Nadia Heisler

“Get everything in your head out before you lose the spark—no matter how clunky or corny it sounds”.

Storybound explores what it means to write – from the heart and soul – and where that writing takes us. Every writer’s journey is different, so we invite you to take a moment to read, pause and reflect on what it means to shape stories for the page.

Nadia Heisler is a former Journalist from Brazil who has been living in Perth since 2013. After having countless jobs while learning English, she finally summoned her courage to do what she loves the most: writing. She lives in a full house with three fur babies, two actual babies, and the love of her life.

Centre for Stories: What is your favourite way to consume stories?

Nadia Heisler: I’ll have to say books. But I love stories in all forms, they actually keep me alive – they helped me through the toughest times of my life and still keep me going when mum duties call me at two in the morning. This might sound bad, but having something nice to watch on TV, or to read, or to listen to (like an Audiobook) makes my job as a mum way easier, especially during the long nights. At the moment, I’m listening to The Other Bridget, by Rachael Jones, reading Come and Get It, by Kiley Reid, and watching The Gentleman on Netflix (this one I watch with my husband, we like to have a series to watch together and we always struggle to find something that both of us will enjoy – he’s the picky one).

Nadia is sitting in a relaxed manner with her hands on her knees. She is smiling at the camera.

CFS: How do you feel you have contributed to building and maintaining creative spaces?

NH: This is such a good question. I always see creative spaces contributing towards making me as a person, not the other way around. But I suppose being a CALD writer is how I contribute the most. I like to bring other perspectives to the writing community and to add a little bit of diversity. I used to be ashamed of this, embarrassed of my accent, or paranoid to make a grammar mistake. Sometimes I still am. But then other times I see where I came from and what I can do with the language skills I’ve been building to this date, and this becomes quite a source of pride. Now that I’m coordinating the Centre for Stories Youth Program, I’m extremely excited to see firsthand how the power of storytelling can really transform lives.

CFS: If you could work on a collaborative project with someone, who would it be?

NH: Bindy Pritchard was my first mentor here in Australia, thanks to the opportunity the Centre for Stories offered me with the Writing Change, Write Inclusion Program. Bindy has been such an inspiration to me and every time I talk to her, I’m instantly motivated. I think it’d be wonderful to work with her again in some capacity.

CFS: What are your goals for the year 2024?

NH: Definitely consolidate our Youth Program – Word Up and Write Up – and spread it out to more schools. We have a strong portfolio of trainers and schools, and I just can’t wait to see what our students will produce in terms of oral and written stories.

I’m also writing a book and I’d love to finish my first draft this year, but being a mum taught me that flexibility is one of the best skills we can have – this and the power to adapt our expectations accordingly to what each day will bring us. It’s always going to be my top priority to spend quality time with my kids – no phones, no laptops, etc. I’m lucky that they love to spend time outside, so everyday I make time to enjoy a bit of nature with them – even if it’s just in the backyard, watching the cockatoos.

CFS: What is the best advice you could give or that you have received?

NH: My best general advice is: one day at a time. My best advice for parents is: embrace the catastrophic chaos. My best advice for writers is: sit down and write shit – because even writing shit will help you more than not writing.

CFS: You’ve said previously that you read stories from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Is this something that started in Brazil or did you find a deeper connection with them after you had moved to Australia and learnt English?

NH: Definitely in Brazil and from an early age. I used to love watching European and Asian movies or reading books from authors other than Portuguese/Brazilian backgrounds. Different cultures have different ways to see the world and this fascinates me. There isn’t only one way of living – and some books and movies can help you experience the world through different lenses.

Nadia is standing in front of a colourful background. She is smiling slightly at the camera.

CFS: You represent loss in a lot of your stories. When you were going through a tough time, do you remember if there were stories that helped you? How did they do that?

NH: I think each writer thrives creatively under different emotions. My one is pain, or maybe anger, and frustration. This doesn’t mean I can’t write when I’m happy, but it’s through suffering that my creative ability flourishes. Besides, it’s through suffering that one experiences learning, and I think in one way or another, we’re all seeking to learn. I think when we lose something or someone, the circumstances force you to see the world and your life in a different way, and this can be really powerful. Maybe that’s why my stories represent loss. But I like to think they represent love as well, as both of these are complementary.

In the past I also went through a small obsession with poetry, and Sylvia Plath was definitely up there on my list. It was thanks to her poetry that I wrote the short story ‘How to Write Your Own Eulogy’, which later won the first place and readers’ choice at the City of Rockingham Creative Writing Competition 2021.

Books that helped me through tough times were:

Dear Life, by Alice Munro – I’m still to return this one to Bindy – oops.
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood – this is a weird one and I can’t explain why and how it helped me, but it did.
Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
To Have and to Hold: Motherhood, Marriage and the Modern Dilemma, by Molly Millwood – every mum should read this one
The series The Let Down on Netflix
The series Club de Cuervos, and Family Business, both on Netflix – they were perfect for when I needed a laugh.

Writing Change, Writing Inclusion is Centre for Stories’ signature writing program for 2021 to 2024. Generously funded by The Ian Potter Foundation, Australia Council for the Arts, My Place, and Centre for Stories Founders Circle, this writing program features mentoring, hot desk, and publication opportunities for emerging writers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and/or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.

These stories have been licensed to the Centre for Stories by the Storyteller. For reproduction and distribution of these stories, please contact the Centre for Stories.

This interview was published in 2024.

View Story Transcript

“There isn’t only one way of living – and some books and movies can help you experience the world through different lenses.”