Hidden Gems

Congrats to Lili Wilkinson on the inclusion of Angel Fish in the Notable Books section of the CBCA awards announced recently.

Angel Fish follows the journey of Gabriel and the Children's Crusade as a group of children set out to liberate the Holy Land from the Infidel. The voice of Gabriel is authenticate and evocative of a time and place long past. As with all good historical fiction, it is relevant to today's readers as it raises issues of belonging, blind faith, jealousy and betrayal.

Another gem which many have yet to discover is Scatterheart, another historical fiction from Wilkinson. The book has recently been released with a new jacket which I would buy just to because it would look so good on my bookshelf. Fortunately, the story is also a great read, set in the time of convict transportation to Australia. This would be a great companion book for students studying Australian History. I also think it has cross-over appeal to the adult market and would make a great book club read. Check it out.

There are plenty more songs where this came from

Congrats to Ben Beaton on his inclusion in the Notable List from the CBCA this year.

Ben's debut novel, Mama's Song, is a beautiful story about a teenage girl who must live with the choices she has made. As the story unfolds, we glimpse the events that lead to Georgina being alone in a country hospital. She must find her Mama's Song to truly connect with her baby, Hannah.

I thought Ben was brave to take on this female voice but he has done it with such honesty and authenticity that his gender is a moot point.
It's a great read for all teens.

I look forward to his next offering.

short, scary and unemployed...

As I printed out my Williamstown Literary Festival 2010 (WLF 2010) welcoming letter, I noted near the end that if I had a website or blog or facebook I should be touting the WLT 2010 wherever possible.

I do have a website and a blog and a Facebook account.

I am a failure at all of these cyberspace tools.

I've admitted it before. I was talking to another writer about it recently and came to the conclusion that I am an extremely private person. I guard my privacy . I wonder why? It's not like I'm afraid the paparazzi are going to hang around my front gate or go through my rubbish.

Anyway, I did want to note that I have left black dog books as Managing Editor and have taken a chance to draw breath. The decision to leave was a hard one to make. What a fantastic job! What great scope there was for artistic input. In the end, though, I felt there wasn't much left over for my own personal artistic output. Before I left, however, I was blessed to work on two great publications. Sugar Sugar (Carole Wilkinson's latest offering and first YA book, which I will discuss in another post) and short and scary, an anthology of short stories, poetry and illustrations. I would personally like to thank the wonderful Australian authors and illustrators who submitted stories to the anthology and congratulate the new authors and illustrators who were included in the book. This book will raise funds for kid's literacy and is a great showcase for new talent.

And the WLF 2010?
It is a festival for readers and writers, and runs from 27-30 April nightly and on the weekend of 1 and 2 May, Williamstown Hall, Ferguson Street, Williamstown. There is a great program of events, and you can check it out at www.willylitfest.org.au
I am holding a session called 'Writing for Children', so if you feel like stretching your imagination, I'd love to see you with a notebook and pen (yes, I will be making people write, what?, no?, actually writing in a workshop?...).

A small free kiss in the dark

I have just finished reading this gorgeous book by Glenda Millard. It is a gentle telling of war-ridden Melbourne and narrated by Skip, a boy who was already homeless before the start of the war. There is something fascinating to me about stories where the main protagonist is dealing with a war or post-war situation. It may have something to do with growing up during the Cold War where such stories abounded. It's also a great device for kids to be the hero of the story without parental supervision or interference. I enjoyed the Melbourne references, though saddened to think of the State Library taking such a beating. I think it's so important for Australian kids to have their own lives reflected in the stories they read, be it geographical, vernacular or cultural references. Congrats Glenda.

Science Fiction - just another excuse to write good stories

I am currently reading The Best Short Stories of Ray Bradbury, a book which I have just discovered in my garage stash. Some of the stories are dated with their reference to years which have come and gone without the advent of flying cars or completely autonomised homes, but the essence of the stories ring true. Bradbury writes about human nature, and this never changes, no matter how 'modern' we think we are. In this age of 'the latest thing', it's nice to delve back into the bookshelf and see the legacy left by yesterday's authors.

The Axe-murderer is upstairs...

The rain rattles at the door, the floor above me creaks when I know that no one is upstairs, I turn up the radio, bolt the front door and try to calm my imagination.
Damn Stephen King!

Hail Middleaged Frumpiness

There is something to be said for anonymity of middle-aged frumpiness. You are totally invisible to the world and can enjoy the best eavesdropping opportunities while fading into the wallpaper. Last week at breakfast, armed with a magazine and flat white, I caught the conversation from the table 5cm away. (Those inner city places love to pack em in.) A word of warning. If you are going to eat breakfast in public and declare that someone is dumb, it will probably reflect back off those groovy mirrored walls that adorn the very groovy eatery you have chosen to breakfast at and hit you right in the face. I sided with every person subsequently slagged off and was left to consider the idiosyncratic nature of someone who will only drink Pepsi in a crystal glass every hour on the hour — a story I did not hear the end of. Which reminds me of another conversation that I didn't hear the end of. I went home and finished that conversation by writing a short story which subsequently became a 14 book series. There is something to be said for listening in...(and not getting caught).