Author lets country voices shine

THE importance of rural voices is being highlighted in Maya Linnell’s latest novel, Kookaburra Cottage.

The author was at Ballarat’s Mechanic Institute last week where she took part in a question-and-answer session hosted by the ABC’s Prue Bentley.

The book follows the story of April Lacey, a woman who aims to bring her families winery into the future by opening a bed and breakfast.

She meets English winemaker Connor Jameson who is struggling to come to terms with an accident.

The focuses of Linnell’s writing are her experiences from rural life working as a journalist, radio show host and author.

“As a former Stawell and Ararat resident, I’ve spent plenty of time in Ballarat and the western districts, so it was lovely to return to the region to share the stories behind the story,” she said.

“My first four novels were set in a fictional town at the foothills of the Grampians, with several Ballarat mentions throughout.”

The question-and-answer session provided a place for Linnell to share her love of reading and country life.

‘It was my first author event in Ballarat, and the Ballarat Mechanic’s Institute was a spectacular venue to host the event,” she said.

“I was delighted with the warm welcome from not just the BMI team and Ballarat Libraries, but from Ballarat readers and booksellers too.”

Linnell’s books centre around country life, baking and gardening, and have regularly made the Better Reading Top 100 competition as well as top 10 Australian fiction bestseller.