I’m jolly well delighted to be included in this year’s Going Down Swinging (which, by-the-by, is GORGEOUS to behold). My story ‘The Great Pretender’ was inspired by a research tangent I spiralled out on during research for The Book of Ordinary People. Rather than doing what I had planned to do, I spent a delightful day in the State Library of Victoria reading about the various pretenders to abolished or usurped thrones across the globe. It was something I’d never considered and was fascinated by: what would life be like for these would-be royals and what if one of them ended up in suburban Australia? Pretenders to the throne – they’re just like us!

Pigeonholed can be purchased on the GDS website.