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WORK TITLE: The Road to Winter
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE: VIC
COUNTRY: Australia
NATIONALITY: Australian
https://www.facebook.com/pg/marksmithwriter/about/?ref=page_internal * https://bestfriendsarebooks.com/2016/07/11/interview-with-mark-smith-about-the-road-to-winter/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
N/A
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and outdoor educator.
AVOCATIONS:Adventure nonfiction.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Before Mark Smith published his debut book, he worked in the field of outdoor education. He stated in an interview featured on the My Best Friends Are Books website that part of his inspiration for the book came from his career, which inspired an interest in non-fiction adventure stories. He has also had his fiction work featured throughout several publications.
The Road to Winter is set in a post apocalyptic version of Australia (and the world at large) that has yet to recover from its devastation. The protagonist of the novel is a boy by the name of Finn. At just fifteen years of age, he has been forced to try and survive entirely alone. Finn’s only guardian, his father, perished prior to the events of the novel; now Finn must rely on his father’s old tools and teachings in order to carve out any decent chance of making it in such a harsh environment. The world Finn lives in has been ravaged by a virus that has wiped out a sizeable percentage of the world’s populace. Everyone Finn has ever known and loved is gone, wiped out either by illness or the aftermath of it.
However, Finn soon finds himself with much more to deal with than simply staying alive. He chances upon a young girl named Rose, who has been caught up in an even deadlier situation. She has just escaped being captured by a criminal group and must now rely on Finn for help with the task of reuniting Rose with her sister. However, Rose is incapacitated, meaning Finn has to go solo in his quest and must avoid even greater dangers to assist Rose. One Publishers Weekly contributor remarked: “It’s a solid debut … and future installments may yet find ways to further establish its identity.” A writer in an issue of Kirkus Reviews called The Road to Winter “[a] breakout new series full of romance, danger, and a surprisingly engaging world.” On the Readings.com.au website, Holly Harper commented: “That’s what I liked best about this novel–where most post-apocalyptic YA skews towards the fantastical and pits heroes against zombies and the like, this scenario is terrifyingly real.” A reviewer on the thebookkat … breathing books blog said: “Smith shows sympathy and concern for those who are marginalised–in this case asylum seekers and females in general – and I really like that.” Simon McDonald, writing on the self-titled Simon McDonald blog, stated: “The Road to Winter is great.” He went on to call it “fast-paced, relentless, poignant.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2017, review of The Road to Winter.
Publishers Weekly, May 1, 2017, review of The Road to Winter, p. 60.
ONLINE
My Best Friends Are Books, https://bestfriendsarebooks.com/ (July 11, 2016), “Interview with Mark Smith about The Road to Winter.”
Readings.com.au, https://www.readings.com.au/ (June 27, 2016), Holly Harper, review of The Road to Winter.
Simon McDonald, https://writtenbysime.com/ (May 25, 2016), Simon McDonald, review of The Road to Winter.
thebookkat … breathing books, https://thebookkat.com/ (September 7, 2016), review of The Road to Winter.
Interview with Mark Smith about The Road to Winter
Mark Smith is the author of the amazing new YA book, The Road to Winter. I absolutely loved The Road to Winter, from the first page to the last! It’s a thrilling story of survival in the aftermath of a virus that wipes out the population. Check out my review here.
I was thrilled to have the chance to interview Mark about The Road to Winter. Read on to find out what he couldn’t live without, what inspired him to write The Road to Winter and what books you should read next if you like his book.
9781925355123
What inspired you to write The Road to Winter?
The Road To Winter (TRTW) evolved from a short story I wrote in 2013, entitled Breathing In and Out. When I decided to turn it into a novel I was determined to write a page turner that would engage younger and older readers alike. It is largely an adventure story told through the eyes of a sixteen year old boy – but it touches on a number of very relevant issues, including conflict, attitudes to violence, relationships, loyalty and the treatment of asylum seekers.
The Road to Winter is set in the aftermath of a virus that wipes out a significant part of the population. Would you survive if you were in Finn’s position?
