ReadWonder: An Inside Look #269 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Allie Millington

(Author of Olivetti)

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)

*Season #FOUR (Summer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019)

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)

*Season #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

*Season #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)

*Season #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

*Season #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

*Season #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

*Season #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

*Season #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

*I'm excited to present season #SEVENTEEN with brand new interviews/authors.

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the EIGHTH interview in which I'm calling Season #SEVENTEEN

*Thank you to Allie for being the Two Hundred Sixty-Ninth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

Olivetti

by Allie Millington

(March 26, 2024)

How did you come to know Ernest and Olivetti?
I came to know Olivetti by typing on my own typewriter. I couldn’t help but wonder what other stories my typewriter had collected, and what it might say if it could type back. Olivetti was born from that curiosity—though he came in with all kinds of confidence and as if he’s been here all along. Ernest introduced himself to me a bit more quietly, but with the kind of voice you can’t help but listen to either.

What do you think are their most admirable qualities?
I love how unashamed Ernest is about his obsession with dictionaries, no matter what anyone thinks. Olivetti is loyal to his humans and their memories he holds, even when they forget about him in return.

Is there anything you wish they would have changed or done differently in their stories?

I don’t think so…because they needed to go through what they did, and make the choices that they did, in order to learn and grow and come out different on the other side.

What do you think Ernest can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
I hope Ernest’s journey can encourage readers to speak up about the things they’re feeling, and remind them that when they do, they’re able to see they aren’t alone. There is always someone who can understand you, if you give them the chance.

How did you research Ernest and Olivetti and the circumstances they found themselves in?
Most of my research for Olivetti was hands-on—a lot of time was spent using my typewriter and trying to tap into the mind of these clacking machines and how they might view the world. Some of what Ernest went through with his family came from experiences in my own family, but I also found a lot of parallels to his struggle with isolation in talking with many students about the ways they felt the pandemic had affected them.

Do you and these two characters share any similarities?
I relate deeply to Ernest with his struggle in not feeling like he always has the right words to say. As for Olivetti, we are both old souls and helplessly nostalgic by nature.

What was the hardest scene to write about them?
For Olivetti, it was when he was on the ‘operating table’ at the Artist’s studio. For Ernest it was when he discovers the truth about him mom, Beatrice. It’s never easy watching the characters you love go through hard things.

Who do you think was their biggest supporters and why?
Olivetti and Ernest both find an unexpected friend and supporter in Quinn. She has a knack for seeing the things in people (and typewriters) that they don’t see themselves. Ultimately Quinn was the one who believed the best in Olivetti and Ernest, and helped bring them together.

Why do you think some young people can show such resilience, strength, and courage during difficult life situations; sometimes even more than the adults in their lives?
Like Quinn, I think many young people have a gift for seeing the good in others, and finding sparks of hope during times that feel dark. They aren’t afraid to fight for that hope, and they aren’t quick to give up on it either.

What do you think Ernest and Olivetti are doing at the present time?
Ernest is likely taking Olivetti on adventures all around San Francisco, showing him different parts of the city, and filling him back up with new memories. And Olivetti is still basking in all the attention that he so dearly loves.

Book Pages

Monday, April 1, 2024

An Inside Look #269 (Author INTERVIEW)

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