Interview of Emily Wilson by Freya Bennett
Hi Emily, how are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself:
Hey! I’m Emily, but all my friends (inexplicably) call me Ellie, so you can too! I’m British-Australian, but I was born and raised in Tokyo, and am currently based on the unceded lands of the Kaurna people. I’m a writer and journalist whose work is usually preoccupied with dislocated identities, liminal spaces, the feeling of being untethered, and the trauma of separation. I spend my weekends perusing op shops for cheap DVDs and reading in my big green armchair. I watch an insufferable amount of David Lynch and I drink a lot of kombucha.
What do you love about being a writer and journalist?
The fact that it forces me to think about things with nuance and generosity, and forces me to be honest with myself about how I view the world, how I want to view the world, and how I want those around me to view the world. I also love that it’s not really a job you can half-arse – I’m all in.
You’re our new reco babe (so excited to have you)! What drew you to this monthly column, and what do you hope to bring to it?
The only way to truly beat the algorithm is to prioritise recommendations from real people. When real people recommend something to me – be it a book or an album or a movie – I can count on the fact that it made them feel some type of way. An algorithm can’t give that to me. So this column seemed like the perfect opportunity to try to give that to others! I hope to bring depth and consideration to my recommendations. Even if my recommendations aren’t perfect, or don’t always suit you, they will always come from a place of true feeling.
What is one thing you recommend time and time again to all the different people in your life?
Owning physical media! Books, DVDs, vinyl, CDs, tapes – all of it. Hell, pick yourself up a few laser discs while you’re at it. Nothing compares to being able to hold art in your hands – it imbues the art with memory and attachment, and it is also a far better way to support your favourite artists. It’s a pain when you have to move houses, but that’s the price I’m willing to pay.
I am also always recommending the 1971 movie ‘Klute,’ directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, because it is my favourite movie of all time. It is chilling but tender, and I love a thriller that isn’t at all focused on the mystery itself, but on the characters involved in the mystery.
Finally, how do you want your writing to make people feel?
There is not one way I want it to make people feel – I want my writing to make readers feel the full spectrum of human emotion. More specifically, I want people to feel challenged by my work, but also comforted by it. I want people to learn things about themselves that they didn’t know before, or to be reminded of things that they once knew but have since forgotten.
