How to use this Page

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.

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

SCBWI stars, stars, stars!!!!!!!

Starting with the Three Wise Writers – Nathan Luff, Deborah Abela, Wendy Blaxland – who came with ‘incense’ and song to the SCBWI Xmas Theatre sports.

It was a fabulous night of good food, good wine, good company of children’s writers and illustrators and publishers at The Hughenden Woollahra – and brilliant performances by Theatre Sports’ stars including:-

Sarah Foster publisher Walker Books

Sarah Davis illustrator

Marjorie Fairall-Crosby and more, more, more!

What an opening!!!!!

The talented, gifted, amazing illustrations of Australia and New Zealand’s children’s book illustrators took publishers and agents’ hearts and minds.

View the showcase:-

http://www.scbwiausnz.squarespace.com

Hundreds of people poured into the Hughenden to open this celebration of the community of children’s writers and illustrators.

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

Fearless is the best bed dog in the World. ‘Fearless in Love’ with …. you have to read Sarah Davis’s new Fearless to find out who.

I was excited to bump into Sarah Davis and New Zealand literary agent Frances Plumpton walking into The Hughenden.

Frances is a good friend. We had a great time at Bologna Book Fair together.

We had lunch at The Hughenden and shared the joy of Fearless.

The Queen Victoria Tea Rooms resplendent with chandeliers, 19th century decor and high tea was a fitting place to farewell this remarkable publisher.

Linsay Kinight’s authors and illustrators, bookshop owners, significant people in children’s literature and the RandomHouse publishing team were there to acknowledge Linsay Knight. Margaret Searle Managing Director said she that she loved working with Linsau and that she would always be a friend and colleague even after Linsay left Random House.

Jacqueline Harvey gave a wonderful speech about how significant Linsay Knight was in the development of many authors and illustrators. She was invaluable working with author Jacqueline Harvey in the development of the series Alice Miranda.

The Queen Victoria Tea Rooms resplendent with chandeliers, 19th century decor and high tea was a fitting place to farewell this remarkable publisher.

Linsay Kinight’s authors and illustrators, bookshop owners, significant people in children’s literature and the RandomHouse publishing team were there to acknowledge Linsay Knight. Margaret Searle Managing Director said she that she loved working with Linsau and that she would always be a friend and colleague even after Linsay left Random House.

Jacqueline Harvey gave a wonderful speech about how significant Linsay Knight was in the development of many authors and illustrators. She was invaluable working with author Jacqueline Harvey in the development of the series Alice Miranda.

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. 

Mike Spoor makes characters come alive! 

His Dinasaur Cove series published by Oxford Uni Press is especially huge in the UK.

Mike’s gorgeous illustration of Watch Duck is in the Hughenden Reading Room, together with the works of award winning illustrators including Sarah Davis, Nina Rycroft, Frane Lessac, Donna Rawings and the academy award winning illustrator Shan Tan.

I was so happy to meet Mike and asked him to illustrate a new DUCK for me. Even though he had heaps of talks at All Saints Festival he made the time to create my DUCK. Thankyou Mike. 

Here’s what Mike did:-

  Check the illustration carefully and find DUCK – Mike did this for the illustrator page at ALL SAINTS Literature Festival.

Soooooo……………. excited about My DUCK!!!!!!!!!!

I love the artists who wander in and out of The Hughenden. Many of them exhibit their works here. There have been some beautiful gifts of art to The Hughenden.

Some are:-

Bella’s Buttrose’s ‘Man From La Mancha’ that hangs at the platform to the servant’s staircase

Peter Edgeley’s  pen and ink illustration of The Hughenden that’s in the history display at the entrance to The Reading Room.

Jules Sevelson’s stunning portraits of Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everidge), and the delicate oil of Tory Gervay co-writer of ‘That’s Why I Wrote his Song’  – she wrote the songs and music for our book.

Nina Rycroft’s joyous artwork of colour and movement of ballroom penguins and quails in the Reading Room.

Sarah Davis’   sensitive moving painting of a mother and child from her book ‘Mending Lucille’ also in the Reading Room.

Stephen James  award winning artist with his major portraits hanging in the stairwell of Amanda Lohrey author and  Paul Dyer Director of the Brandenburg Orchestra

Pierre Renoir’s  original ‘forgery’ unsigned but in a wrought gold worked antique frame that’s something to see.

Discover wonderful small pieces and eccentric works.