Australian author Inga Simpson has an extraordinary gift for bringing the natural world to life. Across seven novels, two works of non-fiction, and two children’s books, her writing explores the intricate relationships between people and place. She holds two PhDs—one in creative writing and one in English literature—and now lives among the trees near the sea on the NSW South Coast.
We caught up with Inga following her long table lunch at Bannisters, where she was in conversation with acclaimed author Eleanor Limprecht about her latest book, Once We Were Wildlife. Over coffee at the White Wash studio, we spoke about the collection of short stories, which explores the ways nature shapes our lives and identities.
For this collection, Inga deliberately shifted her perspective away from the human-centred narratives that often dominate fiction. “I wanted to include other points of view, other ways of being in the world,” she explains. Stories such as Blue Crane and Sea Wolf dissolve the line between people and animals, inviting readers to consider kinship and transformation. “The wilderness is both within and around us,” she says.
“I wanted to include other points of view, other ways of being in the world.”
The collection is also an intimate exploration of love, loss, and longing. The Wash draws on a near-drowning experience during the breakdown of a relationship, while the title story, Once, We Were Wildlife, traces the blossoming and eventual unravelling of a couple brought together by their shared love of the natural world. Both are inspired by Inga’s own experiences. “It’s about what happens when we aren’t true to ourselves and our own wild natures,” Inga says. “The title story is the most emotional story I’ve ever written.”
Inga skilfully immerses the reader into the varied landscapes of the collection, drawing on her experiences growing up in Western NSW and her time on the NSW South Coast. One moment you’re tossed among towering ocean swells, the next you’re crouched in the damp humus of a forest floor, or standing beneath a smoke-filled sky as a bushfire bears down.
Inga’s celebration of Australia’s landscapes continues later this year with A Tree Lover’s Guide to Australia, due for release in early November. Blending her evocative writing with her own photography, the book is a love letter to the remarkable trees that shape our landscapes and the stories they hold.
To learn more about Inga and her work, visit: W. ingasimpson.com.au