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The moment I knew: Days after September 11, we flew through turbulence – all I could say was ‘I love you’

The Guardian UK Saturday 22 August 2026, 20:00 UTC By Scott Westerfeld 1 min read
Key Points

In 2001, Scott Westerfeld travelled from New York City to Sydney to see Justine Larbalestier. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, they navigated the crisis as best they could, togetherFind more stories from the moment I knew seriesI noticed Justine before she noticed me. We were at a literary award ceremony and she was wearing a dress, upcycled from a black Velvet Elvis painting, talking to a man three times her age.

In 2001, Scott Westerfeld travelled from New York City to Sydney to see Justine Larbalestier. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, they navigated the crisis as best they could, together

I noticed Justine before she noticed me. We were at a literary award ceremony and she was wearing a dress, upcycled from a black Velvet Elvis painting, talking to a man three times her age.

I asked my friend, Carol, who knew everyone, why I’d never seen her before. Carol explained that she was an Australian academic, researching the history of publishing, and led me across the room.

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Scott Westerfeld (PERSON) New York City (LOCATION) Sydney (LOCATION) Justine Larbalestier (PERSON) Justine (PERSON) Velvet Elvis (PERSON) Carol (PERSON) Australian (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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