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
Balloons, partying, Glen Street Theatre, authors, illustrators, librarians, kids’ literature enthusiasts – the Christmas party by Children’s Book Council, Northern Beaches was a buzz!
Michael Stephen-King had us moved to tears with his stories of the heart:
- illustration as his place to escape, explore, create in a confusing world where his deafness separated him
His joyous lines capture the curiosity of childhood and we love him.
Glenda Millard also brought tears and laughs with her stories of family and relationships.
She invites us all into the safety of being different and celebrating it. Love her too.
It was a night of friendship and celebration of the children’s literature community-
authors Kate Forsyth, Belinda Murrell, Wendy Blaxland, Margaret Roc, Aleesah Darlison, Laurine Croasdal, Jill Bruce, Anna Feinberg, Kim Gamble
… the iconic Maurice Saxby father of Australian children’s literature
and Margaret Hamilton publisher, writer, and Director of the illustrator’s house Pinerolo in the Blue Mountains.and so many more.
Thankyou to Wendy Fitzgerald, president of the CBCA Northern Beaches and all the fabulous people who supported this night.
FABULOUS NIGHT!
Dmitry Kuznichenko layers his art with European culture and Australian sensibility in his evocative work. He joined the SCBWI Christmas party to connect with children’s book writers and illustrators.
It was great to see co RA SCBWI author Christopher Cheng with authors Wendy Blaxland, Jan Latta, Jenny Blackford and Frances Plumpton literary agent and head of New Zealand chapter of SCBWI.
I gave a preview to everyone of my first picture book ‘Ships in The Field’ illustrated by Anna Pignataro, to be released Feb 2012.
Courtney Severini, jazz singer and pianist entertained everyone and it was a wonderful celebratation of the end of the year.
Thankyou for the gift of your congratulations from the writing community and friends all over the world and those who love JACK.
www.cancercouncil.com.au
The Cancer Council:-
‘Susanne Gervay’s ‘Always Jack’ makes it safe for children, parents and the wider community to talk about cancer.’
Here are some of the many, many emails and facebook messages for ‘Always Jack’ and this award :-
FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Wendy Blaxland author
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators QLD
CONGRATULATIONS to Susanne Gervay, SCBWI Regional Advisor – Australia and New Zealand New South Wales & Queensland – winner of the 2011 Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature for her book, ‘Always Jack’.
Congrats! Patricia K. Dean, Ph.D., Associate Professor Salisbury University Maryland USA
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Comment history
The rain poured, Sydney was brooding, but the launch of Gracie and Josh was a total joy.
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.
We were privileged to partner with Variety the children’s charity in ‘Gracie and Josh’ – www.variety.org.au
