A spotlight on Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough
Amelia Westlake is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about hoaxes. My life, for instance. Lately it feels less like a life and more like a joke. Somebody’s practical joke. Don’t get me wrong. It’s nothing I can’t handle. Terrible stuff has been happening to me since I was born. Mum and Dad named me Wilhelmina for a start.
– Erin Gough, Amelia Westlake
Here’s what the judges said…
‘Harriet Price and Will Everhart attend the same private school, but they couldn’t be more different. Harriet is an ambitious, over-achieving prefect, and Will is struggling in school and chafing against the constraints of her life. An encounter with a sexist teacher leads the two girls to team up to bring him down through an elaborate hoax, and as they spend more time together, romance begins to spark.
Amelia Westlake is a both a delightful rom-com, and a fascinating exploration of feminism, privilege and power. The relationship at its centre is utterly charming, and the story of the hoax highly entertaining. Funny, clever, timely and perfectly paced, this lovely book will lift your spirits and warm your heart.’
–
Nina Kenwood, Chair of the judging panel
Meet the author…
Erin Gough’s first novel for young adults, The Flywheel, won the Ampersand Prize, and was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards (Older Readers) and the Gold Inky Awards. Amelia Westlake is Erin’s second novel, and her books have been also published in Germany and the US.
