The Reporters are STARS!!!!!
The librarians are STARS!!!! (Thankyou Ann and Sabine, Joanne from Wyvern)
The Head of Teaching learning is a STAR!!!! (Thankyou Sean Corcoran)
The Headmaster is a STAR!!!! (Thankyou Dr David Mulford)
The parents who looked after us are STARS!!! (Thankyou Wendy)
My fabulous minder. I’d have got lost without him. (Thankyou Ewan.)
Loved speaking to the boys, the passion for making a better world, engaging conversations and of course catching up with fantastic Australian authors who I call my friends – all of us committed to reaching young people through literature.
Randa Abdel-Fattah, Deborah Abela, Felcie Arena, Michael Gerald Bauer, Charlie the Educator, Andrew Daddo, Kirsty Eager, Nick Earls, Archimede Fusillo. Scot Gardner, Gus Gordon, Neil Grant, Richard Harland, Barry Heard, Simon Higgins, linda Jaivin, Barry jonsberg, Valana Khoza. Will Kostakis, john Larkin, Benjamin Law, Jeni Mawter, Mandy Ord, Michael Parker, Oliver Phommavanh, Mochael Pryor, Richard Tulloch, Arnold Zable and others.
Thrilled as an author ambassador for Room to Read, that this Festival supports Room to read and bringing literacy to the children of the developing world.
My friends piled into Readings Bookstore for the launch of ALIEN SHORES - authors Jen McVeity, Hazel Edwards, Meredith Costain, Paul Collins, Rose Inserra, illustrator Marjory Gardner. Love them.
Julian Burnside QC gave a moving speech to launch ‘Alien Shores’ edited by Sharon Rundle and Meenakshi Bharat. I felt overwhelmed by Julian’s description of a refugee who converted to Christianity and would have been stoned brutally if forced back to Iran.
Arnold Zable read a segment from his story in ‘Alien Shores’.
Sharon Rundle and I spoke on ABC Radio National with the insightful Michael Cathcart about ‘Alien Shores’.
Michael Cathcart also talked about my personal story in ‘Ships in the Field’ illustrated by Anna Pigantaro and how that related to ‘Alien Shores’.
Geoffrey Rush, in his speech as Australian of the Year, put out a call to the writers of Australia,
saying that he wanted to see the ‘stories of people wanting to come here at great peril to their lives,
with such extraordinary bravery’, adding that: ‘we’re not finding that human scale in the story and
I think it’d be good if we did that because I think people would discuss the arguments
with less overly emotive responses to primal knee-jerk reactions.’
Alien Shores is a cross Indian-Australian anthology of renowned Australian and Indian authors and a powerful response to Geoffrey Rush’s call.
To be launched at The Hughenden with special guest The Indian Consul General and authors Linda Jaivlin, Rosie Scott, Susanne Gervay, Sharon Rundle, Meenakshi Bharat, Michelle Cahill, Andrew Kwong … hosted by Roanna Gonsalvez
Published by Brass Monkey Books Australia, imprint of UQP.
Editors: Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle (Eds)
Publish Date: May 2012
ISBN-13:9780980863932; ISBN-10:0980863937
Libraries, libraries, libraries – you’ve got to LOVE them.
They’re spreading the reading message and as an ambassador for The National Year of Reading, I’m speaking at writers’ festivals, book launches, libraries, schools, bookshops.
Is it fantastic? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Here’s a snapshot of my May tours for The National Year of Reading - www.love2read.org
4-6th May ~ Keynote at the Gloucester Writers festival – www.gloucesterwritersfestival.com
6th May – Launch at Gloucester Festival of ‘Alien Shores’ an anthology of refugees narratives that reach into struggles, humour, life of finding home with authors including speaking Sharon Rundle and Andrew Kwong. I’ll be speaking about my story.
17th -18th May -Coff’s Harbour region speaking at schools and the Catholic Diocese of Lismore in Northern NSW Teacher-Librarian Conference
20th May – Melbourne for the launch of Alien Shores by the Human Rights QC Julian Burnside with authors, Arnold Zable, Sharon Rundle, Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Susanne Gervay at 6 p.m. Readings Bookstore Carlton. http://www.readings.com.au/review/alien-shores-by-sharon-rundle-meenakshi-bharat-eds
22nd May – Launching Alien Shores in Sydney at The Hughenden Hotel with authors Linda Jailin, Sophie Masson, Sharon Rundle, Rosie Scott with the Consul General of India www.thehughenden.com.au
23rd May- Randwick Library in Sydney for Simultaneous Reading Time where ambassadors will read to parents and littlies across Australia – can’t wait, it’s going to be gorgeous! http://www.alia.org.au/nss/
24-May – Taree Library speaking about ‘Always Jack’ for the Biggest Morning Tea in support of the Cancer Council at Taree Library brought up by the Australian Library and Information Association
25th May -Halliday’s Point Library on North Coast NSW
28th May – speaking at 10 am in Warringah Library in Sydney’s Northern Beaches about my first picture book ‘Ships in the Field’.
29th May – Teacher Librarian Conference at Maroubra Junction Public School Sydney
That’s my MAY spreading the National Year of Reading Celebration of Books!
Love you to come along and chat to me, or log onto the www.lovetoread.org website and joi
The Reporters are STARS!!!!!
