By Robert Hentschel
A shared love of the written word brought authors Michelle Marquardt and Bill Congreve together.
Avid readers since childhood, both began writing in their teens.
“I got a real high out of that,” Marquardt said. “It was like drugs, [writing] your first novel … that’s all you want to do all the time.”
She eventually submitted her novel for the George Turner prize for science fiction – and won.
“I don’t think you can write well if you haven’t read widely,” she said. “When you read a lot you get a feel for language … I don’t know any writers who don’t read.”
Congreve was initially inspired by the short stories in science fiction magazines such as Analog, and has had numerous short stories published both in Australia and overseas. Seeing his work in print and feeling that it has made a difference is what drives his writing.
“I’ve put this thing out into the world and someone thinks it’s okay,” he said.
The couple were introduced at Freecon, a science fiction and speculative fiction convention. At that time Congreve was running a writing group out of the Infinitas bookshop in Parramatta.
He invited Marquardt to join the group, and eventually invited her on a date.
“In my own reading romance is one of the parts of the story that I actually enjoy,” said Congreve.
He feels that most readers prefer a partner who also reads.
“Most of my good friends are readers and I think they’re mostly interested in that their partners are readers as well.”
As for what makes men who read attractive to women, Marquardt said: “I think it softens them a bit. It shows a vulnerability, that they’re happy to sit there and read a book … and it makes them look a bit more intellectual too.”
Not surprisingly, the couple lament the fall in reading rates, which they attribute to decreased attention spans resulting from an overuse of electronic devices.
“I think if everyone read more, we’d have a calmer, happier society,” said Marquardt.
Featured image: Most readers prefer their partners to be readers as well. Photo: RDNE Stock Project/CC/Pexels
