdrop of the generous slopes and plains of our far-reaching land.

This week, I’m being joined by four of my favourite rural romance novelists to talk about rural life, books, writing and their accomplishments. Each novelist brings a unique vantage point to the table for discussion which goes to show that the rural romance genre is one that will continue to evolve and develop with stories as vast and creative as this beautiful land we live in.

Join me tomorrow as we talk with KARLY LANE