All about the novel The Glass House
Who is Anne Buist?
Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and has over 35 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry. She has been writing fiction since 2015 with the Natalie King series, one stand-alone crime novel and two novels set on pilgrimages written with her husband Graeme Simsion. Their latest joint novel, The Glass House is set in a mental health facility.
What is The Glass House about?
Psychiatry registrar Doctor Hannah Wright, a country girl with a chaotic history, thought she had seen it all in the emergency room. But that was nothing compared to the psychiatric ward at Menzies Hospital.
Hannah must learn on the job in a strained medical system, as she and her fellow trainees deal with the common and the bizarre, the hilarious and the tragic, the treatable and the confronting. Every day brings new patients: Chloe, who has a life-threatening eating disorder; Sian, suffering postpartum psychosis and fighting to keep her baby; and Xavier, the MP whose suicide attempt has an explosive story behind it. All the while, Hannah is trying to figure out herself.
Interview
What inspired you to write The Glass House”?
Forty years of working in psychiatry! The time seemed to be right – people are more open to being curious and talking about mental health and it’s such a misunderstood area.
What was the collaborative process behind writing The Glass House?
Graeme is the structure nut and a tighter editor as well as good on dialogue – and there is an autistic character he does do well. I brought stories, analysis and authenticity. I was once a trainee so it was easy to get inside Hannah and her journey.
What made you decide to write the story from the Psychiatry registrar’s perspective instead of the patients?
As above! I did try different POV but it risked the reader not rooting for anyone, and with Hannah we can learn as she does. There are real issues potentially with patient POV if you aren’t yourself lived experience – and it would mean only one story rather than many.
What challenges did you face while co-authoring this book, and how did you overcome them?
We both wanted the best book possible – and we planned it carefully! If there was a problem it was resolved over a glass of wine generally.
Are there any specific scenes or moments in the book that were particularly challenging or rewarding to write?
Getting the balance right, not making the patient “other” and not having too many characters! This structure is one we are very used to seeing in a television series and have adapted it for a novel. The family therapy scenes were a favourite from the start – a lot of drama and we wanted people to feel for them all. Mental illness is often not straightforward and has ripple effects.
The Glass House delves into psychological complexities, how did you use your experience in perinatal psychiatry to write scenes in the book?
One patient – Sian with postpartum psychosis – that we follow is clearly from the world I work in, but I do general in call and have run an eating and mood disorder unit in the past, so plenty to tap into.
How do you hope readers will respond to the themes explored in “The Glass House”?
We have been delighted with the response so far – mental health workers see it as authentic where they are not conveyed as Nurse Ratched, and for families where there has been/is mental illness, this can help fill in the gaps.
Are there any messages or lessons you aimed to convey through the book?
Talk About It is our tag line – open up and be kind rather than fearful.
How would you describe The Glass House in five words?
A acute psychiatry medical drama.
What was your favourite book growing up?
East of Eden and The Magus ( Enid Blyton when much younger)
Do you have a favourite genre to read?
I read a lot of psychological thrillers and some crime- but also any good story!
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