An Interview with Martha Siede

Martha Siede lives with her husband, Andrew, and her dog, Bronte, at the foot of the Blue Mountains in Western Sydney, Australia. Martha’s passion is to show others that anything is possible if you are determined to improve and reach your goals. Martha has a wacky sense of humour and enjoys making people laugh. In Pursuit of ‘Normal’ is the first book Martha has written.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The book title, In Pursuit of ‘Normal’, came about because I have always wanted to be Normal. Growing up with a disability is hard work. Navigating stairs and getting around in a wheelchair is hard work. Not being able to use my hands to write and fill in forms is also frustrating.

Having said all that, I am not ashamed to have my disability—a dry, comfortable seat comes in handy when there are no seats around and you are standing for hours! I was also In Pursuit of (getting back to) Normal after waking up from my coma. Lastly, what is ‘Normal’? Everybody asks this question and I wanted to pique the readers’ curiosity in wanting to read my book to find out.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

When I first saw the book cover, I thought Ronaldo Alves of Atmosphere Press had done a fantastic job of making my dream a reality—I love my book cover. I cried when I opened my first box of books and saw that my photos were in colour.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I have always wanted to write my story and share how life is for a person with my level of disability. I want to show that even though day-to-day life is challenging, I will still give it a good go. After my coma, I couldn’t do much but use my computer, so the story just tumbled out. Aligning with that was the support and input that my friend Sophie gave me.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Other professions I am qualified in are Counsellor and Life Coach. I have worked as a Job Coach and a Support Coordinator. I also love op-shopping and fashion!

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most rewarding part of publishing my book is everything I learned along the way!

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

My book’s soundtrack would be anything by Crowded House.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I want readers to be inspired to give life a good go. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. You just need to put the steps or ramps in place to get there

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

I loved working with Atmosphere Press and learning about publishing along the way. I would tell others who want to publish to definitely check out Atmosphere Press!

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.