I’d like to think I would! The advice when writing is to “write what you know” and Finn’s understanding of the environment – and how to survive in it – is largely my own. He hunts, fishes, grows veggies and trades food. I think the hardest test Finn faces is the isolation – which, of course, is broken when Rose arrives in town in need of his help.
What is one thing that you absolutely couldn’t live without?
Coffee! I actually thought of weaving that idea into the story somewhere but it didn’t make the cut. When you are creating a dystopia there are lots of these decisions you need to make – what’s still there and what’s not. In TRTW though, I deliberately didn’t take a lot of time to explain the dystopia because I wanted it to be a character driven novel, rather than one dealing just with the consequences of living in a post-apocalyptic world.
Finn has his dog Rowdy but who would you want by your side if you were in Finn’s situation?
Finn feels the loss of his family very deeply and I certainly would too. If I were forced to survive in a world like his, I’d want my family there with me to help!
What is your favourite survival story and why?
As an outdoor education teacher I’m a huge fan of adventure non-fiction. I consume books about survival in extreme circumstances – Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Joe Simpson’s Touching The Void. Simpson’s story is an incredible tales of survival. I’d also recommend the account of Ernest Shackleton’s epic journey of survival in Antarctica in 1914 and Tim Cope’s On The Trail of Genghis Khan.
The Road to Winter is your first book. How was your road to publication?
By 2014 I’d had more than twenty short stories published in magazines, journals, anthologies and newspapers in Australia. I learned my craft as a short story writer but I always wanted to write a novel. It took me 18 months to get the manuscript of TRTW ready to submit to a publisher. I chose Text because they have a strong reputation for supporting new writers. They loved the manuscript and offered me a three book deal. The sequel to TRTW is due for release in May 2017. I know the road to publication is a long and difficult one for most writers and I am incredibly thankful that mine was relatively smooth – but, in the end, it’s the quality of the writing that will decide whether your work is published or not.
The Road to Winter is marketed as YA but it has the look of a gritty adult thriller. Did you write it for a particular audience or just because you wanted to tell this story?
It’s a really good question! I didn’t consciously write a YA novel – I wanted to tell a particular story in a particular way – through the eyes of a sixteen year old boy. I do think that we often categorise books by their protagonist rather than by what the story is saying and whom it may appeal to. I think TRTW will crossover into the adult reading market very easily – and Text have printed it in trade paperback format to encourage that. As you say too, it has the look of a gritty adult book – again, the cover design being part of the crossover appeal.
What other books would you recommend for fans of The Road to Winter?
In writing TRTW I was influenced by reading a number of books – some obvious, some less so. The obvious ones are John Marsden’s Tomorrow series and The Ellie Chronicles. But I also enjoyed The Dog Stars (US) by Peter Heller, Clade by James Bradley and Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.
Print Marked Items
The Road to Winter
Publishers Weekly.
264.18 (May 1, 2017): p60.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Road to Winter
Mark Smith.Text (Consortium, dist.), $11.95 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-925355-12-3
Several years after a devastating virus caused the collapse of civilization, 15-year-old Finn survives on his
own by living off the land and relying on the supplies his father stockpiled before his death. When Finn's
solitary existence is upset by the arrival of Rose, a wounded young woman fleeing a ruthless gang of
marauders and slavers, Finn has to decide how much he wants to get involved. Eventually, he agrees to
venture out and find Rose's younger sister, Kas, who was separated from her in their escape attempt. As Finn
encounters other survivors, both peaceful and dangerous, he discovers his true place in his altered world and
learns what's worth fighting for. The setting and world building are fairly standard for this subset of the post
apocalyptic genre, but complex and sympathetic characters help compensate for the more generic elements,
and there's a measure of hope in Finn's story that isn't always present in similar tales. First in a planned
series, it's a solid debut for Australian author Smith, and future installments may yet find ways to further
establish its identity. Ages 12-up. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Road to Winter." Publishers Weekly, 1 May 2017, p. 60. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491575369/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=50f35b68.
