Tabitha Bird is a writer and poet who lives and works in the rural township of Boonah, Queensland. By day Tabitha may be found painting, working on her next book or with her husband, three beautiful boys and Chihuahua. Her latest book is The Emporium of Imagination, a captivating novel of magical realism about a fantastical shop that brings comfort, peace and hope to those in need.
Today, Tabitha Bird is on the blog to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions – read on!
Tabitha Bird (Photo by Matthew Willman).
1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I grew up in a bayside suburb of Queensland, Australia, where I had a special garden that I played in and where I told stories to my little sister and my chihuahua. Story gave me something to hope in that was bigger than I was. Eventually, I did unexpected things like get older and teach primary school in Hong Kong and the USA. There I read stories to children like their lives depended on it and to this day I am quite sure that lives do depend on stories and stories on lives. When my own children came along I read stories with even more gumption and wild joy and got to thinking that perhaps I had some tales of my own to tell. I worked hard to heal the things that I’d once kept me hidden and bring my stories into the world
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
At twelve I wanted to be an artist and write children’s picture books or novels. At eighteen I’d forgotten who I was entirely and was merely surviving through family trauma. At thirty I entered counselling and rediscovered my dreams. I started writing again that same year.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?
Younger me was harsh towards herself and believed she would never be enough. She had little idea of her own worth or right to dream. Now I understand that being gentle begins with the words I tell myself and that I need grace and time to understand who I am and what I want. I now have clearer personal boundaries that allow for healthy self-esteem and big dreams.
4. What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?
The surrealist movement in art and some of the works of Salvador Dalí inspired me to look at life through the lens of my own imagination. Through them I began to understand that I did not have to represent reality the way others did, that I could find my own voice and that the uniqueness of the way I experienced the world could be shown in fantastical ways and yet still be emotionally honest.
The Night Circus is a book that walked into my living room and pitched a magnificent tent.
For me this book was about hope. It wasn’t so much the characters, though I adored them all, it was the sense that anything could be possible if only I hung on. That any good thing I imagined could be true if I believed.
The circus entered my very being. Most importantly, it set my imagination free. For a writer there is no greater gift. The rich descriptions of impossible performances and things found in tents made my fingertips tingle and lifted my head to the skies. I began to look around me at the ordinary in awe and wonder and think to myself, “what if?”
What if there was a day in the future where I could experience healing and wholeness and peace? What if I could find a way to bring my story to the page? What if I told a tale that was sombre and dealt with trauma honestly, but also full of imagination and ultimately hopeful? I will be forever thankful for Erin Morgenstern’s writing.
Lastly, I am a huge fan of the work of modern composer Ludovico Einaudi. His music is both magical and liberating. His compositions use sounds created from unexpected and non-traditional sources. To me he is magical realism in musical form. He also tends to upset the classical music purists, which I find thrilling. His courage to create according to his own sense of self is inspiring. He breaks free of stereotypes within his industry and communicates his own style regardless. I have seen him live in concert and it remains one of the most affecting experiences of my life. His music is passionate and deeply honest, something I admire in literature and all art forms.
5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a novel?
There’s something very powerful about words and their ability to connect us to ourselves and to others. I think for me writing is a way to reach inside myself and better understand what I think and feel. But once words are put on paper they become these wild things that are let loose to affect others. That is both the privilege of writing and the sobering responsibility of it.
‘Ultimately, I believe that writing and reading are ways to feel less alone in the world.’
6. Please tell us about your latest novel!
The Emporium of Imagination is the story of a most unusual shop that arrives in the small town of Boonah early one morning. Once opened The Emporium offers vintage gifts to repair broken dreams and extraordinary phones to contact lost loved ones.
The store’s long-time custodian, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray, makes a shocking discovery upon arriving in the township of Boonah. He is dying. The clock is now ticking to find his replacement, because the shop cannot survive without a custodian.
And without The Emporium the people of Boonah will miss out on their chance for restorative magic. Like Enoch Rayne who is a heartbroken ten-year-old boy mourning the loss of his father and dealing with a guilty secret. And Ann Harlow, who has come to the town to be close to her dying grandmother but cannot forgive herself for the role she had in the death of Enoch’s father.
It is a story about the things and people we lose and the human need for connection in our grief. But ultimately it is about hope and second chances.
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
Ultimately, I believe that writing and reading are ways to feel less alone in the world so it would be an honour if my stories were warm hugs and gentle whispers of connection.
The Emporium of Imagination was my way of holding those I’ve loved and lost close and also letting them go. The invitation is there for others to embrace their own precious grieving and to find their own ways to connect to lost loved ones.
I also invite others to wonder what if, to search for magic and open themselves up to the possibility of finding it, to imagine the impossible and embrace their desires.
8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?
The poems of Rupi Kaur are utterly breathtaking. I admire the way she writes with such wisdom and rawness. Her words are important, achingly confronting and moving.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
To continue to write things that require vulnerability and courage to put on the page. To deeply trust my personal truth and let it guide my life and creative works regardless of how scary that is. To use my voice on the page to break down stereotypes around mental illness to highlight the strength of femininity and empower trauma survivors. And when I one day take that last breath, I want to be deeply proud of the books and art that I put out into this world.
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Write from that place inside where the most honest words come from. Write the things that scare you and excite you and move you. Come alive when you write and be yourself on the page. Connect with your truest self when you write and later on readers will also feel invited to connect to your words. And never ever give up!
Thank you for playing!
—The Emporium of Imagination by Tabitha Bird (Penguin Books Australia) is out now.
The Emporium of Imagination
Welcome to The Emporium of Imagination, a most unusual shop that travels the world offering vintage gifts to repair broken dreams and extraordinary phones to contact lost loved ones.
But, on arrival in the tiny township of Boonah, the store's long-time custodian, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray, makes a shocking realisation. He is dying... The clock is now ticking to find his replacement, because the people of Boonah are clearly in need of some restorative magic...
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