Everything We Keep: An Interview with Di Walker

Everything We Keep

Di Walker is a children’s author whose books for young people navigate the challenging terrain between childhood and adolescence.

To celebrate the release of her wonderful new novel Everything We Keep, we spoke to Di about the inspiration behind her characters, who her literary heroes are and what drew her to writing for young people.

Congratulations on the new book, Everything We Keep. It must be exciting to see it out in the wild.

Thank you—yes it is, really exciting. And people send me photos when they see it in different bookstores and that’s always a thrill—it never gets old.

At the start of the novel, the main character Agatha has been in and out of foster care because her parents have a hoarding disorder, making it hard for her to live at home. Her mother’s behaviour in particular is heartbreakingly believable. Is this something that needed a lot of research to get right?

Once I knew the reason why Agatha would have been removed from her parents, I did do a lot of research about it. I watched documentaries, listened to interviews, read articles. One thing that always struck me was that, even though the hoarding had made it unbearable for other family members, the parents loved their kids and the kids loved their parents. That’s one of the reasons it is so hard for Agatha—she loves her parents, it has just become too difficult for her to live with them. And, of course, there’s the bullying that has come with it, from the kids at school.

Agatha is such a fully realised character, both as a teenager (all that shrugging!) and as someone who has had to grow up before she was ready. Which came first, the character or the idea for the story?

Definitely the character. I remember seeing her, sitting on a step with her orange suitcase. I had no idea why she was sitting there with a suitcase. A little while later I was driving in the car and there was a discussion on the radio about the effects of hoarding on children. That’s when I knew. Agatha was returning home to a house that was overwhelming.

“I feel really at ease when writing for younger readers—the stories flow, they flip flop between wanting to be independent and needing adults to tell them what to do.”

While the protagonists overcome some tough stuff, both Everything We Keep and your first novel, Unpacking Harper Holt, are grounded in the everyday and feel very much like real life. Was this an intentional choice?

Not at all. I have very little control over what happens. The story starts with a character and a situation and then it just unfolds. Both are set in Melbourne, both could be taking place right now—it’s just the way it happens. There are some tricky things about writing contemporary fiction, mobile phones for instance. They can be tricky—trying to create a situation where a character is stranded or lost—why don’t they just message someone? But they can’t be completely ignored—most teenagers I know have one.

I remember thirteen as being both an exciting and difficult age—you capture that feeling of discovery and uncertainty well! Did you draw on your own memories of being a teenager?

Absolutely. The teenage years are challenging, and for me I was always aware of how awkward I was, and feeling like I didn’t fit in. I don’t think that is unusual—I think it is a very real experience for a lot of us.

As well as with friends her own age, Agatha builds connections with a number of supportive adults including her social worker Nell and foster parent Katherine. Was it important to you to incorporate adult characters in the novel?

Like Agatha, these characters just appeared. I think having these adult characters is realistic—Agatha is in a system, there are going to be social workers, teachers, carers. Working out what type of adult they are and what role they play in her life is very much up to them. I think there’s something about exploring those wider relationships that we develop throughout our lives. For Agatha there is also that need to build trust – she has been let down so many times.

What draws you to writing for younger readers? Have you ever considered writing an adult novel? 

I have tried to write for adults—can’t do it. There are a few attempts on my computer that just haven’t gone anywhere. I hadn’t even considered writing for this age group until Harper showed up—in my mind, packing her suitcase and moving to another school. I feel really at ease when writing for younger readers—the stories flow, they flip flop between wanting to be independent and needing adults to tell them what to do.

Do you read much young adult or children’s fiction yourself, either for research or pleasure? 

No, not really. What I am reading a lot of at the moment are how-to-write books. I find them so helpful, always something new to learn from other writers. I highlight them, use sticky notes. And there are some fabulous ones out now by Australian writers.

Who are your literary heroes, real or imaginary?

This won’t surprise you—Agatha Christie! Jackie French—an Australian icon. Canadian writer Rohinton Mistry, and my all-time favourite… Anne of Green Gables.

What would you most like young readers to take away with them after reading Agatha’s story?

The importance of friendship, that it can come from the most unlikely places—and that maybe we could all be a little bit more like Tully.

 Now that Everything We Keep is out in the world, are you working on anything new?

I have another manuscript that I am working on—it’s finished, well nearly. There is always something else to think about or tweak. And I have a blog that I like to write for—I started it during lockdown last year, and it is just a series of thoughts on the different parts of my writing process.