Main Character Interview with Adrain Zupp and All of My Friends Died in Plane Crashes – Fair Dinkum Stories About Wild Aussie Boys (And A Few Wild Sheilas)

Please tell us about the book and the character who is being interviewed.

The book is my recently released book of urban Australian stories, “All of My Friends Died in Plane Crashes – Fair Dinkum Stories About Wild Aussie Boys (And A Few Wild Sheilas).”

This character is based on myself as a child of about 11. The character traits are fairly close but the voice is cheekier than mine. It’s just the voice that flows out when I put this character in a story. It works so I would never change it.

How did it feel to be given a leading role in this book?

Well, at first me Mum wasn’t too sure about it coz I had to get her permission and stuff. She was goin’ on about how little kids shouldn’t be talking to strangers coz you don’t really know if they wanna put you in their book or do somethin’ against the law or somethin’. But I’m 11, y’know? I ain’t a little kid anymore. I said to me Mum, “Oi, this bloke’s alright. Duffy knows him and he’s been interviewed by him before.” And then it was all okay and I could do the interview. But me Dad was still a bit cagey about it. As for how I feel to be the star in some of the stories, well it's a bit bloody weird and everythin’ coz how many kids do ya know who’s starring in a book, eh? Not too bloody many. But I’m not a big braggin’ type or nothin’. I only told a couple of me mates – and none of them stirrin’ mongrels like Graham Cox. I won’t say nothin’ funny about his name but he is a bit of a cock sometimes. Haha. And I might tell a few sheilas at school. And me teacher. And me footy coach. And the people next door coz I’m top mates with their dog and I take him for walks and stuff. And maybe me aunties, but over the phone. And some other people I got in mind. But not a whole lot of people or nothin’. Nobody likes a braggin’ bastard.”

Obviously to us this was a tale but for you it was something you actually went through, how did you find the journey we read about?

Now yer askin’ a big tough question. Y’see, I like smokin’, which me parents bloody hate. And I’ve been known to get into a bit of mischief now and then, and here and there. I ain’t a bad kid or nothin’. Like I say in the book, I just got all this extra energy that other normal kids don’t have and I have to get it out or me head starts achin’ and stuff. So that’s when I get in a bit of trouble. Like when me and Sharko pinched that old motorbike and this cranky old bloke came after us. Or when I broke Big Swifty’s bow and arrow killin’ all them invaders in me backyard. And especially the time I was real bloody cheeky to Mr. Oliveri in Sunday School. Boy I bloody copped it for that. The bugger rang me Mum up and she whacked me bum and then said, “Wait til your father gets home!” And I never like hearing those words and I bet you understand why if ya use your imagination a bit.

If you could do the journey over again would you have done anything differently?

I guess when you say journey you just mean doin’ the book stuff. Or the stuff I did in the book. One of them. Well, here’s what I got to say about that. A young bloke can’t change who he is, right? It don’t matter if his Dad gets the belt out or if me Mum’s yellin’ “That’s it, I’m enrolling you in boarding school!” To tell you the truth, both them things scare the shit out of me. So that kind of journey ain’t any fun at all, mate. But like I said, a young bloke can only be who he is, even if that means he likes puffin’ on Marlboros or stealin’ the odd motorbike, or knockin’ off some detonators from the railway sheds and putting them all along the rails of the tracks so they go bangbangbangbangbangbang. Haha. I mean, ya gotta have fun, dontcha. Me and Alley Cat did the detonator thing by the way. I’d better shut me head and stop blabbin’ coz the bloke who wrote the book told me if ya say too much stuff people will know what happened and they won’t buy the book. And he promised to give me some dough if the book does alright so that’s why I’m shuttin’ me head a bit now.

A lot of people would love to know what's next for you?

People wanna know that? Geez I’m gettin’ famous! Haha. Well, a lot of playin’ in the backyard coz I got a real big imagination and fight wars and stuff there. That’s when I usually kill some of Mum’s plants and she gets bloody pissed off at me. I can’t blame her though. This stuff is just between me and you, right? Good. So I’ll tell ya, I’ll be doin’ some smokin’ with me mates coz I love me smokes. I’ll be playin’ some footy and cricket in the dead-end street with the fellas. Oh, and bloody school. That takes up a lot me time. Which I don’t like. And I’m not even gonna get started on Sunday School coz I bloody hate it and if I hear another Jesus story I don’t know what I’ll do. But you can bet bloody Mr. Oliveri will tell me Mum about it.

If you could say anything to the people who read about you in this book what would it be?

I’d tell them to give a fella a chance. Don’t get all upset coz I swear a bit and have a few smokes and get into some mischief here and there. That’s what an Aussie kid is supposed to do, in case you don’t know. Just give me a chance and read the stories and you’ll see how bloody good they are and what all me adventures are like. I reckon you’ll piss yerselves laughin’!

How was it working with the author of your book?

Mate, he’s a bloody top bloke. Coz he grew up in Guildford too and apparently he was just like me when he was a kid. So he didn’t get pissed off about any of me mad adventures and stuff. And he just asked a few questions and let me talk for heaps and heaps coz he had this tape recorder thing that records your voice if you hold the microphone up to your mouth. He told me that way he won’t lose any of the important stuff I say. We laughed like bastards a few times. He’s definitely a bloody larrikin, and I love that. I’m just hopin’ he keeps his promise and pays me some money. Marlboros are up to bloody fifty cents a pack now!

Where can people connect with you?

Just email me at zuppadrian@gmail.com. The book also has its own website that was professionally designed and built, and is very visual and impressionistic (and has a good deal of biographical content as well): adrianzupp.com/all-of-my-friends-died-in-plane-crashes/ I will have another book (already written) coming out in 2023, and it will be added as a separate section of the website. So the website, social media, and all the other usual means will be used to announce the release of the book. Including Feed My Reads!