Leaders across the world from politicians to pop stars have been bullied at school and are speaking out against it including -

Eminem

Lady Gaga

Tom Cruise

President Clinton

Kate Winslet.

Taylor Swift

Yeah to them.

Kids and communities are crossing the world with NO TO BULLYING.

(Thankyou Frane Lessac for the photos of the anti bullying bus in the USA.)

I’m madly working on my film script adapting my 3 JACK books into a script driven by NO to BULLYING.

I find it  emotional that my son being bullied has lead to:-

the book “I Am Jack; Super Jack and Always Jack

adaptation into a play by Monkey Baa Theatre

translations into languages from Slovenian to Korean

USA release by Kane Miller Books

speaking across Australia & internationally

and has become part of that new consciousness across the world that:-

everyone has the right to be safe

no one has the right to target another person

power abuse is a crime both personally & globally

Reaching kids at school can change culture.

Room to Read, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation. Life Education Australia, Courage to Care – all say NO to School Bullying and endorse I Am Jack.

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One of the best plays I have seen – see Bombshells – twice.

‘Bombshells’ is a risky title, offering reviewers huge avenues for witty or unwitty sarcasm. But there’s nowhere that a reviewer can lift that poison pen.  ‘Bombshells’ is  dynamite, ripping inside women’s lives, exploding with vivaciousness, realism, hilarity, wit, music, dancing on an underlying  seam of ‘quiet desperation’. But there’s ‘the song still in them’.  (Henry David Thoreau).

The acclaimed playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, goes to the heart of the lives of women in six vignettes of seemingly very different women at different ages and stages: – a stay-at-home wife and mother with a baby and toddlers; a divorcee with her passion for cacti; a school girl’s ambitions for stardom in the school talent show; a bride on the pathway to disintegration; the widow and hope for love; and the come-back cabaret diva capturing audiences, singing her story of love and life.

The pianist and talented musical director Lindsay Partridge takes his place on the stage as the pianist in the final scene accompanying the diva. However, it is in essence a one-person play.  Sharon Millerchip, the multi-talented award winning actor is extraordinary. Her energy, versatility and ability to change persona quickly, takes the audience on the journeys of these diverse women. She is extraordinary, as she captures the audience immediately with fast paced dialogue, bitter-sweet characterisations and emotive themes of entrapment.

The audience is rolling in the aisle as Millerchip races across the stage as a frenzied mother  madly juggling breast feeding, school lifts, shopping, kids’ demands, cooking dinner and her guilty indulgence of real coffee and a few minutes for herself.  The pathos hits deeply when she says that at dinner she has nothing to say to her husband, because she’s done nothing.

Each vignette holds insights, challenges, laughs, insights, be it the cacti obsessed fanatic or the bride in love with her dress rather than her groom.  Sharon Millerchip, dances and sings across the stage. Her comedy is hilarious. Her tragedy moving.  Her humanity warm and real.  No one goes away untouched and everyone is energised by her outstanding performance.

The Director Sandra Bates and choreographer Nicole Buffoni have beautifully directed Sharon Millerchip with perfect pacing and interchange between vignettes. Marissa Dale-Johnson’s set design successfully melds into the stories changing as the scenes change.

‘Bombshells’ deserves to have huge success. Sharon Millerchip is outstanding, captivating and truly one of Australia’s great actors.

Rating: 5 stars plus.  See ‘Bombshells’ at The Ensemble.

www.ensemble.com.au

The Reporters are STARS!!!!!

The librarians are STARS!!!!  (Thankyou Ann and Sabine, Joanne from Wyvern)

The Head of Teaching learning is a STAR!!!!  (Thankyou Sean Corcoran)

The Headmaster is a STAR!!!!  (Thankyou Dr David Mulford)

The parents who looked after us are STARS!!!  (Thankyou Wendy)

My fabulous minder. I’d have got lost without him. (Thankyou Ewan.)

