Gabrielle Wang
Which character from a book would you most like to meet or to be?
I always wanted to be Alice from Alice in Wonderland. She’s brave and feisty and has amazing adventures. I wouldn’t have minded her long blonde hair as well.
Where is the best place to read a book?
In front of a fire in a cottage high on a cliff overlooking the sea.
What were you like at school?
I wasn’t good at schoolwork but I was good at art and spelling, and I really liked playing sport like netball and tennis. I only discovered I was good with words when I became an adult. My worst subject at school was maths. (I still need to count on my fingers.) Now I know that you can get better at anything. All you need is constant practice, the right type of learning and a good teacher. I wish I had known that when I was young.
What are your hobbies?
Drawing and painting, travelling, horse riding, learning Italian and cooking.
Do you have any pets or kids?
I have two children and two pets. My daughter Lei Lei is working in fashion in New York and my son, Ren is at Melbourne University. I have a cocker spaniel called Hero and a cockatiel called Cookie.
What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is my imagination. Then comes my Apple laptop.
What book would you take to a deserted island?
The most comprehensive English dictionary I could find so that I could learn new words and their origins.
Your words of wisdom to students completing the Premiers' Reading Challenge?
Imagination is an incredible ability we humans have. It allows us to invent things, to create works of art, to look into the past and see into the future, to feel how someone else feels. But it needs constant exercise. Reading is a great way to help our imaginations stay active. So when you read, read slowly so that pictures have time to form in your mind then whole new worlds will open up to you.
For more information see Gabrielle's website (http://www.gabriellewang.com). You can also follow Gabrielle on Twitter and Facebook under Gabrielle Wang Author.
Have you read this?
Poppy and the Thief