Meet the Author: Brenton Cullen
By Mia Macrossan
Brenton Cullen is thrilled to publishing his debut middle grade novel The Prime Minister Problem, a book about a quiet kid who unexpectedly achieves much. He lives in Queensland, between the bush and the beach, in a little house called The Book Burrow and works in a book shop when he isn’t writing. Thank you, Brenton for talking to StoryLinks.
Congratulations on getting your first novel published. Can you tell us briefly how long it took, a bit about the process, and how you feel now?
I began writing the book in 2022 then gave up on it in mid-2022 when I thought the book was going nowhere. But later that year I applied for a May Gibbs Trust Fellowship – four weeks in Adelaide with time to write. I thought it might help me re-ignite the story, and I ended up receiving the fellowship. This experience in Adelaide gave me the time and space to reconnect with the story and it propelled it forward. I kept working on it until late 2024 when I felt it was ready to submit to publishers. I entered the Just Write for Kids Pitch It! contest where I received first place and that’s how Riveted Press came to offer me a contract. The process of working with my publisher Rowena at Riveted Press in preparing my debut book for publication was such a wonderful, dreamlike experience. It felt hard to believe it was really happening. And now, I feel such a mix of emotions – excitement and a sense of accomplishment but also great nervousness because soon the book will be out in the world – and it’s nerve-wracking to see how it will be received!
It has been said that first novels are always autobiographical. Is there anything of you in Wren?
The novel is not autobiographical in the sense of the story; none of the events ever happened. I did not write to the prime minister, my grandmother did not have a stroke and go three hours away, I was not bullied at school. What is autobiographical, perhaps, are many of the personality aspects of Wren; we both share a quietness, a certain introspectiveness, a large imaginative interior life, shyness, and certainly a love of reading! In those ways, the emotions and feelings of Wren are like my own.
Wren is a vivid creation, immediately relatable, where did he come from?
As I say, there are parts of me in common with Wren, though that wasn’t entirely conscious – I didn’t sit down intending to write a character like myself. He just seemed to arrive on the page that way when I began. What did feel important to me, though, was that Wren is a quiet, introverted kid who is still capable of courage and doing something meaningful. I think there’s often an expectation in stories that quieter characters need to change their whole personality and become louder or more outgoing to succeed, and that’s not something I believe. With Wren, I wanted his growth to feel authentic; he gains confidence, but he doesn’t become someone else. He stays thoughtful, quiet, observant, and empathetic, and those qualities are actually what allow him to act. That was something I really wanted to honour, especially as someone who grew up being told to “speak up” or “put myself out there.” So to answer the question of where he came from, I think I really tried to make Wren a reflection of the idea that quiet kids do already have strengths. They just show up in different (quieter) ways.
I like how you embed the story in a believable Australian country town. Are you a ‘country boy’ at heart and is the story influenced by your own experiences?
Oh, one hundred percent. I’m a country boy at heart, I grew up on horse farms and regional properties, and I still remember when I first moved to Toowoomba for university at 19 – it was ‘the big city’ to me! I love reading stories set in country areas because they rarely get a look-in; so many books are written and set-in inner-city areas, namely Sydney and Melbourne, so it’s important to me to represent country Australia, especially country Queensland, which needs to be seen more in fiction for young people. Other stories I am working on also have a rural or regional setting. In the case of The Prime Minister Problem specifically, I definitely took inspiration from my own experiences growing up in Gympie, Kingaroy, and surrounding areas; when writing about the school or the bakery or the streets my characters live on in the book, I was visualising the places I knew in the little towns I grew up in.
Why did you make the Prime Minister a woman?
There wasn’t a deliberate decision behind it, to be honest. When I began writing the story, the Prime Minister simply appeared as a woman. And I thought, “Why not?” I think it also helps give the story a timeless feel; when Australia next has a woman Prime Minister, it will still feel current.
What would you like children to take away from reading The Prime Minister Problem?
I hope children will know that they, truly, can make a difference. You don’t need to be famous or live in the big city or have rich parents to have influence – you can make change as small as being kind to a neighbour, or including someone who feels left out. Because in so many ways, change like that is not small at all, but very, very huge. I hope kids take away that their voice matters, their voice does have power, and that community sticking together has more power than we realise. And most of all, I hope they enjoy the story and see that, just like Wren in the book, they truly can do anything.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers of stories for children?
Don’t give up. It’s hard to be a writer, it’s hard to try and get published, and it is really hard to see everyone around you succeeding (at least, that’s what it can look like!) But just remember your ‘why’ – why are you a writer? Because you love being completely immersed in creating a story? Or because you want to make millions of dollars? When I was trying for years and years to be published and received nothing but constant rejection (I once received five rejection letters in a single day), I kept getting frustrated and was determined to quit writing (and re-train as a librarian). But I had to keep reminding myself why I wanted to be a writer – because I really love the actual craft of writing itself. Being focused on the process is the important part – not worrying about the product. So, keep going, don’t compare your journey with anyone else, and never give up! (And remember your ‘why’).
Did you have a favourite author growing up? Who are you reading now?
Growing up, I read literally anything and everything. There are too many authors to name, but some select favourites were Jackie French, Dianne Bates, Libby Gleeson, Wendy Orr and Emily Rodda. Now, I still have very eclectic reading tastes: from junior fiction to adult non-fiction (especially film history, or biographies of writers and artists) and adult fiction, from contemporary to cosy mystery. For instance, books I recently read and loved include Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth, Ice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Surrender by Sonya Hartnett, and Song of a Thousand Seas by Zana Fraillon. Next up to read on my bedside table is A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard, The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker, The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading by Sam Leith and Liza Minnelli’s memoir! I told you it was eclectic.
What is the next book we can expect from you? Tell us about it.
My second book is a picture book for ages 4-7. It is called Meena’s Moving Day and is published in October by Wombat Books. It’s a sweet story about two sisters who share a bedroom, but then the big sister decides she wants her very own room – and trouble ensues! My next novel is a suspenseful adventure story for middle grade readers titled The Secret of Panther Valley. It’s out next April with Eagle Books (imprint of Christmas Press). And I’ve got a few other things in the works. Busy!
That sounds wonderful, thank you for talking to Story Links. We wish you all the best for your launch of The Prime Minister Problem and look forward to reading whatever your next publication will be.