Loved speaking to the boys, the passion for making a better world, engaging conversations and of course catching up with  fantastic Australian authors who I call my friends – all of us committed to reaching young people through literature.

Randa Abdel-Fattah, Deborah Abela, Felcie Arena, Michael Gerald Bauer, Charlie the Educator, Andrew Daddo, Kirsty Eager, Nick Earls, Archimede Fusillo. Scot Gardner, Gus Gordon, Neil Grant, Richard Harland, Barry Heard, Simon Higgins, linda Jaivin, Barry jonsberg, Valana Khoza. Will Kostakis, john Larkin, Benjamin Law, Jeni Mawter, Mandy Ord, Michael Parker, Oliver Phommavanh, Mochael Pryor, Richard Tulloch, Arnold Zable and others.

Thrilled as an author ambassador for Room to Read, that this Festival supports Room to read and bringing literacy to the children of the developing world.

Authors HAM it up at Newington Literature Festival with great audiences.

Love it.

The Festival is supporting and raising funds for Room to read, bringing literacy to the children of the developing world.

www.roomtoread.org

Can’t believe it was 12 years ago when the Newington festival started.

I met Sue Richer the then school librarian for Newington College at the beginning of this fantastic new venture for the College in Sydney

This is the first year that it’s been run my the new head of the Lirbary Ann Jagger and Sabine who have done a brilliant job.

There’s been a feast of authors – from Archie Fusillo, Arnold Zable, Oliver Phommocanh, Deborah Abela, Barry Jonsberg, Richard Harland,  Simon Higgins, Felice Arena, Michael Gerald-Bauer, Michael Pryor ….. so many others.

and the Newington boys are fantastic.

I was deeply moved by their assembly where the Principal, chaplain, Sean Corcoran Head of Teacher Education , head of swimming…. supported by a brass band … gave such support to the Literature Festival, environmental protection and Room to Read – www.roomtoread.org – bringing literacy to the children of the developing world.

Arnold Zable acclaimed author launched the festival.

LOVED speaking to the boys. LOVED judging the the writing competition. Loved sharing my books with Newington College.

Great SCBWI night at the Hughenden in Sydney with:-

Linsay Knight entertaining SCBWI with her stories of becoming an independent publisher Pitt Street Poetry

- publishing what you want from kids’ books to the best of poetry to non fiction

- it’s about the love of it

The joy of :-

Deborah Abela – the ARA for SCBWI (NSW and ACT) – talented multi award winning author

Sarah Davis – Illustrator Coordinator SCBWI – talented multi award winning illustrator

Sharing brilliant books and news including:-

Felicity Pullman’s new historical novel published by HarperCollins ‘A Ring Through Time’

Nathan Luff’s ‘Bad Manners’ published Walker Books

Aleesah Darlinson and Jill Carter-Hansen (illustrator) Bearly There published by Windy Hollow

…. and so many more authors and illustrators with news.

Good food, good company, great speakers and networking.

The CBCA dropped in with a special hello to librarian Mike Botham and the girls from Sydney High School who love writing.

Next event is on Monday 17th June with guest speaker Margaret Hamilton one of Australia’s leading authorities on picture books, children’s books as well as adult books. If you visit the Blue Mountains drop into Pinerolo the children’s illustrators and writers cottage.

Susanne Gervay’s I AM JACK with Tim McGarry, Monkey Baa Theatre, Seymour Centre

Love, love, love Courage to Care.

They embrace ‘I AM JACK’ and the evening at the Darling Quarter Lend Lease theatre with I AM JACK was a fantastic night.

Tim McGarry was brilliant as usual performing JACK.

The post author and actor talk was compered by author Moya Simons. It was emotional as Moya and I started our writing careers together.

The brain child of Andrew Havas, Courage to Care brings the message of NO to bullying, social inclusion, harmony and justice to all people irrespective of colour, race, religion.

Courage to Care engages Holocaust survivors with children, and tours to schools across NSW, Victoria and will be reaching 100′s of school in Queensland in a partnership with the Catholic schools this year.

