NSW Writers Centre, St Paul's Grammar with fantastic new writers

Thursday – meet the brilliant teachers and students of St Paul’s Grammar at Winmalee writing camp.

The kids blew me away – so smart and amazing from the Absurdist commentator, the post modernist girl exploring religion through poetry, the girl exploring emotional reliasm to the boy questioning Orwell’s 1984.

To add to it were just fantastic teachers, a poet and the brilliant Cameron Nunn who wrote Shadows in the Mirror (Black Dog Books)

Saturday: NSW Writers Centre seminar – Had fun with writers who are venturing into the world of young adult and kids’ writing.

• committed
• passionate
• many published
• many seeking publication

It’s all about the drive to push ahead.

Luck comes to those who write, develop their craft and seek to write things that are important.

The Bitter Shore by Jacquie Everitt launch

Jacquie’s launch was a celebration of her four year journey to write her book about an Iranian family that fled Iran and ended up at Woomera Detention Centre in Outback Australia.

Published by Pan MacMillan Australia, there were lots of books sold.

It was a celebration of the family to survive the Woomera and Jacquie’s commitment.

Hundreds of people flocked to the launch, many involved in human rights, ABC radio and TV journalists and family and friends.

There was lots of champagne.

I AM JACK in the Downstairs Theatre at Seymour, Sydney

LOVE the Seymour Theatre in Sydney

• impressive
• major shows performed here

and I AM JACK

The I AM JACK banner was hanging welcoming the audience to the final shows of the I AM JACK season by MONKEYBAA THEATRE www.monkeybaa.com.au

Huge cheers to Tim McGarry – actor extraordinaire who played 11 characters with energy, humour, pathos and humanity.

Huge cheers to the brilliant MONKEYBAA team – Eva Di Cesare, Sandie Eldridge and of course Tim McGarry and the fantastic production manager luke Cowling and assistant Peta Dyce. Love them heaps.

Huge cheers to the wonderful kids and all the others in the audience.

Family and friends came to cheer JACK’s last show – love them all.

I AM JACK will be back for a return season in 2009 – touring from Queensland to Western Australia.

Campbelltown Arts Centre and I AM JACK

Campbelltown Arts Centre has a stunning theatre, and nearly full house for the afternoon performance.

Touched by friends and colleagures turning up:

• authors Di Bates and Bill Condon
• great I AM JACK supporter Ian McLean former editor of SCAN
• Christine Keyes editor of new Illawarra news, journalist and writer
• Tim McGarry’s family
• my VIP nephew and girlfriend
• the McCauleys
• and the step dad ‘Rob’ of I AM JACK

Audience laughed and cried and cheered.

Fabulous show in a fabulous theatre.

Speaking to UTS Writing Students

Loved talking to the writing students at UTS

• great university
• great course
• great lecturer and author Greg Bastian

Appreciated being asked to talk.

I did my M.A Writing at UTS.