How to use this Page

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!!!!!

Do I love Beecroft Bookshop!

YES!

Is Paul MacDonald, owner of the Bookshop a passionate advocate of kids’ books?

YES!

Did I enjoy speaking to kids and parents about writing at the Bookshop?

YES!

Did I love sharing with Paul, my beautiful picture book illustrated by the talented illustrator Serena Geddes?

YES!

Had a great morning there.  Beecroft Bookshop is launching Gracie and Josh which is endorsed by the wonderful VARIETY, the children’s charity, on 1st March 2013.

I LOVE Variety the children’s charity that embraces fun, kids and supports kids and families who face disadvantage and/or disability.

Luna Park was the ‘fun-est’ place to celebrate the Melbourne Cup in Sydney.

Serena illustrated for the kids and I played with them – they are so sweet. Loved them.

Serena Geddes and I are creating a beautiful picture book which is endorsed by VARIETY

-called ‘Gracie and Josh’ to be published by Ford Street Publishing celebrating kids who ‘seize the day’ despite sickness and challenges.

We got to see big people too like the fantastic VARIETY team including David Small the ED, Gracie Proust Marketing and Brooke Taylor.

…… and very big people like Sheila Blige – who wasn’t a drag!

…..and Glen Wheeler TV personality with the secret RED shoes.

The CBCA NSW had the BEST AGM ever – exciting, enthused, networking with publishers, writers, authors, teachers, librarians, readers and so many organisations including Society of Women Writers, Stephen Wilson PETA,  branch Presidents from Wollongong to Northern beaches Sydney, NSW CBCA judge Jill Bruce …. and of course Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

SCBWI was thrilled to support the CBCA and our brilliant authors and illustrators who presented about the exciting projects they are doing:-

Nathan Luff – watch out for his new series published by Walker Books

Sue Whiting – fabulous author of books from her best selling picture book Firefighters to award winning YA novel Cooper Jones

Sarah Davies -   extraordinary illustrators of the fabulous FEARLESS among so many other works

Serena Geddes – so talented and who will be illustrating the joyous Gracie and Josh – our picture book. celebrating kids and endorsed by VARIETY

SCBWI Conference Talent, talent, talent – illustrators coming out of your ears and eyes – a feast of established and new illustrators are showcasing, speaking, sharing the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators at The Hughenden in Sydney.

Showcase: Friday 29th June

Open to Industry 4.30-5.30p.m. for an exclusive viewing

14 Queen Street Woollahra

Lead by our brilliant Illustrator Coordinators:- Frane Lessac and Sarah Davis,

supported by the Illustrator committee – Lesley Vamos, Serena Geddes, Andrea Edmonds, Majorie Crosby-Fairall. Invitation created by Lesley Vamos.

Some of the brilliant illustrators showcasing and speaking:-

Nina Rycroft

Frane Lessac

Lesley Vamos

Lachlan Creagh

Majorie Crosby-Fairall

Sarah Davis

Betty Sargeant

Wendy Binks

Follow the SCBWI Conference Blog –   http://scbwiaustnzconferenceblog2012.blogspot.com.au

A National Year of Reading partnership with ambassadors for the NYR ambassadors Hazel Edwards, Frane Lessac, Deborah Abela, Christopher Cheng and Susanne Gervay are part of the SCBWI Conference.

www.love2read.org.au

Celebrations at The NSW Writers Centre for the BIG birthdays of award winning and best selling illustrator Sarah Davis and her husband mathematician Dave were filled with music lead by Sarah’s muso brother and a band of wild and woolly musicians.

Dave sang a wonderful love song to Sarah …… delicious. Every woman’s dream.  

Sarah Davis’ spooky model of the haunted house was centre stage at the launch of ‘Sounds Spooky’, a brilliant picture book illustrated by Sarah Davis and written by Christopher Cheng.

Maurice Saxby gave a wonderful reading of Sounds Spooky celebrating the originality of the book’s design, unique three dimensional models created by Sarah and the spooky words of Chris.

Publisher and former President of the CBCA Margaret Hamilton, illustrator Serena Geddes, author Wendy Fitzgerald, librarians, children and friends came to celebrate. People crowed into Better Read than Dead Bookshop in Newtown and we all partied. 

Talented Serena Geddes dropped into The Hughenden for a cup of tea. She also gave a delightful illustration of Aleesah Darlison and her ‘Totally Twins’ series published by new Frontier – to be hung in the Exhibition in the Reading Room of The Hughenden.

Totally Twins is a humorous series about identical twins, Persephone (she’s the sensible one) and Portia (she’s the messy one) Pinchgut.

SCBWI Conference opened with a celebration of Alessah Darlinson’s ‘Totally Twin’s illustratrated by the talented Serena Geddes in the Hughenden Victorian lounge

Lin Oliver Executive Direcot of SCBWI, film Director and author of the 3.5 million best selling Hank Zipster written with Henry Winkler, flew to Sydney to be part of this international Conference.

Aleesah’s ’Totally Twins’ is the start of a series that will engage kids in the adventures, humour and reltionships of twins and all kids. Marc McEvoy Deputy Literary Editor of the Sun Herald launched the book with warm stories of the significance of reading and books.

Publishers, authors, illustrators  started with a great party to start a weekend of friendship and community in the world of kids writing.

e-lit with Val Noake and Michelle from Gymea Public School, is taking authors & illustrators everywhere through video conferencing.

The authors involved in this pilot are Sue Walker, Laurine Croasdale, Jeni Mawter, Jacqueline Harvey, Aleesah Darlinson and the illustrators are Nina Rycroft, Tina Matthews and Serena Geddes.

We spoke to Franklin Public School in the Riverina, Gol-Gol Public School also in the Riverina, Gymea Bay Public School and Abbottsleigh - the kids were terrific and really great at intreactive with the smart board, video conferencing and ther speakers.

Watch out for the e-Lit Literature Festival with video conferencing in June.