Relaxed, confident and very funny, writer Debra Oswald had her co-diners and audience in stitches at the latest Bannisters long-table lunch.
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Co-creator and head writer of the TV series Offspring, Ms Oswald has just returned from three weeks and endless meetings in England.
Hitched to a new agent, she promoted her latest novel Useful, including a pitch for it to become a mini series in the UK.
She revealed her first ambition as a 10 year old was the novel, shared her heartfelt philosophy behind the funny story of the no-hoper who transforms his life in Useful, and - feeling “pretty good” about Offspring having one million viewers - enjoyed answering the relentless question that follows her (which we’ll get to).
“When I was 10, I used to write chapters of what I called novels and I would bring them to school and I would make my friends read them,” she said.
After six books for young readers in a 35-year career, Useful is her first adult novel which she said “doesn’t mean involvement of handcuffs or whips”.
After failing to kill himself properly Sullivan Moss decides he wants to do one useful thing - donate a kidney to a stranger.
Ms Oswald’s “working principle” with Sullivan was to hold two ideas in her head.
“One is that... every person on the planet is precious and has a value whether they’re useful or not.
“But at the same time we should all try to be useful, whatever that means, whether it’s a job, or being a parent or a friend or whatever.”
Her research for Useful introduced her to doctors, transplant coordinators, bodies and medical themes - “watching kidney surgery on YouTube”, and asbestos removal.
“I did this [two day] TAFE certificate in the removal of non-friable asbestos. I’m qualified now.
She held up her certificate: “It was so much fun, I loved it and it’s my first employable qualification.”
That’s partly also a joke about her frequent lack of confidence in her writing ideas, typified by great wake-from-sleep brainstorming sessions with husband and ABC broadcaster Richard Glover which she reviews with much less enthusiasm in the morning.
She said Offspring was almost not born - she was in tears in a confidence panic before agreeing she could construct the initial telemovie script, 90 minutes worth from nothing, three weeks before production was due to start.
Before audible gasps of “yes please” when Ms Oswald asked her audience if they would like her to talk about Offspring, there was already a mild buzz of JFK-ish preoccupation.
During main course, Jacquie Williams was one who asked “why” about Dr Patrick, recalling where she was and that her then 28-year old daughter was streaming the show in Singapore during the fourth series, when he was killed!
For those still wondering, the real life motive behind the mystery turned out to be stock-standard, lacking suspense - actor Matthew le Nevez was off to pursue his career in the US.
“I fear my obituary will be the woman who killed Patrick,” she confided, extolling later to her audience she loved writing death.
But that's an unlikely obit - the fact that she engages year nine boys who think Offspring is cool establishes her universal appeal, which will become utterly incontestable if the same peer group finds the themes in Useful useful.
