Emerging Writers Series: Maggie Jankuloska
“I never thought ‘how can I write for children?’ I was beguiled by the story idea first and after it was completed, I wondered about my ideal audience. My novel is a lot more serious and dark compared to a lot of titles for middle-grade readers.”
Here at Aniko Press, we’re all about celebrating writers in all forms - so I was delighted for the opportunity to chat with Maggie Jankuloska about her writing journey into children’s fiction.
I’ve yet to meet a book-lover who doesn’t say their love of reading began early and yet the world of publishing middle-grade and young reader fiction has completely slipped by me. Maggie chatted with me all about her own love of reading, uncovering her audience, and shares a few tips for anyone else interested in this side of writing and publishing.
Let’s start with a little bit about yourself and your writing journey to date. How did you get started as a writer?
I have loved reading and writing since I was a child. I first wrote poems and stories in Macedonian when I was a young child. I arrived in Australia in 1998 and within a few years, my interest in reading and writing moved over to English. I have a background in teaching English and I have been fortunate enough to balance teaching with writing and parenting in recent years.
I started to take my writing more seriously about ten years ago, starting with writing and submitting short stories for literary journals and writing opinion pieces for lifestyle websites. Over the years I have been lucky to be published in various publications, including The Age/SMH, SBS Voices, Award Winning Australian Writing and more. I have interviewed other authors and written stories about the migrant experience or women’s hidden struggles.
Writing for an adult audience is something I quite like, but writing for children makes me feel connected to my own inner child. I find it quite rejuvenating while writing for adults can be a bit heavy.
The Rat-Catcher’s Apprentice is quite a layered novel for young adults, set in 1665 France. What was it that initially drew you to this era and subject matter in particular?
The idea for The Rat-Catcher’s Apprentice was conceived in 2013/14 and the first draft was a very short story about a young girl living in earlier times, being sent away to work as a rat-catcher. After those bones were laid, I knew there was more to the story and through planning and research, the 17th century and France spoke to me.
I am a big history buff and this was a time and place of plagues, like the one depicted. Also the setting and time period allowed me to challenge gender and class roles through characters like Marie, Gustave and Marion.
My aim was to create a story with layers and grey characters who are flawed and complex because that's how all humans are.
One of the reasons we started this interview series was to highlight the different ways to ‘be’ a writer. Fiction for young people is such a fantastic niche but doesn’t seem to get a lot of airtime. What were your influences for writing a book for this age group?
I work with children and teenagers and I wanted to write a book that I want to see studied on the school syllabus. I wanted to create memorable characters who overcome a lot and through it all demonstrate resilience and courage. If my characters stay with a reader, it feels like I have done my job.
Having said that, I never thought ‘how can I write for children?’ I was beguiled by the story idea first and after it was completed, I wondered about my ideal audience. My novel is a lot more serious and dark compared to a lot of titles for middle-grade readers. I’ve also been inspired by historical fiction authors such as Geraldine Brooks, Jackie French and Katrina Nannestad.
I’m always keen to hear about writers' individual journeys to publication. How was this experience for you overall - was it challenging to find a publisher for this type of fiction?
The journey to publication was long and trying. As cliche as it sounds, I was ready to farewell this novel or completely change it after being rejected by close to everyone in Australian publishing.
It feels like I heard every possible rejection, from “I don’t like the title” to “your writing is too formal”. It has taken about six or seven years from conception to publication and I am so thankful to Anna Solding and MidnightSun Publishing for seeing something special in this book.
A writer really needs to develop a thick skin in this industry and know when to listen to their gut and have faith in their work.
If you don’t, you will second guess your work and try to please everyone, instead of staying faithful to your original concept.
Personally, being one of the recipients of the Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program was a very helpful opportunity and it was also reassuring me that I was on the right track with this particular novel. After a lot of hard work and grinding, it feels like the stars aligned.
What advice can you share for other writers interested in tapping into this market for publication?
Be faithful to your own voice as a writer, don’t write to be like anyone else. Don’t try to please everyone because that’s impossible. Be prepared to wait, be prepared to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite.
There will be moments that feel completely unfair, but know when you need to push on. Networking can be a lifesaver, make friends with other writers, and read voraciously. Clap for others until it’s your turn.
I’ve already shared The Rat-Catcher’s Apprentice with my friend’s daughter and she’s really enjoying it. What are some of your hopes for the book - what key messages do you hope it imparts for young readers?
That makes me very happy to hear!
My hope is that through Marie’s story, children feel seen. I hope my writing brings comfort, hope or even companionship to young readers. I would love it if my characters linger with readers and it would be tremendous if my writing inspires young people to think about writing.
And finally, what’s next for you in terms of writing? Are you working on anything at the moment you could tell us a little bit about?
Currently, The Rat-Catcher’s Apprentice is a month away from publication so this is a very exciting period for me as a debut writer, especially one that is a child migrant.
I do have another novel that still needs polishing. It is also a middle-grade novel and it is a blend and reimagining of three famous fairy tales. I also have a few drafts for picture books, however novels seem easier to write than picture books.
One day, I like to think I’ll be publishing a literary novel for an adult audience. Overall, over the next year, I would love to connect with young readers and even use my teaching background to run workshops and teach writing.
Maggie Jankuloska is a Macedonian-born author living in Melbourne with her son and husband. Her debut children's novel The Rat-Catcher's Apprentice will be published in March 2022 by MidnightSun Publishing. Maggie has written for several publications and you can connect with her on: FB/IG: @maggiejankuloska_author
Elaine Mead is a freelance writer and book reviewer, currently residing in nipaluna (Hobart), Tasmania. She is passionate about the ways we can use literature to learn from our experiences to become more authentic versions of ourselves and obsessed with showing you photos of her Dachshund puppy. You can find her online under www.wordswithelaine.com.