Visit Courage to Care website – www.couragetocare.com.au – and support a peaceful world.

Jason Stevens – an NRL footballer champion who made me cry  from FAT BOY to HERO!

THANKYOU for your support of I AM JACK the movie – advocating for young people and adults to say NO to BULLYING

Opening with the Hon. Justice Michael Kirby who was inspiring – bullying starts in the schoolyard.

THANKYOU to:-

Cranbrook (boys) – Michael Parker , Principal of Senior School

Randwick Primary School (co ed) – Helen Te Rata – Deputy principal

SCEGGS (girls) Darlinghurst – Jenny Ullum – Principal

for your inspirational speeches about the significance of I AM JACK the feature film and how we need to reach young people to create a culture of a safe world.

THANKYOU to the US Consul General Niels Marquardt for his words that linked Australia and the USA in working against bullying from the individual like JACK to world bullying.

THANKYOU to:-

THANKYOU to Stepan Kerkyasharian AO President of the anti discrimination Board who spoke eloquently about the Armenian genocide and the need to say NO to Bullying. I AM Jack begins the journey.

THANKYOU to the brilliant MONKEY BAA directors:-

Tim McGarry, Eva di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge.

Tim McGarry in his one man show of I AM JACK at the LendLease Darling Quarter Theatre had the audience laughing & crying.

THANKYOU to;-

Deborra-lee Furness for her commitment to I AM JACK – who’s a star of the movie.

THANKYOU to:-

LIFE EDUCATION Australia who has always supported I AM JACK and continues to support it

THANKYOU to-

Nadia Tass the Director for believing in I AM JACK

THANKYOU to:

The amazing young people who told their stories of bullying – Katie you made me cry

…. and so many more.

Most of all THANKYOU to the brilliant producer team of Stephan Wellink (producer) and David Whealy (Executive Director) who are driving this production.

JACK will change lives.Let’s change the world!!!!

It was exciting seeing the young intern who started working at the NSW Writers Centre emerge as the new Director of the Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne.

Sam worked with me on the Kids and Young Adult Literature Festival – he was great.

The EWF is doing amazing things from the festival to the wellness retreat for writers – love to go there.

I joined authors Paul Collins and Meredith Costain and George Ivanoff.

Congratulations Sam Twyford-Moore!

This was a welcome party amidst the hectic schedule of talks and interviews for ‘Gracie and Josh’ partnering with Variety the children’s charity

What’s Melbourne mean to me?

The city of literature.

Brilliant creative friends

My welcoming publishers – Lisa Berryman from HarperCollins – thankyou for a great dinner

Paul Collins from Fort Street Publishing – thankyou for your hospitality

Hazel Edwards who gave such a beautiful launch speech for ‘Gracie and Josh’.

Thankyou to the fabulous authors and illustrators who came along to the launch on a long weekend

Special thanks to Meredith Costain and Niki Horin for the editorial inspiration for ‘Gracie and Josh’

Serena Geddes – what can I say? She captured the joy of Gracie and Josh who jump from the pages of the book.

VARIETY the children’s charity – I love VARIETY and Kathryn the marketing manager for Variety Victoria gave such a special speech about helping kids – ‘Gracie and Josh’ is helping them too.

Excited to catch up with the talented Jen McVeity -and hear her Highlighting Writing tours.

Corrine Fenton – the award winning picture book author who leads SCBWI Victoria – love what you are doing for kids writers and illustrators in Victoria – the retreat sounds amazing

…..  so many friends …. radio interviews especially loved being in the ABC Tardis ……and so much more!!!!!

The rain poured, Sydney was brooding, but the launch of Gracie and Josh was a total joy.

Paul MacDonld from The Children’s Bookshop, VARIETY the children’s charity, Meredith Costain from Ford Street Publishing and an enthusiastic crowd welcomed ‘Gracie and Josh’ into the world.

