Mount Martha author Rebecca Fraser speaks to Sarah Halfpenny about Jonty’s Unicorn, her latest book for middle grade readers, as well as her writing process and future projects.

Congratulations on the release of Jonty’s Unicorn. Tell us about your journey as a writer and your approach to the writing process.
I’m an award-winning author of fiction for children and adults, with a particular fondness for the middle grade (8-12 years) space. It might sound a bit cliched, but I couldn’t imagine ever not writing. I started taking my work seriously in 2007 after my first professional story sale. From there I kept writing, kept submitting, and in between the (many) rejections, every now and then would be an acceptance, and then another, and another, to keep the dream alive. My first novel-length work was published in 2018, and 2025 will see the release of my sixth and seventh books. My approach to the writing process resembles that of a manic circus juggler. Between family, work, volunteering, and carving out writing time, there’s a lot of balls to keep in the air.

Jonty’s Unicorn combines elements of adventure, fantasy, and heartwarming themes. What inspired you to write this story and what do you hope readers will take away from it?
I have a passionate and enduring love for speculative fiction. Jonty’s Unicorn is the second middle grade fantasy adventure I have written. It’s the type of book I would have loved reading as a child – and still do. First and foremost, I hope readers are entertained and enjoy being swept up in the story, but there’s also opportunities for reflection gently woven around themes of selflessness, animal rights, and how doing the right thing can sometimes also be the hardest.

How does Jonty’s Unicorn explore themes of kindness, bravery and sacrifice?
Jonty is a girl with a high-stakes dilemma that readers are dropped into from the first chapter. While she begins her journey with a singular focus, her moral compass faces ever-escalating challenges until finally she is faced with an impossible decision. Through the terrible choice she must make, Jonty’s true character is tested and revealed.

Do any characters from the book hold special significance for you?
The villain in my story, Dagatha, is a fearsome witch who lives in the dark heart of the Terrenwild Woods. She was my favourite character to write. There are so many layers to Dagatha. It’s easy to see why she is so reviled in the book, but what made her this way? Dagatha’s backstory is a tale that I’m keen to tell one day.

What other projects are in the works?
I have a junior fiction novel called Skippy Blackfeet being released with Wombat Books next year, and I’m working on a YA novel for a 2025 release, which was contracted on a pitch. I’m itching to start work on a new contemporary middle grade novel, which has been bubbling away in my brain for the past few months, and I’m also keen to write a verse novel for the same readership.

How does living on the Mornington Peninsula influence your writing and creative process?
I love the Mornington Peninsula’s coastal diversity and feel very fortunate to live ‘between the bays’ on Bunurong Land. Many of my works contain a coastal or nautical setting. Thematically, the rhythm of the ocean translates to the rhythms of life – the ebbs and flows, the highs and lows, the power and the passion, the calm and the chaos – and these universal experiences seep their way into story.