Jane appears at Byron

Monday, August 8, 2016

Hundreds of people have braved the wet weather to hear Jane discuss The Dry at the Byron Writers Festival.

Under the cover of the SCU Marquee, Jane spoke to journalist and Booktopia's editorial director Caroline Baum about her debut novel.

Jane told Caroline and the audience about the inspiration behind The Dry and its road to publication, with the discussion touching on the themes of drought and community, and how the setting influenced the characters' actions.

Jane explained how her early regional journalism work helped inform the small-town feel of The Dry, and how the plot and character links developed through the writing process.

The conversation also turned to the film deal struck for The Dry with Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea's production company Pacific Standard; Jane said she hoped a film version of The Dry would be set in Australia to retain the strong sense of place.

Jane was one of dozens of writers to appear at the three-day Byron Writers Festival, which is regarded as one of the country's key events for authors and readers.

"It was a wonderful festival and a fantastic chance to connect with readers," Jane said. "I was honoured to be part of it and had a great time meeting and chatting to people who had enjoyed The Dry."

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