Holly Cardamone is a Melbourne-based author and communications specialist. Her writing has appeared in publications as diverse as bridal tomes and in fashion magazines, in trade publications and in the large dailies. Her debut novel, Summer, in Between was the 2024 winner of the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize.
She’s a mother of two, wife to a devilishly handsome Carlton Football Club tragic and slave to the most beautiful boy in the world, Buddy the Australian Shepherd. She’s also a voracious reader who has been known to mumble ‘just one more page’ on more than a handful of occasions.
What inspired you to be a writer?
I’ve written for as long as I can remember, and I don’t recall a time when I didn’t have an answer other than ‘writer’ to that ubiquitous question: what do you want to be when you grow up? On reflection, I spent my childhood and beyond immersed in reading so it stands to reason that I’d want to muck around with words myself. Of course, there’s nothing like reading really good writing to make someone question their own abilities! I took the winding road to get here, as per the professional background question below, but I’m here!
How did the idea for 'Summer, in Between' come to you?
I grew up on a farm on the beach in a town where testosterone mixed with casual and overt racism dominated. I wanted to portray how a respectful, positive, romantic relationship could unfold within this setting. I wanted to share the dynamics of a close-knit Italian-Australian family, invisible yet indisputable class structures and how difficult it can be for an adolescent to get out of her own head and out of her own way. Let’s face it: responding to and managing social relationships can be a real quagmire. Throw in some teenage freedom, fun, anticipation and exploration of that space between what we envy and what we endure, and that’s Summer, in Between!
What is your professional background?
My first job was scooping ice cream at a fish and chip shop in a tiny beach town that exploded over summer with tourists and holiday makers. It was bliss. My second job was cleaning dentures at an aged care facility. That wasn’t quite so blissful! While I always wanted to be a writer, it was kindly pointed out to me in Year 12 that as a private school country gal I didn’t have a whole lot of life experience to draw upon, and so I changed my university preferences from an oh-so-desirable arts degree to nursing. From there, I sidestepped my way into communications and professional writing, completing a couple of Master’s along the way and later launched a communications consultancy.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Like most writers, I love reading, so that occupies a fair chunk of my day-to-day life. I’m a hiker and am uber-happy out in nature with a pack on my back and a trail winding off into the wilderness. I’m terrible with directions, though, so if I ever say ‘If we take this side trail we’ll shave off a kilometre or two’ it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll add at least five. Food is pretty much my love language and I simply love being around the water, so it's lovely that hiking and reading can both be done beachside! I adore a deep belly laugh, you know the type, the one where tears roll down your face and hyperventilation seems like a very real possibility. I partake in a decent laugh as much as I possibly can, which is frequently, thanks to my annoyingly sunny disposition. And of course, I love hanging out with my family and friends; that goes without saying.
Do you have any more books in the pipeline?
Yes! I’m in the gloriously messy ‘what if’ stage of writing the first draft of another YA novel and my rom-com (decidedly not YA) is currently sitting with beta readers.
Any advice you’d like to give aspiring writers?
Read, read, read! And on the flip side of that, write, write, write. You can’t edit a blank page, so let the words flow unhampered. Enter competitions (like the Hawkeye Manuscript Development Prize) and go to writing workshops and events. My final piece of advice is terribly boring, but important: make time for your writing! Seriously, schedule it, and make that time sacred.
Who/what inspires you?
Where to begin? Being in nature inspires me, and so does being an unappreciated and unpaid faux chauffeur to my teenage offspring: it’s extraordinary the insights shared during pick up! Other writers inspire me every day, as do the incredible circle of women in my life who are formidably clever, funny, generous and kind.
How can readers contact you?
My website is www.hollycardamone.com.au
My Instagram is @holly_cardamone_author
