Footscray historically has been a working class and industrial area. How did you want to use the suburb as a setting to explore labour, specifically women’s labour?

The seed of the novel came from a story my uncle – long time resident of Footscray – told me about the Angliss Meatworks in Footscray catching fire one night, long after they had been decommissioned. My wondering about that fire took me down a rabbit hole of research into the meatworks and its workforce, many of whom had lived in the surrounding streets in cottages Angliss had built. I read and listened to oral histories from Angliss workers and explored the treasure troves of historical archives at The Living Museum of the West and Ercildune, particularly looking for information about the Slaughterman’s Strike of 1933 when the union attempted to stop the introduction of the chain system of slaughtering to Australian abattoirs. I was interested in the roles women played within the Angliss workforce – in offices, sewing rooms and supporting the picket line – but also the additional labour-lode that women have always additionally carried; as carers, lovers, friends and neighbours.