Accessed 30 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491575369
Smith, Mark: THE ROAD TO WINTER
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Smith, Mark THE ROAD TO WINTER Text (Children's Fiction) $11.95 6, 13 ISBN: 978-1-925355-12-3
A deadly virus has devastated the population of Australia, leaving pockets of humanity to survive as best as
they can.Fifteen-year-old Finn has been surviving on his own for two years. With only his dog, Rowdy, for
company, the white boy seeks relief from the effort of survival by surfing on the ocean. But when brownskinned
Rose arrives, chased by a dangerous band of Wilders, Finn must choose between survival and
risking everything to help the mysterious girl. The situation is complicated as Rose is a Siley, one of the
enslaved asylum-seekers kept in offshore detention centers. Rose is desperate to reunite with her missing
sister, but when she becomes ill, it falls to Finn to find Kas. Smith's debut, opening a series, is a riveting
story of survival that questions the prices of freedom and safety as well as the value of an individual life.
While Rose and her sister are strong and fierce, their Afghani heritage marks them as worthless. Finn is
similarly hobbled by difficulty speaking. But in a world turned upside down, maybe the least can become
the greatest by relying on their wits, their kindness, and their integrity. A breakout new series full of
romance, danger, and a surprisingly engaging world. (Post-apocalyptic adventure. 14-adult)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Smith, Mark: THE ROAD TO WINTER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A485105197/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ac84b3fc.
Accessed 30 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485105197
Finn has become an expert at surviving on his own. After the virus that swept through Angowrie killed his parents, he’s spent the last two years keeping himself fed and staying clear of the dangerous Wilder gangs. It’s just Finn and his dog, Rowdy, making the best life they can after society has collapsed.
And then Rose shows up, injured and afraid. She’s a Siley – one of the asylum seekers the people of Angowrie took in before the virus hit. As Finn tends to her wounds, Rose’s story comes out: she’s searching for her sister, Kas, and she needs to find her before Ramage, the leader of the Wilders, hunts them both down. Faced with something outside his own survival for the first time in years, Finn sets out into the wilderness of the Australian bush, uncertain of what he’ll find.
When you’re writing a post-apocalyptic young adult novel set in Australia, there are bound to be comparisons to John Marsden’s Tomorrow When the War Began. And while there are similarities between the two, I felt this had much more in common with Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. The world in The Road to Winter is harsh and unforgiving, populated by human monsters who have little sympathy for their fellow survivors. And that’s what I liked best about this novel – where most post-apocalyptic YA skews towards the fantastical and pits heroes against zombies and the like, this scenario is terrifyingly real. This is a world where an infected cut can kill you just as easily as a man with a gun.
This is a dark and gritty read recommended for older teens, but there’s also a lot of hope in here: because for all the people like Ramage out there at the end of the world, there are also people like Finn, helping because they know it’s the right thing to do.
When a book lands on your desk with a claim likening it to one of your favourite childhood series, your expectations soar. It is a dangerous thing to do! The Tomorrow series by John Marden was my first introduction to the post-apocalyptic world and to dystopian fiction. The post-apocalyptic genre is a well-trodden path and while Smith hasn’t tried to reinvent the wheel with The Road to Winter, he has written a story that readers will really love.
Finn and his loyal companion Rowdy have survived on their own for two winters since the virus and the subsequent violence killed both his parents and the rest of the population. Finn has been living off the stores his father collected before his death and his survival skills have kept him alive this long. He keeps a mostly solitary existence – lonely yet content – however this is interrupted one day when Finn meets Rose, a Siley running from the violent and malevolent Ramage, leader of the Wilders. Rose is in no state to search for her sister Kas whom she was separated from days before, so Finn decides to trust Rose and help her find her sister. For the first time, Finn doesn’t have his own safety to consider and in helping Rose, Finn ends up with a target on his back too. Will they find Kas before Ramage and his men do?
