The events of Meckering on the morning of October 14, 1968, when a massive earthquake tore through the Wheatbelt town, became woven into the fabric of Julie Raffaele’s family history.
“I was alone and I don’t remember anything about it, but my mom does,” she says. “We were living in Kalgoorlie at the time and mum told me that dad was outside on the stairs and she didn’t know whether to save the children or what to do. There was a lot going on, children in highchairs and the like.”
A few years ago, Raffaele began writing a story based on her imagination that day. The Best Australian Yarn competition gave her a great opportunity to return to a work in progress and complete it.
“I honestly don’t know why I started writing this,” she says. “I think there are many different elements that form in your mind. Every once in a while you read something because there’s still a kick out there, so I’m sure I’ve come up with something.
“When I re-read it – which I did last night – it still gives me a lot of emotion. I don’t know why that is, but I think it’s about the characters.”
“I just thought about how they would go through it, and really they all face big challenges – if that’s a word – in different ways, especially a woman who is alone in the country.”
None of the characters are based on real people. “The village customs officer, I’ve met him many times,” she laughs. “I don’t know where the idea of a viper being chased by a viper came from, but it seemed very natural.”
Raphael is a filmmaker who grew up in East Fremantle. She remembers being an avid reader as a child and having an affinity for studying literature at school. Her university career took her to Curtin, to what was then Swinburne College in Melbourne and eventually back to Murdoch University for an MA in Film Production.
She describes her writing for her work as a director as quite research-based and enjoys the freedom of writing stories.
“It’s a purer form of an idea, more imaginative, not limited by facts,” she says. “Any research has to be spot on. You can take some liberties after you’ve done your research, but the short story comes from a place of invention.”
The Best Australian Yarn competition, run by The West Australian in partnership with the Minderoo Foundation, launched in February and allows professional and amateur short story writers to compete for a $50,000 prize pool, the richest of its kind in the world.
Raffaele and the other top 50 authors have a chance to win the $30,000 grand prize. The other nine finalists shortlisted for the overall prize will receive $1000 each, the top WA entrant $4000, the top Australian regional entrant $3000 and the top youth entrant $2000.
The award judging panel is chaired by The West Australian’s editor-in-chief Anthony De Cegley and includes Minderoo Foundation co-founder Nicola Forrest, writer Robert Drew and publishers Terry-Anne White and Rachel Bin Saleh.
The winners will be announced on November 18.
https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/best-australian-yarn/best-australian-yarn-author-julie-raffaele-imagines-the-day-an-earthquake-struck-meckering-c-8616900