I couldn’t believe it when Jodie Wells Slowgrove and Vicki Stanton and others braved the weater to drive hours from Woollongong to this event.

People came from fare and wide:-

Sharon Rundle, Christie Lamb and one of my favourite fans – the wonderful girl Nina Lamb – came from the Central Coast.

Loved poet Beverely George , award winning illustrator Sarah Davis and Nikau – gosh I couldn’t believe that she already a teen. – also from the Central Coast.

The award winning Libby Gleeson, Sue Murray playwright from School Magazine, Rachel Greenwood editor of the CBCA magazine and so many people piled into the Children’s Bookshop.

Serena Geddes and I shared the very special journey of creating our picture book ‘Gracie and Josh’ -

where we celebrated children and families who faced illness through the joy of words and colour.

Deeply personal, ‘Gracie and Josh’ is our public testament to the resilience and courage and love of children.

 We were privileged to partner with Variety the children’s charity in ‘Gracie and Josh’ – www.variety.org.au

Variety the children’s charity helps children with special needs, illness and disadvantage.

Variety also supports the families

Variety provides $1 million per month to kids’ hospitals, kids & families.

‘Gracie and Josh’ has partnered with VARIETY with the power of story.

I am very proud of this.

Launches are:-

9.45 am 1st March Children’s Bookshop 8 Hannah St Beecroft Sydney

1 p.m. 9th March Richmond Library415 Church St Richmond.

Jenny Mounfield reviews:-

‘My name is Gracie. Today, I’m a squiggly black spider.

My brother Josh helps me make my spider legs. They look like fat sausages.

Josh gives me his wooly black beanie. His favourite one has green stripes.’

Josh is going to be a famous movie-maker. Dressed in her spider costume, Gracie is starring in her brother’s first film. The only thing to mar this perfect picture of childhood is Josh’s cancer.

It isn’t often—if ever—that a picture book has the power to bring a lump to my throat. This one did it for me. Endorsed by Variety the children’s charity, Gracie and Josh is not a story about fighting a life-threatening disease; it’s a story about life and living—and milking every drop from every minute we have been given. This is a profound lesson for us all. Sadly, the world is filled with children like Gracie and Josh. Every one of them is undoubtedly a hero.

Gracie and Josh by Susanne Gervay & Serena Geddes

Ford Street Publishing; PB—5+ Price: AUD HC $26.95 PB $16.95

ISBN: HC 9781921665844 PB 9781921665851

Reviewer: Jenny Mounfield

My  daughter inspired the character Gracie Spider – here she is in her spider dress-up.

www.variety.org.au

The USA tour was so fabulous – from New York to Maryland to Washington State

- sharing I Am Jack and my JACK books and Butterflies which have been just published by Kane Miller Books in the USA.

Meet fabulous people – special thanks to Professors Ernest Bond and Patricia Dean at Salisbury University.

Caught up with fabulous writers and illustrators like Frane Lessac and Bruce Coville and many more.

Special thanks to Tabatha Roach representing Kane Miller Books and her great team especially Lisa and Jen.

THANKYOU!

Today is my last day of my book tour visit to the USA.

The evening parents’ talks have been emotional as we all work towards a safer world for our kids.

Thankyou to John Muir Elementary Redmond WA and the Parents Association and principal for your welcome.

Thankyou to View Ridge Eelementary and the fantastic librarian  for your welcome.

The schools I have spoken at are creative, with committed teachers and enthusiastic kids.

There were 400 kids and teachers at my talk about I AM JACK at Hedden Elementary School Edgewood Washington State

Washington State is stunning with the towering evergreens and lakes with Mr Rainer soaring above the landscape.

It is a reminder that we have to keep our kids safe when I see  signposts that there’s no tobacco, drugs and guns in their schools.

I’m working so that PIGS will FLY will fly, so that schools are safe.

I’ve spoken to 1000′s of kids and teachers and parents.

It’s been welcoming, inspiring and wonderful as I joke, play, engage with ‘I Am Jack’ and ultimately join together to work towards a safer world.

