Fiona Wilkes (she/her) is a current PhD Candidate at The University of Western Australia specialising in English & Literary Studies. Her creative work has been published or is forthcoming in a range of local, national, and international publications including, Westerly Magazine, Coffin Bell Journal, The Elevation Review, LEON Literary Review and Lily Poetry Review, amongst others. She was a featured writer at the 2022 National Young Writers Festival. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2023. She was shortlisted for the 2023 Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction and was Highly Commended for the 2023 Katharine Susannah Pritchard Short Fiction Prize. Her debut novel, I Remember Everything, is shortlisted for the 2024 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award.
What inspired you to write ‘Coffee with Joan’?
“As with almost everything I write creatively, I have no idea where the inspiration came from! I spend a lot of time in my car commuting to work, and one day I was just letting my mind wander as I sat in traffic. Into my mind, quite as she does in the coffee shop, Joan walked in and sat down. So I asked her everything I wanted to know.”
What drew you to the history and character of Joan?
“I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Joan of Arc – this young girl who convinced armies, kings, and holy men to follow her into battle. Then, almost as quickly as they decided to believe her, they decided not to and punished her for asking them to believe.”
Fiona found that this concept, “a Cassandra-like narrative,” was a relatable topic for women that translated through time remaining relevant within modern society.
“I was also interested in the staying power of the myth of Joan – why is she such a favourite for adaptation, say? When did she become a fashion icon or a pop culture feature? I wanted to delve into these ideas and, more than anything, I wished I could ask her what she made of them! That’s where Coffee with Joan came from.”
If you could meet any other historical figure, who would it be?
“This is almost an impossible question, as I am such a history nerd! I would have to choose Oscar Wilde,” Wilkes said.
“I’d like to introduce him to this century which, even if he doesn’t quite understand it, would hopefully be kinder to him than his own.”
How does the setting of the coffee shop contribute to the narrative?
“It’s essential! This kind of conversation couldn’t happen on a park bench, or in bed, for example. Coffee shops give privacy and a level of anonymity, whilst also giving you other things to look at. They make things impersonal to a certain extent, and I think that helps people speak more openly, which is really important for a character like Joan.”
What does your writing process look like? Are you a planner, or do you figure the plot out as you write?
“I’m a mood writer. I often go weeks without writing a word of creative work and then I’ll write three stories in an afternoon.”
Wilkes confessed she detests the planning and editing stage.
“I’d like to be able to organise my work to produce things consistently, but I’ve learned that there’s no point in even attempting it. The work either arrives unannounced or it misses its train completely!”
Where can people find you on social media? 
On Instagram – @fi_wilkes
Don’t miss Coffee with Joan in Slinkies 2024 – out October 24th in the Spineless Wonders shop.