Inside the ‘bonkers’ world of best-selling author Ali Lowe

Author Ali Lowe, writer of steamy bestseller Trivia Night reveals the secrets of her controversial success.

Ali Lowe with Labrador terror Sunny. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

Family often gets in the way of her self-confessed “neat freak” tendencies but writer Ali Lowe wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Our house is just always bonkers,” says the best-selling author. “It’s hectic on a daily basis … but there’s only so much you can do when you have three kids, two cats and a dog that’s an absolute terror.

“The walls already show the effect of kids with dirty hands and a dog that comes in wet and then runs up the hall. There’s a lot of Gumption used in this house!”

With her youngest child having started school this year, Lowe is now relishing six hours of quiet time each day to work on her novels. Her debut, The Trivia Night, about a group of parents who make a reckless pact to partner-swap at a school fundraiser, was an international bestseller, while her second, The Running Club, was released last month.

“I just work in that block between nine and three,” she says.

Lowe’s cat Jaffa is more nice and sweet than naughty. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

“Then I get my kids off the bus and the domestic side of the day starts up again. My study is in the middle of the house, so when everyone’s home, there’s always someone charging around.

“We also entertain quite a lot. We have friends coming over and there’s always kids in the house – we always have an open house … there’s a lot of kid hopping. Life does get quite busy but I love it that way.”

Who: Author Ali Lowe

Where: Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It was a 1920s weatherboard when we moved in about 11 years ago but our family was expanding so we knocked it down and did a rebuild. I live with my husband, Rob Lowe – not the American actor – my children, Rafferty, 11, Savannah, 10, and Atticus, 5, two cats and a crazy chocolate brown labrador.

Favourite space: I love our family room the most. We call it the snug; it’s where we all pile in.

Home is: where my family is. I can be myself and be with the people I love.

AUTHOR ALI LOWE’S FAVOURITE THINGS

ROBERT GORDON MUG

The Hug Me mug never goes unloved. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

I just love having my coffee in this in the morning. My husband is amazing and he brings me a coffee each morning. This mug is called the Hug Me mug and I love it.

DIPTYQUE CANDLE

The candle that burns inside. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

This was a gift from a friend of mine when The Running Club came out. One of the characters is called Carole and she’s very outspoken and can be quite sniping in her remarks. My friend gave me this and said: “Here’s to the Carole that burns in all of us.”

OLD LETTERS

War writings. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

My grandfather was a Japanese prisoner of war and was interred in what was then Burma (now Myanmar). He sent letters to my grandmother and my mother. They’re just beautiful letters. They’re very, very precious. My grandmother was pregnant (with my mum) when he went away to war.

VINTAGE TYPEWRITER

Ebay special. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

I found this 1950s typewriter on eBay and I had it delivered from the other side of Australia. It reminds me of one that my grandfather used to use. It was in such a bad state when I got it.

THE RUNNING CLUB

Book no. 2. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

This is my second book. I’m in the middle of promos for it now, which is exciting. It’s a story about a group of people in a very wealthy community that have had secrets from their teenage years come out in a big way – one of them ends up dead.

SHELL FROM FIJI

I bought this shell in a place called Shell Village, in the Mamanuca Islands. I put my cosmetics and perfumes in it and it sits on my dressing table. Fiji is my family’s happy place. It’s a nice reminder of paradise.

PHOTO WITH MY MUM

Retro snap. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

This is just a lovely old retro polaroid that we’ve had framed of me, when I was five, and my mum, when she was 45. My mum lives in the UK and I miss her terribly. My youngest is five and so he’s now the same age as I was in the photo.

DAPHNE DU MAURIER POSTCARD

Postcard favourite. Photo by Renee Nowytarger / At Home

Daphne du Maurier wrote the book Rebecca, which is one of my favourite books. I have a couple of early editions of it. This is a postcard that she wrote to her aunt in Cornwall. The picture on the front is of Manderley, (the fictional estate) in Rebecca. I bought (it) at an online auction.