LOVE it all.

LOVE the Kane Miller Sales teams

LOVE Tabatha Roach, Lisa Gallo, Jennifer Thor.

Thankyou for driving me across Seattle to the mountains, through evergreens, hours hin so many directions to see a beautiful country and share my books and JACK.

PIGS DO FLY – I can feel the changes.

Saturday morning talk – lovely crisp winter day, with Mt Rainier rising above the city, the beautiful harbour, and ready to go Starbucks coffee cartoons

- LOVED TALKING  TO THE FABULOUS AUDIENCE

- sharing my books and  life experience and the importance of opening discussion for young people on what matters to them.

Just love the Kane Miller Books’ representatives – they are passionate about their books reaching kids.

I hear Sally Rippin is coming later this year to tour – she’ll love it too.

Saturday afternoon was off – free time to explore Seattle and I hit Pike Market -

choas with a myriad of alleyways, arts, fish markets, chewing gum alley …. and a rest stop looking out over the harbour with Seattle’s favourite food stop – soup in a roll! Delicious.

Ending with Starbucks – Seattle is the home of Starbucks- warm coffee as it was getting cold at night.

Fabulous moments speaking in Seattle:-

The two Marks – President of the PTA and the school librariqn – at Kokanee Elementary School Woodinville in Seattle support

- I Am Jack and NO to bullying at this wonderful school set among evergreens with stunning snowcapped mountatins as a background.

The principal dressed as Where’s Waldo? supported I Am Jack and NO to bullying at the wonderful school Gildo Rey Elementary School Auburn (Seattle)

Teachers and young people were engaged and connected with the JACK books and Butterflies (Kane Miller Books)  offering insights about how we all deserve t live:-

that is to be all that we can be.

Loved the day.

Reaching kids through story is deeply moving.

Through JACK – his jokes, family, inventions, photography, friends and family …. who he is, kids and adults connect.

There were some deeply shared moments with kids who revealed they were bullied, and other things … Jack reached them. It was a privilege.

I’ve spoken to 100′s and 100′s of kids in Seattle and love them

Thankyou to Tabatha Roach from Kane Miller Books for organising the tour with Jennifer Thor and Lisa Gallo.

In between I wandered from my fabulous art deco  hotel DECA to The University of Washington.

The university area is  lively with its heart being the University of Washington from Free Smells in the bakery to student theatre & lots of restaurants.

It’s a stunning gothic uni with the most magnificent library with soaring ceilings detailed stonework.

I loved the glass hanging globe.

Loved the SCBWI Conference – :

Brilliant Meg Rostoff who is witty and realistic and more

Shaun Tan who had the audience standing and cheering – a fabulous Australian and world illustrator!

Mo Williams who is definitely a stand up comic

Julie Andrew who had us all humming Sounds of Music

Best selling authors including Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen, Lin Oliver and Theo Baker, Ellen Hopkins …. and more.

Frane Lessac, Chris Cheng and I were there representing the Aussie and New Zealand contingent.

Our fabulous international leader Kathleen Ahrens was there from Hong Kong

The speakers were wonderful, but loved the delegates even more – from all over the USA, Europe and Asia – friends through children’s books

A privilege

The Quakers have a long history of tolerance and commitment to peace, so it was special to enter this very old school near Union Square in New York.

‘Torture is a Moral Issue’ was draped across their prayer hall

It was PEACE WEEK at the school and my visit was a relevant adjunct to it.

I shared ‘Ships in the Field’ with students and teachers and the journey of refugees to rebuild their lives in new ‘fields’.

I shared the deep honour as the child of refugees whose parents came to a new country with memories of war and communism, to receive an Order of Australia for services to children’s literature:-

from parents who worked in factories, sharing one room, without language, to standing in our Government House with all its pomp and splendeur.

‘Ships in the Field’ is such a beautiful picture book.

Anna Pignataro the illustrator’s journey was the same as mine, and so many others.

