Champagne, catching up, sharing publishing news, writers, illustrators …. at The Hughenden Hotel in Sydney.
Why? To spread the news of ROOM TO READ – educating the children of the developing world.
How many kids, has Room to Read helped? 9 million children and growing!
The brilliant Jennie Orchard heads the writer ambassador program for ROOM TO READ – and writer ambassadors came – award winning author Emily McGuire, best selling children’s author Belinda Murrell, Country Saga author Pamela Cook, Sarah Davis award winning ….. Susanne Gervay …. and we were there to discuss how to reach everyone with the message of Room to Read.
Come on -
-let’s get kids reading
-let’s especially give girls education
- let’s work with communities to stop illiteracy.
www.roomtoread.org/australia
The post Writer Ambassadors endorse Room to Read educating the kids of the developing world appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.
How do you feeling about our crazy life?
Ask the PUG!!!!!!
Can any more events, parties, book fairs, get togethers …. be squished into the 4 weeks before December’s Christmas!!!!!!
It’s on … we’re heading for the turkey and an almighty crash!
Diary of November 2013:-
- Celebrations of Hazel Edwards receiving an Order of Australia – YEAH!
- MC for SCBWI’s INSIDE STORY with our loved authors & illustrators at The Children’s Book Beecroft telling the inside story of creating their books including Deborah Abela, Tony Flowers, Yvette Poshoglian, Jan Latta, Christopher Cheng and more.
- Lunch with assistant editor of School Magazine - LOVE Sue Murray - a talented playwright as well as editor
- Sharon Rundle editor and friend and I went off to the launch of ’A Country Too Far’ at Glee Books- caught up with professor Elizabeth Webby and Tom Keneally, Rosie Scott and others.
- brilliant theatre at the opening at The Ensemble of ‘Rapture Blister Burn’
- catching up with my favourite actor Tim McGarry to talk about the I AM JACK USA tour for 2014
- Society of Women Writers’ at the State Library – lunch and collect a prize for ‘Ships in the Field’ – lovely
- Christmas celebrations at the CBCA lunch Northern Branch – catching up with children’s laureate Alison Lester and fabulous illustrator Sarah Davis
-Unleased Writers Festival in Sydney – loved speaking about the journey of writing with the audience
- post Unleashed Festival shared the book industry over dinner with publisher Paul Collins and author James Roy
- I’m the prize on e-bay for the UNLEASHED FESTIVAL! Talented author Mo Johnson won me – well a mini mentorship!
- Caught up with Sue Meyer at the Francis Keevil Gallery to se Sue’s beautiful art
- lunching with the fabulous authors Meredith Costain & Louise Park for Christmas cheer
- dinner with my wonderful publisher Lisa Berryman from HarperCollins to share news and my new book JACK 4 – yet untitled!
- coffee with Jesse Blackadder – love her last book STAY the last dog in Antartica -at The Hughenden who’s down in Sydney for a minute meeting her publishers
- my darling friend Kim’s 40th birthday
- the Australian Publisher Association party – sooo good and caught up with the HarperCollins team there.
- speaking at my old school Daceyville’s Creative Writing Festival – aaahhhhh – memories
- Books in Homes committee meeting selecting books for indigenous & disadvantaged kids – great charity
- launching Margaret Roc’s ‘Jellybean Goes to School’ at the Lindfield Learning Hub – lots of jellybeans and love Margaret
- the SCBWI BOOK FAIR at The Hughenden with some of our best ever authors like Sopgie Masson. kate Forsyth, Belinda Murrell, Deborah Abela and the lsit goes on.
- at the BOOK FAIR supporting ROOM TO READ www.roomtoread.org – loved seeing Jennie Orchard, Wendy Rapee, Cathy and Margaret and the Room to Read team.
- MC for Susan Wyndham’s talk on her book she edited and contributed to ’My Mother. my Father’ (Allen & Unwin) with authors Margaret Rice and Gerard Windsor – such great wrietrs at The Hughenden. Buy the book for Christmas.
Phew – that’s November!
The post Writers Go Crazy in November as XMAS starts %@# appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.
I’m flying back from the USA Convention where I launched ‘I AM JACK’ in the USA, to celebrate and network a the fabulous, fantastic, favourite – SCBWI Australia & New Zealand Conference in Sydney.
