Meet the people behind our passion: Mikayla

I became really passionate about books in high school; I’d spend my spare time reading and getting lost in fantasy worlds, as well as writing my own. I’m really interested in the ways we use words to tell stories, be it stories that are informative or stories that entertain and help us ignore reality for just a moment.

My passion for reading and writing led me to submit a portfolio for a degree in creative writing at RMIT University. After graduating, I began a role as layout editor for an online journal called The Suburban Review and studied a Masters of Writing and Publishing at RMIT University. My thesis for my degree looked at the usage of gendered and sexist tropes in fantasy text to film adaptations.

What is your role at the Information Access Group?

I’m a Project Editor. I write, edit and review Easy Read documents for our clients. I also support our team with our HTML and accessibility work. And I’ve taken part in the focus groups we run for clients.

Tell us about a project you’ve worked on that you are proud of

One of the projects I worked on was the New South Wales Health document about voluntary assisted dying. This was a very complex document that covered extremely sensitive and important information. It was a challenge to make this document easier to read, but I’m really proud of the work we did as a team and the end product.

I’m also proud of the work I’ve done for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)’s Independent Advisory Council (IAC). I’ve helped create a lot of the IAC’s Easy Read meeting bulletins for their IAC Member meetings and Reference Group meetings. These meetings have a lot of information that’s important for the rest of our community to know and it gives us a great insight into what the IAC learns from some members of the community. I really enjoy the collaborative work and relationship we have built with this client; this work is a testament to the improvements we’ve made to these documents.

What do you find most rewarding about the work you do at the Information Access Group?

I think the most rewarding part about my work is creating documents that are easy to understand and accessible for everyone in our community. A lot of the information we need to know is written in a way that is very complex, and I feel proud to be part of making our community more inclusive.

What are some of your favourite books, or books that have had an impact on you?

I love reading. It’s very rare to not see me with a book in hand, even if I don’t plan to read it. I like to read a lot of different genres, but my favourite and most read is fantasy. I absolutely love everything R.F. Kuang has written, and her The Poppy War series is just so *chefs kiss*. I also really love Aussie author Jay Kristoff. He takes writing angst to a new level with his Nevernight and Empire of the Vampire series. Some of my other favourite books include:

• Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
• If We Were Villains by M.L Rio
• She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
• The Secret History and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

As for books that have had an impact on me, like our other project editor Sarah, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is the first that comes to mind. Even though it’s dystopian fiction, the themes and narrative really resonate with me as a woman. I’m often reminded about Atwood saying that there’s nothing in the book that didn’t happen somewhere at some point in time.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold is another book that I think about a lot. The book lives so intimately in reality while also being about a café in Tokyo that lets you time travel. It explores themes of love, loss and death in a way that is mundane and typical but completely gut-wrenching. I think the book is so telling of Kawaguchi’s talent as a writer, I look forward to reading more of his work.

What was the most important thing you learned while studying your Master of Writing and Publishing?

I learned a lot from studying my master’s degree. I also made so many memories and publications I’m proud of. One of the most important things I learned was the step-by-step process of creating a publication. I learned about all stages of production, from callouts for artists and making flatplans to actually typesetting our publications. I worked with some amazing editors during my degree – and have to give a huge shout out to my teachers and mentors Tracy O'Shaughnessy and Zoe Dzunko.

Another important thing I learned during my studies was the importance of retaining an author’s voice and work. It can be easy to rewrite when editing a work, but it’s important to make sure we don’t do this and simply support the text to be the best it can be.

You're from Geelong and moved to Melbourne a few years ago – do you have any reflections on your experiences of both cities?

Once I started my studies and knew I wanted to work in some type of editing or publishing role, I knew I’d have to move to Melbourne at some point. I’ve moved to different cities and areas quite a few times in my life, so I wasn’t very daunted by the inevitability, but it was a bit of a change to not be as close to my family and close friends. Living in Geelong was great because I grew up really close to beaches and the Surf Coast Shire. But I definitely really enjoy living in Melbourne and having more choices. The art scene here is also a lot bigger than Geelong. There’s just so many more opportunities, and the bars are a lot cooler.

Is there anything you're working on or really enjoying in your free time?

I’ve actually been getting back into writing and have been planning a fantasy series I want to write! I found it hard to write creatively when I studied my master’s degree. Also, with starting a full-time job after I finished my coursework, I’ve been very burnt out from writing. But it’s been really nice getting back into writing and imagining new exciting settings!

This year I’ve really enjoyed the number of author events I’ve gone to! I’ve seen and have had books signed by some of my favourite authors: R.F. Kuang and Jay Kristoff. I also went to Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s panel at the Melbourne Writers Festival which was translated live.

Not too long ago you adopted 2 cats. What's that like? 

Yes, I did! My boyfriend and I went to RSPCA intending to leave with one cat but ended up with 2! I had my eyes on Juniper (Junie) because I’ve always wanted to adopt a cat with seal point markings. While I was playing with Junie, my boyfriend’s cat – Geo – sat herself in his lap and wouldn’t leave; so it was fate. The nice thing is that they’re both sisters, so even though they fight time-to-time, we usually always find them curled up together (or Geo sitting on top of Junie). It’s been funny seeing their little personalities come through.

I think when it comes to indoor cats or outdoor cats, I’m a bit more on team indoor. I think everyone is entitled to care for their pets in the way that’s best for their pet. For me, there are more positives to keeping my cats indoors. Indoors I know they’re not only safe, but I’m keeping the wildlife around us safe too. Plus, our cats are also too cute and silly to fend for themselves outside.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I was a very indecisive child with a lot of big dreams. When I was really young, I wanted to be a popstar. I’d listen to Madonna and Avril Lavigne all the time on my CD player. As I got older, I became way more practical and wanted to be a teacher or a midwife.
I really wanted to support and take care of people. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I even realised I could be an author or editor and work with the thing I loved the most: books. Being an author or editor has been my dream for a long time, and this job allows me to not only be an editor but also do work that supports my community. Oh… I’m also sure I wanted to be a Pokémon trainer at some point.