Andrew Upton, the Australian playwright, producer, and director, has released his debut novel 'Krank Fuss', a fantastical allegory in the spirit of George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'. The book, set on a farm in Nazi Germany, follows a disfigured chicken named Krank Fuss as she navigates a brutal hierarchy of anthropomorphized animals amidst the looming violence of World War II.
Inspiration and Origins
Upton, who lives in East Sussex with his wife Cate Blanchett and their four children, got the idea for the novel two years ago while collecting chickens from a pullet breeder. He observed a young lad catching chickens and dumping them into a box, wondering what they were thinking. This led to a 10-page story about a chicken with a disfigured foot, which he initially set aside as 'a bit fanciful' but ultimately couldn't abandon.
The framing device of the novel involves a World War I veteran named Rudi, who writes the fable for his unborn daughter. The story is discovered in a briefcase after her death by Rudi's grandson. Upton explains that the idea came to him as he was going to bed, influenced by the sound of planes from the nearby Biggin Hill airfield (a reminder of his father, an RAF navigator in WWI) and his own anxieties about wars in Europe.
Content and Themes
'Krank Fuss' is both funny and bleak, according to Upton. The novel includes violent scenes, such as a predatory cat meeting a gruesome end and a repulsive rapist rooster being killed. Ravens kill, rats serve as a chorus of evil, and blood spurts from decapitated poultry. However, there is also kindness and thoughtful exploration of powerlessness, as farm animals are fattened for food and have their babies taken away, 'trapped inside a system they don't understand,' Upton says. He notes that the book has multiple levels depending on the reader's astuteness.
Writing Process and Early Readers
Upton is an early riser, waking at 5am to write, especially on days when Blanchett does the school run. He didn't show anyone the full draft until it was finished, but his first reader was always Blanchett, who read it 'as soon as it is turned out.' He also shared it with Australian writer and director Kip Williams and his eldest son Dashiell. All three told him to 'stop telling people it's weird,' despite his warnings.
Upton, who served as co-artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company with Blanchett for 10 years, adapted works by Chekhov and Ibsen, which he says influenced his fiction. 'Getting to know Chekhov's worldview, so very rich and beautiful but very layered and complicated,' he said. 'And Ibsen, his fantastical layer of work and that hyper-naturalistic, hyper-realistic understanding of people.'
Publication and Reception
'Krank Fuss' is published by Puncher & Wattmann. Upton remains engaged with the world he created, still tinkering in his mind. 'I don't know where my writing will lead me to now, but it has led me to this, and I am thrilled. It has opened up a doorway to me as an older fellow that I honestly thought had sort of shut,' he said.
