A long flight delay and a fixation on death, inspired Liane Moriarty to write her latest novel Here One Moment.
Told from varying perspectives, the novel delves into the idea of fate and destiny – ideas that were at the forefront of her mind after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and her father died – but ideas that Liane ultimately doesn’t believe in.
Living in the present and accepting what we can and can’t control is how the author lives her life.
Here, she talks novels, the next series of Big Little Lies and her relationship with her beloved sisters…
LIANE MORIARTY TELLS ALL
Where did the inspiration for Here One Moment come from?
I came up with the idea during a long flight delay. All the passengers had boarded the plane when the pilot asked for our patience as there was an issue that needed to be resolved. The upshot was that we were stuck on the tarmac, seatbelts buckled, waiting, waiting, waiting for an excruciatingly long time.
I was travelling on my own and had no book to read and that’s when this cheerful thought popped into my head – every person on this plane will one day die. But when? And how? I looked around at my fellow passengers and thought, Will that little girl live until she’s 100? Will that young man have his life cut short? What about that beautiful flight attendant?
It occurred to me that somewhere in the far-off future the answers to all those questions would be available. I thought, What if that information was available now? What if someone walked down the aisle telling every passenger how and when we would die? And what if those predictions came true? When the flight finally took off and passengers applauded with relief, I knew I had a good opening scene for a novel.
FATE & DESTINY
If you were given a certain amount of time to live, what would you do?
Well it would depend on how much time I was given, but if it was only a short time I would just want to spend time with the people I love and being grateful for every day that I had. I suspect I would also be looking for a last minute reprieve: a second opinion, a new kind of treatment, a trial of a brand new drug.
It’s very hard to imagine reaching a kind of acceptance of my fate, although I know many people do, and face a terminal diagnosis with strength, grace and humour.
Do you believe in the concept of fate?
No, I think nothing is predetermined and our destinies are constantly changing, depending on the decisions we, and the people around us make.
Would there be certain conversations with loved ones you’d want to have or let life take its course?
I’m sure I would want to make sure I had said everything that needed to be said.
Why are you so interested in secrets and lies?
My books do often seem to be about secret and lies. Tiny secrets we keep from the people we love. Huge secrets that weigh on our minds. Secrets that should be shared. Secrets that should be kept forever.
And of course the lies we tell to conceal those secrets. I’ve always been fascinated by the power of a secret. I guess it’s just the “not knowing” and the desire to solve the mystery. I believe most of us have secrets but perhaps they are not as dramatic as the fictional ones I create to help drive the plots of my novels.
Are you still in touch with the cast of Big Little Lies and will there be a new series?
I think there is a very good chance, yes. I’ve become good friends with Nicole Kidman and we’ve worked together on a number of projects since then, including Nine Perfect Strangers and The Last Anniversary.
Your dad encouraged you to write, what kind of stories did you write as a child?
I wrote mystery stories which were clearly very influenced by Enid Blyton as I sound very much like a little British girl!
SISTER LOVE
Do you and your sisters read each other’s novels?
Of course! We are each other’s first readers.
How do you inspire each other?
We encourage each other in any way we can, especially when it comes to dealing with deadlines, criticism, editing and so on.
What’s the one thing that keeps you awake at night?
Worries about my children.
What’s the book you wish you’d written?
Life after Life by Kate Atkinson. I had such a sense of movement when I was reading this book, it was as though the author was spinning me round and round leaving me laughing, dizzy, breathless and exhilarated. I don’t really wish I’d written it because I would not then have had the pleasure of reading it.
Which book evokes childhood memories for you?
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. The slide through the centre of the tree that was the most marvellous thing.
What’s on your reading list right now?
I just finished Sandwich by Catherine Newman and absolutely loved it. It’s about a 54 year old woman sandwiched between adult children and elderly parents. Very funny and sweet.
Here One Moment, Pan Macmillan, $34.99.
