Sometimes an author's character won't let go, pushing to the front of the writer's thoughts until their story is told; other times a setting takes a stronger hold and becomes a character, drawing itself a larger part in the plot.
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Both happened for Tasmanian author Lenny Bartulin when he started working on his latest novel, Fortune.
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The character he discovered in researching earlier novel Infamy, the teenager Gottfried Hanskie, presented a story that fascinated Bartulin for its incredulity, but also its parallels with his parents' journey to Tasmania.
"Hanskie goes on an incredible journey - he was in a Prussian resistance unit, then caught by the French, then by the English and was transported to Australia," Bartulin said.
"[His story] stuck with me because of how he came to be here. My parents were migrants from Croatia and people there had never heard of Tasmania.
"It seemed like an incredible thing and it latched on to me. It was the very antithesis of my life, because I was born and raised here, but Tasmania was miles away and the rest of the world always seemed so far," he said.
And then there's Tasmania as a setting and character, with part of Fortune's action set in the state - The Examiner even rates a mention.
"Tasmania was always going to be a part of Fortune. Where you spend your childhood is always with you," Bartulin said.
"As a writer you're always digging down into your emotions to bring your characters to life. Tasmania came up a bit [in Infamy] and I felt more confident to approach it as a setting.
"In the last quarter of the book I wanted to spread my scope to Launnie," he said.
Bartulin, who is based in Hobart, will be visiting Launceston for Petrarch Bookshop's Meet the Author event on Thursday night.
Here readers can chat with Bartulin about Fortune, which starts with Napoleon Bonaparte leading his army through Berlin's Brandenburg Gate after conquering Prussia in 1806 and then follows the fates and interesting intersections of its characters around the world, ending up in Tasmania more than a century later.
"I wanted to reflect on chance and fortune in my characters' lives."
Growing up in Tasmania, but moving to Sydney for work, Bartulin spent 25 years away working in bookselling and as a copywriter, but moved back here with his wife and son and is now enjoying writing full time.
Fortune is published by Allen & Unwin.
FAST FACTS
- What: Meet the Author Lenny Bartulin
- When: Thursday, July 25, at 6pm
- Where: Petrarch's, The Avenue, Launceston
- Cost: Free
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