Confessional: Deborah Conway on the perks of teen modelling and becoming a ‘prepper’

Australian singer, songwriter and author Deborah Conway on the perks of teen modelling, guilty pleasures and becoming a ‘prepper’.

Australian singer, songwriter and author Deborah Conway, whose memoir 'Book of Life' was published in 2023 by Allen & Unwin. Picture: Markus Weber

My relationship with my voice today is … I’ve spent a lot of time hating my own voice, but I like it at the moment. It’s got a nice aged patina about it. It’s more mellow, I suppose, but still with a rasp in it, which is not something I’ve cultivated; I’m not a smoker.

The dumbest thing I do for fun is … I really like movies where a lot of henchmen get killed. [laughs] Die Hard? Great stuff. The first John Wick was pretty good. And I have guilty pleasure for Lee Child books, but I only allow myself to read maybe one a year.

The first money I ever made was … modelling, at age 18. It wasn’t a fortune, but it enabled me to buy a car and to move out of home. I never felt vulnerable while doing it; I don’t recall any terrible events. There were certainly no unwelcome sexual advances. I always thought of it as being a powerful position, getting paid to really not do very much, except to pout. I liked it: that minimum effort to be able to make some money while directing my attention to my other passion, which was music, which I spent a lot more time thinking about.

Writing my memoir, Book of Life, was … a hoot. There was not much else to do during Melbourne’s extensive lockdowns. It was like I was on a holiday, because I was doing all of this interior travelling: every day I’d sit down, start writing, and I would end up some place I never expected.

What I’ve learned about grief is … that it’s part of life. The title of the book is also a song [from Stories of Ghosts, 2013], which was written in response to two people I knew who took their own life. Growing up, I didn’t know much about people committing suicide. Unquestionably, life is painful, but you hope that people are able to find a way around it. I often look at the people who’ve done this, and the people they’ve left behind, and I’m very sad, but I’m also angry.

When it comes to cooking, I’m … the “B team” in the cheffing household here. [My husband] Willy Zygier is the “A team”. He’s cooked me thousandsof meals since we met in 1991; he’s provided me with at least one, possibly two, meals every single day. That’s pretty good, isn’t it? [laughs] I’ve become a baker in the last 16 or so years. I love kneading bread, making baguettes, sourdough, cakes and biscuits. And lately I’ve been becoming a prepper: I suddenly noticed Greek yoghurt is like $14 a tub at the supermarket. I’m thinking, “F--k, I could make yoghurt!” So I have been, and it’s a deep feeling of satisfaction to be able to do that.

As far as warming up before a concert goes … I probably should do that more often. If I’m nervous, I tend to do it more – but relaxed nights, I don’t tend to do much. I used to yawn a lot; that seemed to help. And there’s a few little vocal exercises that I sometimes do. But it’s more guitar playing for me, so I’ll be playing the songs through before we go on stage. If it’s our show Songs from the Book of Life, then I’m acting: there’s a script to learn, so it’s quite a lot of work. I’m playing me, but it’s me interpreted through the machinations of a memoir and a distillation of a life.

On my calendar is … [US author and speaker] Fran Lebowitz, which I’m very excited about.
I think she’s wonderful; a bit of a hero for me, and someone I feel a lot of simpatico with.

Here’s praying … for the diminishing of the absolutely extraordinary wave of antisemitism we’re seeing breaking upon the shore of every Western nation. I dearly wish and pray for that to sort itself out – and for the Middle East situation to be solved, which will ensure security for Israel, and survival for the Palestinians who are not supporting a murderous death cult.

Book of Life is out now (Allen & Unwin). Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier will perform at Sydney Festival (Jan 21), Canberra (Feb 29), Wagga Wagga (Mar 2), Burrinja (Mar 23), Frankston (Mar 24) and Brisbane (Apr 12-13).