I LOVE stories. Stories are a special kind of magic. To encounter a story is to experience a journey.
Stories bring us to other worlds and times — they take us out of ourselves and into other minds.
A story can even take us into ourselves, perhaps the most mysterious and important place for any individual to travel to.
Whether as books, films or television shows, stories delight and excite, being stores of human wisdom and creativity. They teach, inspire and provoke us to think and feel.
Stories are so important that I have a daily dose to nourish my heart and fortify my mind. I schedule time at the end of each day to indulge in a good story.
In doing so, I know that no matter how the day starts or turns out, an interesting book or terrific TV series awaits at day's end.
I even devoted time to studying Literature and teaching Film Studies. Earlier in May, I submitted my PhD in English, and I'm happy to share that several weeks ago, I got my doctorate.
My PhD explores representations of reality television in young adult fiction. Now here I am, starting the first article in my new weekly column for the New Sunday Times.
Looking back, it seems natural that I would pursue stories as my bread-and- butter. I come from a family that loves movies. As a child, we went to the cinema nearly every weekend. I grew up surrounded by books.
Disney played a large part in my childhood. My mother worked for the Disney Channel, first in programming then marketing.
Our home was filled with Disney merchandise. I got to invite school friends to Disney parties. These were the social events of the year and I made sure the guest list was very exclusive.
Mum would also sometimes ask my opinions and preferences on programming. Here, I entertained grandiose illusions/delusions that I could influence what everyone else watched according to my tastes. To a child, that felt like pure power.
I'm grateful for a childhood full of Disney. Although I didn't know it then, I was privileged that throughout my formative years, I got a daily masterclass in how the media works.
I remember listening to my mother sharing an insider's perspective on the latest developments and decisions in Disney boardrooms, including how TV programmes are made, audience-tested and marketed.
While I have always loved visual stories like TV and movies, I admit I initially wasn't keen on books. In fact, I found reading a chore and a bore.
This changed when I was 10 when Mum made me read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This I did, grudgingly at first. But then something magical happened — I started enjoying the story! I was transfigured into a fervent reader.
For my generation, the Harry Potter series was our gateway to books and a lifetime love of reading. It helped that I was nearly the same age as Harry — I grew up with him. Almost everyone in my class eagerly anticipated our owl-delivered acceptance letters from Hogwarts the year we turned 11. Such is the potent magic of this story.
I soon discovered other stories. K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series immediately captivated me with its war saga of six kids with the power to transform into any animal they touched.
Later, I discovered the hilarity of Terry Pratchett's inimitable style, and the solemn power of Ursula Le Guin's writing.
As an undergraduate, my interest in stories became a true vocation. Majoring in English at Macquarie University, I enjoyed a veritable banquet of stories, and learnt to think critically about narratives.
I remind myself every day that I'm fortunate to have my family's support to continue pursuing my love for stories at the highest level.
As an educator, my favourite part of teaching is seeing my students' faces light up as they discover for themselves the depth, beauty and power of stories through critical thinking, analysis and discussion.
Through this column, I hope to bring the same joy to readers by offering my insights into books, movies and television — new and established.
Let our journey into stories begin.
The writer hopes to spread the benefits of reading, the kind that teaches and inspires