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Explore the program
Festival month has arrived! But before the Festival officially kicks off, we want to introduce you to some of the participants who have travelled from near and far to discuss their books, writing and ideas with us. Throughout this Q&A series, get to know favourite and unfamiliar writers and consider the 2025 theme, In This Together.
Lynette Noni is the author of beloved fantasy novels that have attracted a fanbase worldwide. In her latest novel, she turns her hand to contemporary romance with simmering results.
Wandering Wild represents a shift in genre for you, what inspired this change?
Before I started writing Wandering Wild, I was trying to draft a new fantasy book, but I was so burnt out at the time that my brain simply wasn’t able to handle the complexities of the magic systems, characters and story arc I was creating. I was really beating myself up about how much I was struggling to do what in the past had felt so much easier and it was making writing a truly miserable experience. I knew I needed to take a step back and take the pressure off myself, so I decided to put the fantasy book aside for a beat and pivot to an idea that had been lurking in my mind for a while. I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish it and I certainty had no intention of anyone ever reading it, but when my editor asked what I was working on, I shared that I was dabbling with a bit of a “palate cleanser” book (so to speak) and she loved the concept so much that she told me I simply must finish it because she was desperate to read it. That gave me the push I needed to consider taking my little contemporary romance survival story a bit more seriously and, from that, Wandering Wild was born.
What do you love most about writing for young people?
There are so many things to love! One thing that’s very special is knowing how much my books mean to young people, not just as an escape (though definitely that), but also in an encouraging, hope-inspiring way. The books I write are coming-of-age stories, so it’s beautiful to witness when young readers are able to relate to the characters and find hope and strength in the challenges they face and overcome – many of which readers themselves must face every day. (Okay, so probably not fantasy worlds and death prisons and magical battles and dragons, but the mental and emotional side of things, for sure.)
What’s on your TBR pile now?
By 'pile' you mean 'mountain,' right? Honestly, there are way too many books on my TBR to name them all, but at the time of me writing this answer, at the top of the list are Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life, the first book in Tahereh Mafi’s new Shatter Me spin-off series, Watch Me, Ann Liang’s Never Thought I’d End Up Here, Dani Francis’s Silver Elite and Rachel Gillig’s The Knight and the Moth.
What is the first book you remember reading?
If we’re talking novel-length books, I was a 'horsie girl' so it would have been something in The Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant — I was obsessed with those books as a kid, along with Pony Pals by Jeanne Betancourt and the Thoroughbred series by Joanna Campbell (you’re sensing the theme here, right?).
If we’re talking very first book, one of my favourite picture books as a young kid was The Story of Imelda, Who Was Small by Morris Lurie and illustrated by Terry Denton. I also loved Little Bear’s Trousers by Jane Hissey. And I have plenty of vague memories of books featuring characters like Spot (the dog) and Franklin (the turtle).
What book do you wish you could read for the first time again?
None, actually! I’m a mood reader and the books that have really hit me the hardest are the ones that came to me exactly when I needed them. So my fear is that if I were to read them again for the first time while being at a different stage in life, they wouldn’t have the same impact. I want to remember how they made me feel, how they burrowed their way into my heart, and not risk ruining that experience with a do-over that might not elicit the same emotional response.
What events at this year’s Festival are you looking forward to attending?
Sadly, I’ll be a FIFO attendee, arriving just before my evening event and leaving the next morning, so it’s doubtful I’ll have a chance to see any other sessions. But if the stars align and time works in my favour, I’ll be heading straight out to All-Day YA at Carriageworks and will see everything I possibly can!
What do you hope readers take away from your work?
At the end of the day, I write books for entertainment. I want people to have a safe place to escape into and characters they can relate to or root for or laugh (and cry) with.
In regards to my newest book, Wandering Wild, both the main characters have been through recent personal traumas and they’re also navigating some deep, turbulent feelings, not the least of which is one of them about to lose everything he’s ever dreamed of and the other having given up on dreaming altogether.
Ultimately, this book is a story of hope, of choosing to trust others with your vulnerabilities and of learning how to dream again. Those are the things I’d love for readers to take away from it, consciously or subconsciously, once they turn the final page.