It’s going to be amazing with:-
- the best illustrator showcase ever with the best and brightest
- the best publishers and top agents
- amazing authors and illustrators
- NSW Writers Centre Kids and YA Literature Festival
-pitching and partying
and Meredith Costain author extraordinaire at the baby grand on Saturday night- bring allow your best singing
It’s a conferences of STARS – delegates and speakers !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Partner of National year of Reading – NSW Writers Centre and SCBWI with ambassadors of National year of Reading 2012 – Hazel Edwards, Deborah Abela, Frane Lessac, libby Gleeson, Christopher Cheng and Susanne Gervay.
Monkey Baa Theatre has its own theatre in the heart of Darling Harbour, Sydney!!!!!
It was goregous, arriving with the lights sparkling, the harbour dotted with boats, street performers juggling balls, families, young people, old people, everyone enjoying a glorious autumn day in Darling Harbour.
Lend lease Darling Quarter Theatre is such a commitment to Sydney and Australia – offering a beautiful theatre venue to our kids and families to see the best in youth theatre by Monkey Baa Theatre – www.monkeybaa.com.au
As a preview, I was in the family and friends performance to the 1st show ever performed at this theatre – ‘Tim Winton’s ‘The Bugalugs Bum Thief’ .
The kids were rolling in the aisles as the 3 boys went on a mad romp to find their stolen bums. The rollicking songs, the choreography tapping through stage and into the audience, kids and parents were in stitches.
It’s wonderful to see the best in theatrical direction, performance, stage craft …. used in theatre for young people.
Go and see it. Take your kids, your parents, grandparents get along there – it’s a romp.
The Northern branch of the Children’s Book Council is so joyous with lots of authors, librarians, readers at the Christmas.
The brilliant illustrator Kim Gamble created a Tashi artwork while Anna Feinberg read out their newest Tashi to be published next year.
Sarah Davis’ ’Sounds Spooky’ is zooming ahead with major sales. Karen Robertson has won the top position for her apps – Treasure Kai. Oliver Phommavanh has two new books coming out with Penguin in 2012. Wendy Blaxland’s Cooking series with MacMillan is cooking up a storm – sorry for my pathetic joke.
Jan Latta is back from yet another adventure crossing the globe taking wildlife photos for her Real life series of books – she’s off to China in February of course.
Jill Bruce was interviewed by Laurine Croasdale about her role as NSW judge of the CBC awards.
Jenny hale, Kate Forsyth, Lindy Batchelor, Jill Bruce, Serena Geddes, Aleesah Darlinson … and lots of other authors and illustrators there.
So many success stories.
Wendy Fitzgerald is the new President of the CBCA Northern Branch Sydney
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.
Sooooo….. much excitement with our own Lesley Vamos winning the illustrators’ pitch with her fabulous; Sarah Davis & Chris Cheng making a splash with ‘Sounds Spooky’; gifted Priscilla Burris illustrator and Illustrator coordinator SCBWI, talks by the greatest children’s authors & illustrators; friends from all over the world.
Love the Internationals from france, Hong Kong, Germany, Canada, Mexico — everywhere.
Time out has been cool to – my secret escape to Orogold – pure decadence of a moment of LA stardom – and I looked good aftrewards -www.orogoldcosmetics.com – nearly as good as Frane taking a pit stop on the poolside banana lounge.
We were happy to welcome Jon Appleton back to Australia after 15 years working in UK publishing. He’s come back to become the children’s publisher at Hachette.
Jonathon was one of those child prodigies who at fifteen years old, he published a review magazine of Australian children’s books with in depth interviews of creators. He’s excited about being back in Australia. We’re excited too.
It was one of those warm and wonderful nights with balmy summer weather, great food, even greater company and a SCBWI celebration of all the books published this year.
The publisher panels were warm, funny, honest and provided inside information on what publishers are looking for and what they are publishing. The publishers were:-
Lisa Berryman- HarperCollins
Leonie Tyle -Woolshed (RandomHouse)
Kira Lynn- Kane Miller USA
Maryann Ballantyne- Black Dog Books
Zoe Walton – Random House
Erica Wagner- Allen & Unwin
Jane Godwin- Penguin
Publishers are increasingly open to submissions via email – check out submission policies for Random House Australia who have published a number of books through this submission policy.
Pitches made by authors and illustrators, manuscript assessments, meetings created real interest from publishers in the delegates’ work in this industry conference.
Champagne, catching up, sharing publishing news, writers, illustrators …. at The Hughenden Hotel in Sydney.
