I love Sally Murphy’s work. Her beautiful book ’Pearl Verses The World’ which won the Australian Family Therapist Award in 2010, is accompanied by ‘Toppling’ which was runner up to my ‘Always Jack’ this year. However as the award judge said, it was on a coin’s throw which book to select.
I love that my ‘Always Jack’ is in the company of Sally Murphy’s ‘Toppling’.
Both deal with cancer but in different ways. Both positive, sensitive, warm and loving. They make it safe for young people to talk about cancer.
‘Always Jack’ carries the Cancer Council’s yellow daffodil.
I am proud to be an Ambassador for The National Year of Reading.
Yesterday I was part of the Cancer Council’s photo shoot for their Pink Ribbon Day – with kids, babies, young women, old women, guys – it was great fun and something close to my heart as a multiple breast cancer survivor and author of ’Always Jack’ that carries the Cancer Council’s logo – the yellow daffodil.
SUPPORT the Cancer Council’s Pink Ribbon Day in October.
http://www.pinkribbonday.com.au
Beautiful congratulations are coming from all over Australia & the world.
Thankyou to HarperCollins Australia for the stunning bouquet of flowers.
Thankyou to the organisations I advocate for – the NSW Writers Centre, Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People, Room to Read, CBCA, the Children’s & Illustrators Network (at the Hughenden), SCBWI, Books in Homes, Cancer Council …
Thankyou to my very funny friends – who think an OAM is hilarious and keep courtseying and sending me cards with OAM.
Thankyou Australia for the OAM!!!!
Thankyou for SCBWI – the messages are coming from everywhere.
As the child of post war refugees, my parents with my baby brother, left everything to escape Hungary across minefields in the dead of night, for freedom. In the Austrian refugee camp, they hoped a country would take them.
They wanted to be chosen by the USA, but it was Australia who offered them home. They didn’t know what or where Australia was, except it was far away from war, communism and imprisonment.
They came on a refugee ship, without language, possessions, community, but with hope. Like many, they rebuilt their lives in a new country. It is the story of America, Canada, UK …. many countries.
It’s hard to believe that as the child of refugees, I have been awarded an Order of Australia. It is overwhelming and deeply meaningful.
