Happily, the award-winning author has found an international audience that is more than willing to come along for a linguistic adventure in The Deep Enders historical fiction series.
"I
tend to write in a very Australian voice. In fact, my first novel was based in
rural WA during WWII, so you understand there's going to be a lot of colloquial
language," Dave said.
"I had some hilarious exchanges with my editors over the years as they tried to fathom these characters that called each other 'galahs', ate something called 'Weetabix', got 'knackered playing 'footy', then ‘went walkabout'."
Dave was so committed to the idea of authenticity that he even read and produced his own audiobook for Audible.
"The idea of my Indigenous characters having an American accent was just too much. I loved the result but strewth, audiobooks are tough. The jury's still out on whether I'll do it again for the sequel!"
Dave is no stranger to writing. He was a journalist with three of the nation's biggest newspapers, including The Sydney Morning Herald, for a decade before he moved into youth work, then onto YouTube.
He and his wife Ann have been entertaining millions of people around the world for the past 13 years as the duo behind Australia's most popular online lifestyle show 'How to Cook That'.
Their YouTube channel boasts 5 million subscribers, drawn in by Ann's crazy sweet creations as well as regular videos debunking viral nonsense online. The channel has been featured on the BBC, A Current Affair, Sunrise and even in The Wall Street Journal.
"YouTube is amazing because you get immediate feedback from your audience. So, if we say a word wrong or make someone laugh, they'll let us know in the comments straight away," Dave said.
"Writing is completely the opposite. I'll sit at a desk or cafĂ© and type in my own little world for months and years. Then finally you send it off … and just wait to see if anything happens."
Dave said he knew The Deep Enders had sold well but he was still amazed when it won an award from the Tome Student Literacy Society and he was flown to the USA earlier this year.
"I was suddenly speaking in front of 2000 teenage book enthusiasts. Then they all lined up and wanted me to sign dog-eared copies of my book. Some of these kids had read it three times."
"It was hilarious. And it really struck me how Aussie stories can impact people, even on the other side of the globe."
The Deep Enders is a historical thriller set in the pearling town of Broome, a place swirling with racism and paranoia as the spectre of Japanese invasion loomed in 1942. The sequel, released by Mango Publishing in July this year, picks up where the first book finished, taking readers on a new wartime adventure to Melbourne.
As well as garnering plenty of laughs, the series has won praise from critics, fellow authors and audiences for its warm portrayal of Indigenous characters and for deftly navigating uniquely Australian race issues.
Having spent years working with Aboriginal youth in WA, Dave said he wanted to capture the joy and cheekiness he'd encountered, rather than just the tragedy so often shown in books and movies.
"My books are quite deep but they read like humorous thrillers. I think the challenge as a YA author is not just about having something to say, but how can I 'Trojan Horse' my message into an enjoyable experience for young readers?"
"I hear a lot of teachers and parents complain that their teens don't read anymore, but then they force them to read really sad, serious books. It doesn't make sense to me. Make it fun and they'll keep reading."
With this in mind, Mat Green from The Art of Teaching podcast created a series of teaching resources for The Deep Enders based on the new NSW English curriculum. Resources are available free here: https://davereardon.net/teacher-resources-and-author-talks/
The Deep Enders and The Deep Enders: Deadline are available
now in bookstores and online. Signed copies and author talks can also be
arranged via www.davereardon.net
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