Q&A with Adam Courtenay

Adam Courtenay is a Sydney-based writer and journalist. He has had a long career in the UK and Australia, writing for papers such as the Financial Times, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Financial Review and the UK Sunday Times. He is the son of Australia's best-loved storyteller Bryce Courtenay and the author of several Australian histories, including The Ship that Never Was, Three Sheets to the Wind and Mr Todd's Marvel.

How and why did you choose now to tell your story?

When writing a memoir, I believe you need to wait for the emotional and psychological feelings to ebb before you feel ready to be dispassionate about the subject.  That may take years. It may sound contradictory, but I do not believe emotion works for 'emotionally-charged' writing. Only the memory of it does. There was some anger between my father and I at the end of his life which I tried to keep at bay. I didn't want it to taint the memoir as a whole. Beyond that, I wanted to have written books in my own right to feel 'qualified' to write this one. I have written six books before this (mostly histories and biographies), but this one,  for obvious reasons, is much closer to my heart than any of the others.

What do you think is the biggest misconception readers may have about your father?

I think the problem is that Bryce's brilliant story-telling and charismatic persona were so captivating to the public that they became putty in his hand. He could say what he liked and it fed the legend he was trying to build. We all assign strong feelings to our favourite creatives but they remain out of our reach, no matter how sincere they appear. My father was a master of self-publicity and I dare say it, self-aggrandisement. So who wouldn't believe the stories he was telling them about himself and his life? I got very tired of hearing the same old Bryce tropes. I had to endure them for many years and still do, knowing they were and are untrue, misleading and mostly self-serving. But he never did it to deliberately hurt anybody. He just could not help himself.

How was the experience of writing a memoir similar or different to your process as a journalist? 

Very different. There is no 'I' in journalism, nor in the history books I have written. By contrast. this one literally has 'skin in the game'.  The law of journalism is objectivity and the need to constrain your own voice. The law of a memoir is to say how you feel with as much authenticity as possible - ie the exact opposite. That said, I did go back and check things that my dad had said/written publicly with the people that mattered - the best example in this book is my talk with Jill Hickson, his former agent. So there was some 'objective' journalism in it! 

What do you hope readers take away from My Father Bryce?

A fuller understanding of very human man. A fuller understanding of how a childhood can cause problems later in life. A fuller understanding of why a man needs to confabulate to protect himself. A fuller understanding of why shame can propel you towards a new persona, and even towards greatness. And yes, I admit it, there was a strong desire to put some Bryce myths fully to rest and I'd like to think, an equally strong desire to show the many wonderful things he did for people. I don't want people to adore him and his work any less, but to leaven that adoration with greater understanding. People love Elvis while still knowing his flaws and faults. 

Which book is at the top of your to-read pile?

Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon by Sophie Green