Interview with Alexandra Joel - author of 'The Royal Correspondent'
Interview with Alexandra Joel - author of ‘The Royal Correspondent’
Re-release - November 30, 2022
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INTERVIEW
Alexandra Joel is former editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Portfolio, a psychotherapist and the author of three previous books with a fourth (The Artist Secret) due out in Jan 2023. She is “mad about art, fashion, history, politics and, of course, Paris!”
Welcome, Alexandra! Please provide a brief outline of The Royal Correspondent and what inspired you to write it?
The book tells the story of Blaise Hill, a feisty young journalist from one of Sydney’s toughest neighbourhoods. After she is despatched to London in 1960 to report on Princess Margaret’s controversial marriage to the racy photographer Tony Armstrong-Jones, she finds herself plunged into a dangerous world of espionage, glamour and intrigue. Haunted by a threat from her past and torn between two very different men, she knows that if she makes the wrong choice, she will lose everything.
I was inspired to write the book by my Dad, the Hon Sir Asher Joel, who grew up in a family so poor that he had to leave school at 14 and find work. His father said that the only way for a boy like him to get on in the world was via one of the four Ps – police, priest, prize-fighter or press. Dad went for press; he found a job at the Daily Telegraph.
My father went on to forge a stellar career. He was a member of the NSW parliament for twenty years, and was the honorary organiser of myriad important State events, including the visits by an American President and a Pope, the opening of the Sydney Opera House and many royal occasions. He was knighted twice by the Queen and also had a Papal knighthood, which is pretty remarkable given his deprived background.
Some time after Dad had passed away I found myself wondering, what if he’d been born a girl? What vast challenges would that girl have faced, and who might she have become? Those questions spurred me to write The Royal Correspondent.
What are some of the themes and issues addressed in The Royal Correspondent?
Negative attitudes to women, both in the workforce and in personal relationships are examined, particularly in the context of gaslighting. The story shows how a charming, manipulative man can undermine even an intelligent woman like Blaise. It’s such an insidious form of abuse.
Other themes that are touched on include institutional racism (one of Blaise’s best friends is half-Chinese, so can’t train for the diplomatic corps), and the challenges of a permanent disability (Blaise’s sister is a polio victim).
I also include the way that the British (and Australian) class structure was challenged at the dawn of the swinging sixties, when a series of political, sex and spying scandals rocked society. The Profumo Affair, which involved an illicit relationship between a British cabinet minister, his mistress Christine Keeler and her alleged lover, a Russian spy, plays an important part in the book.
Another fascinating aspect was the way that, back in the fifties and sixties, the Royal Family was able to cover up even the most explosive secrets. I’m sure certain members dearly wish they could turn back the clock.
One passage in The Royal Correspondent gives the impression that exquisite perfume and clothes empower women. Please comment on this.
Clothes have always played a part in empowering women, from the magnificent, jewelled gowns of Queen Elisabeth I to the square-shouldered suits working women adopted in the 1980s. During the fifties and early sixties they assumed a special importance. A shimmering Dior ballgown conferred immediate status, while a girl wearing a mini skirt signalled that she was part of a new, liberated generation.
Who is your favourite character in The Royal Correspondent and what makes them special?
It has to be my heroine, Blaise Hill. She has so much pluck, and even though life might threaten to overwhelm her, she’s optimistic, resourceful and knows how to stand up for herself. Blaise also has that rare ability to mix with anyone, while always remaining herself. She might have a tendency to lose her temper, but she’s totally authentic and has a big heart.
What was your most challenging scene to write in The Royal Correspondent and why?
It’s quite an early scene, when Blaise finds herself at night in a remote boathouse with Adam Rule, a handsome man with a dubious past who has extricated her from a tricky situation. Blaise is young and naïve but determined to show Adam she’s not – the outcome shocks her.
Did the writing of The Royal Correspondent require much research? And name one surprising fact that you learned.
The research process is always intense – it’s the nature of writing historical fiction, especially as I like to blend the narrative arc of my characters with real people and events. This leads to a more layered, richer experience for the reader, though it’s never easy to finesse.
For The Royal Correspondent, I read many books on the fifties and sixties, plus I interviewed journalists, particularly females, who had worked either in Sydney or London during the same era in which The Royal Correspondent is set. There is nothing like an authentic, vivid anecdote, and many found their way into the book.
I also walked in my heroines footsteps, basically everywhere from the back blocks of Sydney’s Enmore to the glamorous state rooms of Buckingham Palace. Then there were museum visits, mainly to see a fabulous exhibition of fashion by Mary Quant (inventor of the mini skirt) at the V&A in London, and another to Paris where I took in the work of the great Christian Dior.
My research threw up some extraordinary facts. For instance, a ban on married women working for the Australian Public Service lasted until 1966, and – by law – all women (except, interestingly, those in journalism), earned only 75% of the male basic wage.
However, by far the most astonishing discovery was that Princess Margaret’s husband, later dubbed Lord Snowden, fathered an illegitimate child just three weeks after his huge wedding to the Queen’s sister. This jaw-dropping fact was kept under wraps for 44 years!
What author, book or experience inspired you to become a writer?
My dad – he used to plead with me to write books, but it took a long time for me to think that, just maybe, I could. I guess it was a lack of confidence; I’ve always loved history and reading but was in awe of my favourite novelists. Eventually, I had so many stories rattling around inside my brain that I simply had to start.
What is your writing process like? Are you a planner, pantser or a combination of both?
I’m part planner, but there’s an awful lot of pantser. Usually, my plots are fairly well thought out just to the point when my protagonist is in a world of trouble. I then have no idea how to get her out of it! I often feel that, for me, writing is a bit like skydiving – it’s a case of half joy, half sheer bloody terror.
What life skills do you have that you feel have helped you in writing your novels?
I feel incredibly lucky, as my two past careers – the first in media, the second as a psychotherapist – have provided me with a host of unique experiences and insights. Journalism taught me how to channel my insatiable curiosity with discipline and to a deadline, while being a therapist meant learning to suspend judgement and afforded me the privilege of walking beside clients during some of their most challenging moments.
Please share a little about your next project?
My new book, The Artist’s Secret, will be out on 4 January 2023 – perfect holiday reading! The story moves between the free loving 1960s to the ‘greed is good’ 1980s. It centres on a talented young art curator, Wren Summers, who has grown up rough by the Shoalhaven River with her hippy mother.
Traumatic circumstances force Wren to exchange her dream job at the Sydney Art Museum for a wildly different life in Manhattan, where she takes on the glittering world of international art auctions – only to discover it’s not just masterpieces that can turn out to be fakes. Who can she trust in this dangerous milieu – is it the charming Italian art dealer, the Mafia crime boss, or perhaps the handsome, all-American connoisseur? And where is the one, missing girl who can make sense of her life?
Now, another story is simmering away, this one set in Paris during the 1930s. Just for the moment though, I’m contemplating a book-filled summer holiday. Happy reading, everyone!
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Thank you so much, Alexandra, for being my guest author today!
Readers pick up a copy of the stunning re-released ‘The Royal Correspondent’! It is a mesmerising book I will cherish and never forget. I absolutely loved it!
Note: Visit Alexandra’s website for more details on her books. Christmas🎄is coming so it is a great time to treat yourself and a friend. Pick up copies of the three available now plus pre-order ‘ The Artist’s Secret’ due out in Jan 4th, 2023!