The main protagonist Finn is a good kid. He spends his time rabbit hunting and surfing – his only escape – and appreciates the beauty of the world around him. He has excellent survival skills and seems to understand the land he lives on. He is kind and generous and doesn’t appear to be poisoned by his situation nor have any evil inside him. He is curious about Rose and genuinely interested in who she is and where she comes from. Rose is a Siley – an asylum seeker who was sold to a family who couldn’t have children of their own. The reader gets the feeling that Siley’s are treated like slaves, beneath those who they’re owned by. Although Rose claims the family treated her and Kas fairly well, it is clear that others don’t share the same views. Ramage and the other Wilders are menaces and when the themes of the book deal with rape and human rights, you get a pretty good idea of their character. Smith shows sympathy and concern for those who are marginalised – in this case asylum seekers and females in general – and I really like that. Because of these issues, it also makes it a hard book to recommend. I would suggest this book straddles the upper young adult market and adult fiction. The first of three books, The Road to Winter is a story about survival, honour and friendship – great read!
It’s always dangerous, in my mind, coming out of the gate with a first novel in an intended young adult series, and immediately comparing it to one of the pinnacles of Australian YA: John Marsden’s Tomorrow series. But that’s precisely what Text Publishing has done with Mark Smith’s The Road to Winter. And y’know what, though I hate to admit that I saw a slither of truth any marketing shtick, I’ve got to say: the comparison, in this case, is earned. But at the same time, it feels like a novel crafted for that same audience – by which I mean, it’s aimed at the ‘older’ end of the YA spectrum, and based on some of its content, is possibly better suited to an adult audience. Which puts me in a tough spot: as a reader, I loved The Road to Winter, would highly recommend it, and reckon you should reserve a copy at your local independent bookshop. As a bookseller, I’m a tad perplexed as to who’d I’d pitch this to. On the one hand: a visceral book about survival, packed with plenty of action, and a dash of romance – perfect for a YA audience! But when it delves into pregnancy and childbirth, I’m suddenly not so sure…
A couple years back, a deadly virus – and the consequent violence – wiped out most of humanity. Sixteen-year-old Finn lost his parents and his whole community, and since then he’s lived alone with his dog Rowdy in his hometown on the coast. He has survived thanks to his father’s preparations, and an uncanny knack for hunting and fishing. Seriously, Bear Grylls has got nothing on this kid. But starvation and injury aren’t the only threats out there: there are other survivors, some of whom don’t care to trade their wares; a particularly nasty crew called the Wilders, led by the ruthless Ramage. So far, Finn’s stayed out of their way, kept to himself, a lonely, but contented existence.
Until! (Because there’s always an until!)
One day Finn comes across a girl on the beach. Her name is Rose, and she is a Siley – an asylum seeker – who is on the run from Ramage. She was on the run with her sister Kas, but the two got split up during their escape, and now she needs Finn’s help to find her. It’s not that Rose is unwilling to do the job herself: she’s just in no condition to be stalking through bushland. So Finn agrees to help this girl she barely knows – and her sister – and in doing so he paints a target on his back. And Ramage isn’t the kind of guy you want hunting you down.
Finn’s a brilliant protagonist: your typical sixteen-year-old Aussie kid who flits between vehement self-assuredness and typical teenage uncertainness. This is a kid who has survived two winters on his own, is obviously very capable and courageous; on the other, he’s wounded by the remnants of the life he once knew, and the death of his parents. He’s tough on the outside, sure – but there’s a sympathetic undercurrent he’s rarely had need to let slip since the virus decimated humanity.
The Road to Winter is unashamedly the start of a longer epic. It sets up the pieces, provides insight into the world, and will leave readers desperate for the next chapter in the characters’ lives. I loved it, and reckon plenty of others will, too – I’m just not sure how many of those readers are going to be in the YA bracket. Could be I’m out of touch with that audience – I am not an avid reader of the genre, and you might well be reading this thinking, You idiot! YA is supposed to push the boundaries! So I guess I’ll wait to see how that audience responds. Hopefully resoundingly – I want sequels!
But removing the bookseller part of my brain, as a reader, who cares nought for genre or intended audience: The Road to Winter is great. Fast-paced, relentless, poignant. What more could you want?