WELCOME TO GIRLFRIEND FICTION
Thalia Kalkipsakis
Thalia grew up on a carrot farm on the outskirts of Melbourne. After a stint as a dancer, she edited websites and travel guides. But her biggest passion has always been writing. Thalia has published multiple books in the Go Girl! series, as well as the non-fiction children’s book It’s True! Sleep Makes You Smarter (which is true, in case you’re wondering). She lives in north-east Victoria with her husband, their two children and a black cat named Bindi.
Embarrassing school moment
'Hmmm. Most of my embarrassing moments happened because I was a total square but didn’t want to be. So – having my assignment read out in front of the class, and the teacher saying, ‘You should all do work like Thalia.’ (Geez, thanks sir.) Plus receiving awards that made me have to stand up in front of the whole year, when I really just wanted to blend in. Very boring. The only interesting moments that I can think of probably can’t be mentioned here – so I’ll leave those up to your imagination.'
Life at school
'I enjoyed the learning part of school. I was never very good at the social side of it all, but I was saved by some kind friends. I suppose my favourite subject would have been English, and English Lit in Years 11 and 12. But I hear that schools these days offer philosophy and psychology and allow kids to study film scripts? Sounds like fun.'
Is anything in Step Up and Dance based on real life?
'Dancing and gymnastics have always been close to my heart, so writing about them is pretty much heaven for me!'
What's the story behind What Supergirl Did Next?
'The idea of a girl competing with a guy in sport really strikes a chord with me. I think maybe it stems from growing up in the modern world, where girls are told we can be anything, do anything – then we grow up and find physical differences between genders still very obvious – at least in the sports world. I didn’t have any brothers, and my dad is not at all rough and aggressive – so I think I grew up with the idea that boys were basically the same as girls, which isn’t always so true in the adult world. 'I often wonder what the feminist movers and shakers of the past would think of modern women and the choices we make these days. I can see why they might be disappointed about some things. I guess this is my answer to their disappointment – that in many ways the gender issues still exist for everyone – guys and girls alike – and that in the end, all we have is each other.'
What did you like reading as a teenager?
'Lots of fantasy books – The Neverending Story by Michael Ende made me want to write my own fantasy stories. The Chrysalids by John Wyndam had the same effect. For some reason I also loved apocalyptic ‘end of the world’ stories like Empty World by John Christopher. I had an Agatha Christie phase, thought I never read murder mysteries any more. I think I just liked her build-up of suspense and the exotic old-fashioned worlds that she wrote about. One of my favourite books was called The Fortunate Few by Tim Kennemore – about a future world where elite gymnasts are ‘bought’ and ‘sold’ between clubs the same way professional footballers are today. I liked the way the set-up empowered teenage girls. But more than that, I was fascinated by the main character. She was the greediest of the team and ended up choosing money above loyalty. It took me a while to "get" that the author didn’t necessarily agree with his main character – but once I got my head around that, I loved it. Yep – that one made me want to write my own stories too.'
What's the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?
'"Persistence is Omnipotent" – which basically means that good old ‘trying your guts out’ can have a greater impact than intelligence, or talent, or even opportunity. It definitely works with career goals, but I think it applies to relationships too.'
