Fantastical debut by local author

Thirroul Library Officer Katrina recently had the pleasure of chatting with Illawarra local and author, Kiah Thomas, about her debut middle grade novel, The Callers.

This fantasy novel touches on themes of friendship, environmentalism, global food production, and the consequences of wanting more than we need.

Kiah’s inspiration for the book came while driving from Wollongong to Sydney through Dharawal Country. It got her thinking about the pull between nature and progress. Being hungry at the time, her thoughts also turned to the idea of food appearing magically when desired and ‘what if it had to come from somewhere else?’ These idle thoughts were the beginning of this wonderful new story set in the lands of Elipsom and Evantra.

Originally written as a Young Adult novel, Kiah changed her main characters, Quin, and Allie, to be more suited to a younger audience after receiving big questions about the world from her nine-year-old son.

For Kiah, reading, and writing stories is her way of processing the world – its beauty and its devastation. She “tends to write better when fully absorbed in the space and feel of the story” and managed to write this book during her three kids’ nap times, night-time, and school holidays.

Kiah hopes readers will think about the issues being addressed through the fast-paced and thought-provoking adventure of the story.

The Callers will be available from 4th May 2022. Reserve your copy from Wollongong City Libraries today!