The children at the Quaker School identified with the story as so many of their families made that journey through Ellis Island to find home in the USA.

Thankyou to Constance Vidor the Head of Library Services for welcoming me to this caring school.

New York is cold, cold, cold but fun and I shopped as well as heard amazing speakers at the SCBWI  Conference and talking at schools.

Took the train from Penn Station to my friend’s home – thankyou Lynn and George – in beautiful Summit New Jersey -

with gracious heritage homes made of wood, huge oak trees lining the streets, snow thinly dusting the houses.

I snuggled warmly inside looking out.

It was lovely.

I was soooo lucky. I left Summit as the huge snow storms hit and arrived in Salisbury Maryland 4.5 hours later.

I discovered that the USA has more police car patrols than Australia. I didn’t think it was possible.

There were that many cops stopping and fining cars. Luckily I was too nervous to drive fast – being on the wrong side of the road.

No speeding fine for me.

Arrived in beautiful Salisbury – a university town where I was met by the brilliant Professor Ernest Bond, who is head of the Education Faculty at Salisbury.

He’s such a visionary embracing literature from all over the world and establishing the Green Book Award for children’s literature that promotes protecting our environment.

Ended the day with coffee overlooking a rustic lake;

speaking to university students and academics at Salisbury University about I Am Jack, Butterflies, ‘Ships in the Field’ – my books.

then Mexican dinner.

Fabulous day!

Kids are kids wherever they are. Enthusiastic , excited with endless questions and

- yes they have questions anddiscoveries and – No to school bullying.

120- 130 kids hosted by Professor Eernest Bond who is such a great advocate of children’s literature.

Fruitland Elementary School is one of the schools that work with the Salisbury University Teacher Education program.

Professor Patrician Dean threw a great party with the faculty and I had seasoned pretzels – delicious.

Having fun in beautiful Salisbury , in Maryland.

Driving South down route 13 in Maryland US holds secrets-

along the Atlantic Coast is this special Island

- ponies run free

- deer

- gulls who are so huge

Heritage wooden oak trees, firs, homes, ocean boardwalks with famous popcorn and cold beer

= great fun with the cool professors from Salisbury university – Ernie Bond, Patricia Dean with Ernie’s boys.

Talking about kids books from around the world – love it.

Farewell Maryland USA – loved every minute here.

Really enjoyed talking to the students at Salisbury University – they’re going to be wonderful teachers.

Loved the professors and their welcome

Loved the beautiful grounds of the university with its mix of old and new buildings, artworks and parklands

Loved the Peace display and act of kindness at the university – I wrote on the wall of course

Loved the Green Earth Book Award = Kadir Nelson is a favourite US illustrator – check out his stunning book MOSES.

Loved the international book displays – and of course the Australian and New Zealand component – with books by my friends like Deborah Abela and Prue Mason – glad to see my JACK books there and Butterflies.

Loved the hospitality of Professor Patricia Dean & Professor Ernie Bond.

THANKYOU – and I’m flying to Seattle today to begin my new writing tour – I Am Jack and No to school bullying.

Farewell fabuous Salisbury University.

Thankyou to Professor Patricia Dean – special hugs to her dogs Zoe and Lucy and the best kitten ever – Socrates.

Thankyou to Professor Ernest Bond for everything – also lift o Washington airport & stop off at the best ever diner!

Cool flight with Alaska Airlines to Seattle and collected by Tabatha Roach from Usborne-Kane Miller Books and Lisa -start of my Seattle speaking tour.

Beautiful hotel Deca – in the Washington University area. I’m on the 15th floor overlooking the city.  It has an art deco lounge area with fireplace, huge artworks – very special hotel.

Next morning drove through magnificent conifers over bays and a very long floating road. Seattle is beautiful.

Shared ‘Butterflies’ and my ‘I Am Jack’ books with 100′s and 100′sof kids and teachers and of cousre the wonderful librarians.

Some wonderful moments – reaching kids through story.