Interview: Elisabeth Easther talks about Seed

Born and bred in Hamilton, Elisabeth Easther is an actor, journalist and playwright who now lives in Tāmaki Makaurau. Best known for playing villainous Nurse Carla on Shortland Street, Elisabeth also hosted the top-rating remake of her mother, Shirley Maddock’s, 1960s television series Islands of the Gulf.  A narrator of audiobooks for thirty-plus years, Elisabeth has reviewed literature for almost as long, kicking off with Kim Hill on RNZ National in the 1990s, which led to gigs writing about books for Cleo Magazine, TimeOut London, The NZ Herald and The NZ Listener. A book lover from way back, if reading were an Olympic sport, Elisabeth would be a contender to represent her country. Seed is Elisabeth’s first novel and is based on the award-winning play of the same name.

Tell us a little about your novel.

Seed is about the mysterious business of making babies. How unfair it is that some women who dearly want to fall pregnant can struggle, and those who don’t want to reproduce can more easily find themselves in the family way. It’s about the birds and the bees and the bumps in our roads -  and while there are serious themes at its core, it’s also funny, and a little bit rude. You have been warned!

What research was involved?

My own life, my friends‘ lives, strangers’ lives and of course, I made lots of things up. I was also very tempted to get friends and experts to read various drafts for accuracy and facts about worlds I am not embedded in. But in the end I did not, as it felt like a lot ti ask of someone to read an entire book, and early drafts are often chunkier than the finished product. And not just to ask them to read it, but to make notes about veracity of certain worlds. Then if I thanked those experts, but there were mistakes in the final draft, would that reflect back on them? Even if I said all mistakes were proudly my own? So in the end, I did not have many early readers beyond my agent and a couple of mates, as I did not want to impose. When I read books, though, I always read the acknowledgements because, as a long-time aspiring novelist, I find the backend machinery of book-making riveting.

What was your routine or process when writing this book?

Seed has been on and off the boil for so long. It started as a novel as a way to get some stuff out of my system,  then I quickly turned it into a play, which then won The Adam Award for Best NZ Play and was produced all over the country and in Germany. There’s even a season coming up in Titirangi in March. But it took A LOT OF time to create this novel version, which means a lot of major and minor revamps over a generous period of time. I also had to fit writing in around making a living, which includes everything from journalism to acting to voice overs and planting trees. Daily exercise and time outdoors is also vital to my creativity. The best ideas are had outside, and solutions to problems are generally found anywhere but the desk.

If your book were made into a movie, who would you like to see playing the lead characters?

When I first started writing I had Reece Witherspoon, Amy Adams, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu in mind but that’s 14 or so years ago now. So maybe Aubrey Plaza, Morgana O’Reilly, Awkwafina and Sophie Henderson, for a nice combo of local and international talent?

What did you enjoy the most about writing this novel?

Ooh -maybe getting to know the characters so well that it was like making four fabulous imaginary friends. Also the milestones. The landing of an agent, big ups to Vicki from HighSpot Lit for hanging in there. The moment Claire Murdoch from Penguin Random House confirmed they were acquiring it, then being the recipient of her incredible notes. If not for Claire it wouldn’t be a fraction the book it is today and I will never be able to thank her enough for being so smart. Seriously, it blows my mind how her eyes and suggestions/instructions transformed what I thought was close to finished. Having help from so many other smart people. Editor Anna Knox was also mind-blowing,  and all the editors and subs here and in Australia who spotted things and made wise calls. It takes a village to write a book and I relished not being alone with it any more.

What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?

I actually stopped drinking alcohol in order to be as sharp as I could be for the final hard yards of this work. After Claire gave me her first set of notes on Christmas Eve 2023, I was so paralysed with fear that it was beyond me, that I decided to do everything I could to be as sharp as possible. Also I haven’t celebrated per se, partly because it doesn’t feel like it’s finished. If anything, it feels like it’s only just beginning. But I am now partial to Fever Tree beverages, if I’m going to crack open something sparkling to see hooray! 

What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?

Oh, so tricky, plus the year has only just begun….but I did love Flashlight last year. But I read 120 books last year, or listened so I could actually bang on at length but Flashlight by Susan Choi was my Booker pick.

What’s next on the agenda for you? 

Getting the second novel over the line feels important, and I’m working with the lovely Penguin people to figure out what to focus on. As I’ve been writing for so long, I’ve got several half-finished things that could be next.  Fun fact: Having had one novel make to publication, the publisher doesn’t then just ask for another. You actually have to write some sample chapters and a tantalising synopsis, then on the basis of that being up to snuff, you might get a contract, but there are a few irons in that fire.  And I’ll continue to write plays, and be a journalist, and narrate audio books and do acting gigs here and there. The usual mish mash of life, while also hoping fervently for peace in this increasingly fractured world.

Penguin