Cassie Hamer has a professional background in journalism and PR, but now much prefers the world of fiction over fact. In 2015, she completed a Masters in Creative Writing, and has since achieved success in numerous short story competitions. Her debut novel, After the Party, was published in 2019, and her latest novel is The End of Cuthbert Close. Cassie lives in Sydney with her terrific husband, three mostly terrific daughters, and a labradoodle, Charlie, who is the newest and least demanding addition to the family.
Today, Cassie Hamer is here to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …
1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born at the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington, which was torn down in the nineties and made into housing #thestoryofSydney. I grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches and spent most weekends being dragged to Manly beach by my parents. I attended a convent high school in Kirribilli, near the Prime Minister’s house. By rights, I should have become a nun or a beach bum, but I successfully disappointed everyone and went into journalism.
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
At twelve, I wanted to be a dancing-waitress-on-roller-skates and we have Olivia Newton John’s cinematic classic Xanadu to thank for that. By eighteen, I wanted to be a TV journalist. The likes of Liz Hayes and Jana Wendt and their enormous 80s shoulder pads really did a number on me. By thirty, all I wanted was to stay home, look after babies and never work for money again. Blame my mum for that. She made it look really lovely and easy. (It’s not.)
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you do not have now?
At eighteen, I felt the world was at my feet and assumed I’d be married to Leo DiCaprio within the decade. I’d spent ten years at an all-girls school and there was no question in my mind that women could have it all, do it all and be it all. The world was a fair and equal place, right? Gosh. Idiot. Working in commercial TV soon cured me of those ideals. Sexist boys’ club sums it up pretty well. And, as we now know, the fact I’m two years younger than Leo meant I was always going to be too old for him.
4. What were three works of art – book or painting or piece of music, etc – you can now say had a great effect on you and influenced your own development as a writer?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty was a huge awakening for me. I adored everything about the book–the humour, the darkness, the characters that jump off the page fully-formed. It proved to me that writing a manuscript about domestic life in Australia would not make publishers run screaming from the room. I can’t pinpoint two other pieces of art – it’s a bit like trying to choose a favourite child.
In terms of what influences me as a writer… actually, that’s quite easy. When it comes to story, I’m a magpie–I dive-bomb them wherever they appear, in conversations with friends, conversations I overhear, TV shows, movies, blogs, podcasts and, of course, books. If I don’t have a book on my bedside table, I get anxious and get myself to the library or closest bookshop STAT.
5. Considering the innumerable artistic avenues open to you, why did you choose to write a novel?
I reject the premise of the question! There were no other artistic avenues open to me. I am quite talentless. When my kids ask me to draw, I groan (inwardly) and produce a stick figure. I do like to dance and sing, and in my head I’m very good at both. Video evidence suggests otherwise.
The truth is, I write because I’m a reader. It’s the only thing that I have loved my entire life, with the exception of my mum and dad.
6. Please tell us about your latest novel!
The End of Cuthbert Close revolves around three women–Cara, Beth and Alex–who are neighbours and great mates. They adore living in Cuthbert Close, or at least they do until the new neighbour moves in. Charlie Devine, glamorous wife of wellness guru and online sensation The Primal Guy, roars straight into the middle of the Cuthbert Close street party with her massive removal truck, setting off a train of events where it’s way more than just the guacamole that hits the fan.
If you remember the TV series Desperate Housewives, it’s a bit like that but with less of the cray-cray and dead talking people. If you moved the women of Wisteria Lane to Ramsay Street and renovated all the houses first, then you’re getting close.
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
A laugh, a cry, a renewed appreciation for their neighbours, and a sense of hope that things will be alright in the end. There are bonus points for readers who can nominate two of the 32 million ways in which the women in the book heap expectation on themselves as mothers.
8. Who do you most admire in the realm of writing and why?
I have huge admiration for Natasha Lester. She works incredibly hard but has always been so generous with her knowledge and support. I’ve followed her career for many years, from when she was writing between the cracks of her children’s sleep (check), to when she signed a publishing contract (check) to when she became a New York Times bestseller (I wish!).
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
Global domination, of course. Maybe a TV series, or an audience with the Queen. (Oprah, that is).
Failing that, getting some free Booktopia merch would be nice. A mug if you’ve got one?
10. What advice do you give aspiring writers?
Unsolicited advice is the best! My three daughters love it! So here it is–listen to your mother and take heed of ALL her unsolicited advice. No, wait. Wrong audience. My real tip–listen to advice, sift through it, decide what works for you, then put your head down and do the work. There are many subjective opinions in this business but no real ‘rules’, or rights or wrongs.
(My kids aren’t reading this, are they?)
Oh, and when you’re editing, make sure to cut all those extraneous verbs from your work. For example, ‘She could hear the drum beat.’ No. ‘She heard the drum beat.’ Or, even better. ‘The drum beat thrummed in her veins.’ Or something even better. It’s a simple tip but you’d be surprised how much it strengthens the writing. Even my kids like it.
Thank you for playing!
—The End of Cuthbert Close by Cassie Hamer (HarperCollins Australia) is out now.
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The End of Cuthbert Close
You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your neighbours. (Trad. proverb, origin: Australian suburbia)
Food stylist Cara, corporate lawyer Alex and stay-at-home mum Beth couldn't be more different. If it wasn't for the fact they live next door to each other in Cuthbert Close, they'd never have met and bonded over Bundt cake. The Close is an oasis of calm and kindness. The kind of street where kids play cricket together and neighbours pitch in each year for an end of summer party...
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