Surf Coast author tells story of disability, resilience new children’s novel

A SURF Coast author is sharing big world stories with some of the region’s youngest readers.

Stef Gemmill’s new children’s novel, The Ghost Horse of Snowy River, tells the story of a young girl who rediscovers her love of horses after losing her eye in a horse-riding accident.

Inspired by her sister– who lives with monocular vision – Gemmill said the story speaks to the experiences of young people with disability and the challenges young people can overcome.

Gemmill said she wanted to create a protagonist whose disability was part of their experience but not their entire character.

Approaching real and complicated topics is something she does not shy away from in her children’s work.

Trusting her young audience’s ability to understand the world around them is core to Gemmill’s writing ethos.

“I love to write stories with high stakes and stories that might reflect a minority group or experience,” Gemmill said.

“I am a true believer that children are very deep thinkers that sometimes have better ideas than adults.

“The great thing is that children’s books create empathy and a greater understanding of the wider world.”

Having children read the manuscript before it was published was also important to Gemmill to ensure that the book was hitting the mark.

The feedback of her pre-teen readers was some of the most important.

Consulting people with lived experience of disability was not the only thing that was essential in Gemmill creating an authentic tale.

Though a self-confessed horse girl, Gemmill knew she needed to get out from under her desk and onto a horse again to help convey the experiences of her main character at a cattle station.

With support from the Surf Coast Shire, she was able to spend several days in the Victorian high country, riding stockhorses and interviewing locals.

“I highly recommend anyone that’s writing a book that is quite contemporary to immerse themselves in that experience or walk in someone’s shoes,” Gemmill said.

“Only then can you really capture the setting, particularly with animals there’s certain things that animals do that when you weave them into a story makes it so much more authentic.”

Gemmill said financial support for artists is essential in allowing upcoming and emerging creatives to hone their craft and create better art.

Despite having several picture books already published, this was the first time she had been awarded funding and said it made her feel like a “real author”.

Without it, she does not believe her book would be the story it became.

While celebrating the launch of The Ghost Horse of Snowy River, Gemmill is already looking towards her next release.

The first draft of the novel has been completed and features a young boy experiencing the culture shock of moving from the country to the city and the impact of his family becoming involved with social services.

Like this release, Gemmill said the story does not shy away from the experiences that children across the country are experiencing every day.

Gemmill’s The Ghost Horse of Snowy River, published by Wombat Books, is available now.