Last week I visited Dee White's blog for a bit of a chat about picture books. Fun it was. Thanks Dee :)

  The conference begins.   The SCBWI Maldon Creative Retreat aimed to provide stimulus and support to Childrens' writers and illustrators.    Attendees ranged from newcomers to well-published Australian creators. While mostly Victorians, we also welcomed two Tasmanians.  The first day program was designed to offer stimulus via workshops on poetry and illustration, emotion

I was having some new pics taken when I needed to check my hair (as you do). No mirrors being handy, I used the 'selfie' camera on the phone. That's when I noticed the photographer was taking a photo of me. So I took a photo of her taking a picture of me checking my hair in the phone camera. Clear?

Sunday was a wild one here in Melbourne, and that was just the lunch for my mother's birthday! After eating way too much, we ventured into the windy outdoors to walk off some of the excess ... so there'd be room for afternoon tea! All the native trees and shrubs were in flower. Whoever said that our native trees are not pretty hasn't looked closely enough. The sky went from

Sunrise   Moon set   still waters   cardiac stairs   Sea monster driftwood   More  driftwood Into the forest ...   A photographer needs an assistant  

courtesy of Mack and his classmates    

Seadog on the bottom shelf Still there Not any more!

I was in Brisbane last week, mainly to see the Rajah Quilt which was visiting from Canberra and keeping company with some very fine quilts from V&A and elsewhere. I had a spare day and courtesy of a writing friend was introduced to Sandgate on a day when the beach was showing its best sides. I love the public art in Brisbane. This fellow was about 2m tall. Blousy and beautiful

Big Red has been sighted in bookshops. Very exciting. And Seadog is back in stock. Fresh from his shortlisting in the Speech Pathology Award.

... but not for very much of it. It wasn't long before we had everyone crowding around, mixing, peering at bubbles in the mixture etc. And then we cut our loaves and there was a bit of tasting ... Read the rest of this post

What were you doing on this wintery-type day in Melbourne? I spent the day with my cousin's daughter (so ... my second cousin?) revisiting our shared history.   She was keen to see where my aunt - her grandmother - had worked. We did that, but we also looked specifically and more generally at history. I told her about our ancestors who had pubs in Richmond and the city and may or may not

  It's been cold in Melbourne. Yes, I know there are many colder places, and our weather is mild in comparison. It hasn't been cold enough for it to snow on Victorian mountains, which was very disappointing for our recent visitors from North Queensland. But it's been cold enough to put frost on the grass, and ice on the car windows. The days have been glorious, full of crisp blues

It's always fascinating to hear someone else read your work. Here's There Was an Old Sailor being read by Tetera Faulkner from Emirates Western Force. :)

Very excited to see Seadog on the Speech Pathology shortlist. :)

I'll be here on Sunday, courtesy of the wonderful Book and Paper Bookshop, as part of a day of activities for the younger set. :) If you're nearby, or have small people, come on down!

I'm not sure whether I love or loathe this part of the writing process. When an idea breaks away from the clamour of my brain and insists on attention. What seems brilliant in concept form can falter spectacularly in the transition from idea to fully formed story. At any stage. Or at several stages. This is both exciting and terrifying. Both appear necessary (WARNING: Pun Alert) if the

My friend Jackie K writes about Seadog and the launch here Thanks Jackie.

Saturday morning saw the official opening of the 10th Williamstown Literary Festival and the presentation of the Ada Cambridge Prose and Poetry Awards. My poem, Accidental Historians, was a Commended Poem. All short listed stories and poems are included in a book, which is lovely. Fascinating to read other entries.  Here are some of the short listed people, Terry Bracks (Festival Patron)

Melbourne is the place to be at the moment. Emerging Writers Festival, Reading Matters, Williamstown Literary Festival. It's all happening. The launch of the Willy Lit Fest is 10 am Saturday and that's also when the announcement will be made of the winners for the Ada Cambridge Short Story and the Poetry Prize. I've a poem shortlisted which is exciting. Saturday 1.30 pm I'll be running a two

Last weekend, we took our dog to Brimbank Park - surely one of Melbourne's secret fabulous places. From the park entrance, it looks almost industrial, but wind your way down the entry road and you're in a riverside oasis. You could be in the country in another time rather than contemporary outer suburbia.   There are clues though. This farming house boasts a TV antenna. And if you peer

A North Stradbroke Island inhabitant, worn out by the island's pace No filters (except for polarising). How's this blue?     Another worn out inhabitant   Brown Lake. Clear as weak black tea. Stained by ti tree leaves. Smelt fabulous. Medicinal swimming encouraged.   This fellow sang his approval of our dipping   At the beach near Ayr North Queensland. This bloke was having