Romance to bridge gap

Parmelia author Dianne Touchell cannot speak German, but her debut novel will be translated into the language to reach fans across the globe.

Touchell published her young adult fiction, Creepy and Maud, in Australia in 2012, which was shortlisted for a Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Award last year.

She said she was thrilled to be published in Australia, much less overseas.

“The book sold extremely well after it was shortlisted, and it went into reprint,” Touchell said. “I was astounded.”

She said she was shocked when told of interest on the German market.

“I couldn’t believe it. My publisher sent me an email and the subject line said ‘do you speak German?’,” Touchell said.

“One of the most interesting things about Creepy and Maud has been that although it initially divides people, and generates strong opinion, it also opens a tense but honest conversation between teen readers and the adults around them.

“I am curious to see that same conversation within the German audience.”

Creepy and Maud is a contemporary fiction which the author described as a love story between marginalised teens from dysfunctional homes.

The book took just 12 months to write.

“From concept to finish, it was very quick,” she said.

“They flew at me, these characters.”

Creepy, whose real name is never revealed, begins a voyeuristic fascination with the girl next door he dubs Maud who is considered strange because of her obsessive compulsive behaviours.

While they never speak, they get to know each other by leaving notes on their windows.

Touchell said she wanted to write about a relationship that was stripped bare.

“We live in such a linguistic world with Facebook and Twitter — no one is ever out of touch,” she said.

“I wanted to pare back a relationship to its bare essentials — to let these characters get to know each other without the furore of that linguistic world.”

Touchell has two more young adult novels in the pipeline.

“I love that age group. We all have to go through that volatile time as teens,” she said.