An interview with a teen reader
Over the next few weeks we’re participating in a work experience program with students from high schools across Melbourne. Today, Ewen Cusworth from Fitzroy High tells us about his favourite book covers, being a judge for the Inky Awards, and more.
How would you describe your taste in books?
I enjoy reading mostly fiction so stuff like romance, fantasy, sci-fi – with the exception of books on writing such as A Brief History of The Hobbit.
Tell us about one of your favorite books.
One of my favorite books would have to be Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This is book has a world filled with people using virtual reality to escape the problems of their own reality, and a quest to find the hidden treasure of the man who created the virtual reality. I discovered it in my local library. From the first page I was hooked, fascinated by the story of Parzival and his glorious quest through 80s pop culture. I have reread it dozens of times, and will undoubtedly read it dozens of times more.
What is a book you’d love to see made into a film?
I would love to see the novel Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, a humorous take on the biblical apocalypse, made into a film, and preferably with George Clooney starring as the main character, Crowley.
What would you like to see more of in book covers?
I enjoy seeing simplistic cover designs of books that center on one part of the story – such as Fangirl or Looking for Alaska – as opposed to the wild covers of the Discworld books, where it seems as though they tried to fit every single bit of the story onto the one cover.
Do you ever think about the difference between Australian books and international ones?
As to be expected; Australian books reflect the state of Australia, while international ones reflect the state of sometimes multiple other countries. A lot of new international books have been written to not just be a tale of love or action but to also reflect current issues that that country is facing, everything from refugees to racism and that is something that Australian authors are only just beginning to write about.
What’s the worst mistake grown-up’s make when recommending books to teenagers?
Recommending the classics. I’d argue that the classics hold no real relevance to the teenagers of today. If they want to read a tale of tragedy and love then they’re more likely to go read The Fault in Our Stars, The Sun is also a Star or even Looking for Alaska, not to mention the hundreds of other books that cover those subjects better than Shakespeare or Homer ever could.
You’re an Inky Judge this year! Can you tell use a little about what the Inky Awards entail?
Well, the Inky awards are for recently published literature. The Gold Award is for Australian books and the Silver Award for international books. I have the honour of narrowing down the longlists (all 20 books) to the shortlists, while also encouraging the people around me, my family and friends, to read the books and vote for which one should win these fantastic awards. The shortlist will be revealed on 15 August, and voting will be open from then until 17 September. The winners are announced on 2 October.
