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It was so much SCBWI news at The Hughenden for the SCBWI and excellent sandwiches too – even glutten-free!

Liz Anelli  intrepid explorer made it back after her Outback on a sketch trek for her new book. She crahsed and ended up on crutches.

I think she tripped over a wild dog in the Outback.

Luckily she made it to the SCBWI event at The Hughenden- all the way from Newcastle!

Deb Abela’s celebrating her brand new book – a companion book to the best selling dystopian novel Grimsden. It’s the brilliant NEW CITY (Random house) – a must read if you want to save the environment and the world.

Mark Thomason arrived from his many trips abroad – he’s having too much of a good time – hey but he’s back and writing again.

It was wonderful that Jennifer Reid President of the CBCA Western Sydney branch – so good to see her and she has her first book out!!!  Kooky Pants.

Marjorie Crosby-Fairall slipped the news that she’s illustrating for the iconic School Magazine!!!!  Well, what would you expect from this talented illustrator. Next week we hang her artwork from Croc and the Platypus in the Hughenden Illustrator Gallery.

Margaret Roc, Deb Abela and Marjorie Crosby-Fairall had spent the afternoon on plans – BIG announcement – bookmark 17-20th July 2016 for the next International SCBWI Conference at The Hughenden!

The post SCBWI Alive with Deb Abela, Marjorie Crosby-Fairall, Liz, Anelli, Jennifer Reid more appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

Love being a Writer Ambassador for Room to Read with the coolest writers around – caught up with the brilliant Room to Read team of Mihiri, Jennie Orchard & Wendy Rapee  at The Hughenden Hotel &:-

Jacqueline Harvey famous for her ALICE MIRANDA books

Oliver Phommavanh famous for his THAI-RIFFIC Books

Deborah Abela famous for her MAX REMY SPY super books and GRIMSDEN

Me – famous for my I AM JACK series which advocates for kids &  Room to Read

Hey, we’re a famous lot!! Ha, ha, ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We’re raising awareness at the launch of BEING JACK (4th & final  I AM JACK) in a BENEFIT for ROOM TO READ:-

with a live performance of I AM JACK by Monkey Baa Theatre

When: 5 p.m. Sat 23rd August 2014

Launched by: Christian  Marchegiani  Swans boxing coach and anti school bullying advocate.

Champagne, nibblies and we’ll have a great time

BOOKINGS: – Monkey Baa Theatre Company
Lend Lease Darling Quarter Theatre
Terrace 3, 1-25 Harbour Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Ph : 02 8624 9341 ( Ext 3 )
E: [email protected]
www.monkeybaa.com.au

Tickets: $30 for adults; $20 kids and family tickets

The NRL SUPER SPORTS STARS SHOULD BE DROPPING BY – They say NO to bullying too.

Come along and have a BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.roomtoread.org/australia

The post Launching Launching last I AM JACK ~ at Benefit for Room to Read – 5 p.m. 23 Aug at Darling Harbour! appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

Loved catching up at the Hughenden Hotel, with the brilliant author Kathryn Lasky and her husband Chris Knight who is an amazing photographer. What a team for their award winning non fiction books.

They’re in Sydney on holidays and to see ANIMAL LOGIC –the wonderful Australian animation studio who adapted her books Guardians of Ga’hoole into a beautiful animated film and guess what?

The actors all speak AUSTRALIAN!!!!! Including Deborah-Lee Furness, Abbie Cornish. Joel Edgerton, Sasha Horler, Bill Hunter … and more.

Not a bad thing to remember as Australia Day comes up soon.

What’s the Guardians of Ga’hoole about?

“Legend tells of a band of noble warriors… known as the Guardians of Ga’hoole. Whenever trouble is at hand, seek them out. For they are sworn to protect the innocent, and vanquish evil…”

See it on video if you didn’t see it at the movies.

Kathryn and I connected as our families came from Europe escaping persecution and her family landed in Minnesota and my family landed in Sydney!

http://www.kathrynlasky.com; http://www.newfilmco.com

http://www.animallogic.com/Studios/Work/Legend-Of-The-Guardians-The-Owls-of-Ga-hoole

The post Animal Logic creates magic with Guardians of Ga’hoole and Kathryn Lasky appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

It’s the start of 2014 & it’s drop in time before the crazy life of writing tours, events, festivals , school visits, media …. start seriously.

Where’s the drop in centre? You guessed it -The Hughenden.

I loved catching up with:-

-the award winning Albany (WA) Dianne Wolfer whose Lighthouse Girl (Fremantle Press) is a best seller!

- Monica Lizama the Chilean-Australian writer who dresses up as her character PAWS!

- Jennie Orchard with Margaret Wilcox from Room to Read who are developing the Writer Ambassador programme to raise awareness of the need to educate the kids of Asaa and Africa. SCBWI is on board with lots of our authors taking on the role of ambassadors.

- Libby Hathorn dropping in with her poetry books and she’s got a new book coming out with HarperCollins on ANZACS.

- Chris Cheng with Bini getting ready to head off to New York for the SCBWI Conference and then Bologna Book Fair  …. and other favourite creators!

Nearly ready to hit Las Vegas for the I AM JACK season at the Smith Center of performing Arts!

I’m staying at the EXCALIBUR HOTEL, so getting into princess gear … their could be some princes there. or toads!

The post Love, love, love the community of kids’ books!!! appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

Is this the way to start the New Year?

My VIP list:-

-  get organised for the LAS VEGAS trip where I AM JACK is being performed!

(LOVE Monkey Baa Theatre  www.monkeybaa.com.au)

- finalise the author tour on the West Coast USA.

- seriously organised the SCBWI International Conference 13-16th July at The Hughenden!

- work out the SCBWI website www.australiaeastnz.scbwi.org

-  edit my BEING JACK – where Jack goes from victim to victor to someone who stands beside his mate & family – I LOVE Jack because he’s like all the boys we know – the funny, real, good bits.

And it’s late ….. I’m pooped … and going to join this puppy.

The post From Las Vegas to Pooped! appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

Warm, welcoming, celebratory – a community sharing story and friendship.

Following the Kids and Young Adult Literature Festival at the NSW Writers Centre, writers, publishers, those involved in Australian creativity poured around The Hughenden bar – so much noise that they drowned out the pianist on the baby grand. But who cared? It was fabulous.

Good food, great wines, good company – it was a Chaucerian  feast of storytellers.

It was a great time to thank John Dale Professor of Writing at UTS for his dedicated services to the NSW Writers Centre as the Deputy Chair of the Board.

So many people were there – special welcome to Leah  Greengarten NSW Director of Australian Poetry

www.australianpoetry.org