Graeme Base shares his gift of words and art with The Hope Card and Children of the Victorian Fires

Graeme Base created this sensitive illustration of our koala – parent and child – caught in the bush fires. Despite the ravages of the fires Graeme brings hope with the small new leaves growing from the burnt trees and the bonding of parent and child.

Graeme’s  poem is HOPE:- From the Shadows

A world of ashes leached of life.

The colours swept away.

A paradise lies lost beneath a shroud

Of ashen grey.

And yet in time the veil will fall.

The stream once more will flow,

And from the shadows ‘tween the trees

New life will surely grow. 

With thanks to Gaeme for being part of the world community of children’s writers and illustrators of and sharing with the children of the Victorian fires.

SCBWI Australia & New Zealand headquarters at The Hughenden Boutique Hotel , 14 Queen Street Woollahra Sydney NSW

Teresa Culkin-Lawrence Illustrates for the SCBWI HOPE CARD from country Victoria

Teresa Culkin-Lawrence lives in country Victoria and watched the devastation of the fires so close to her olive farm and home. Her illustration of family life with its humour and hope is part of that journey towards re -establishment of life after disaster.

As I put this HOPE CARD project together I am moved by the generosity and care of the children’s writing community.

The Hope Card to Kids of the Victorian Bush Fires from SCBWI Authors & Illustrators of the world

SCBWI children’s authors and illustrators from Australia and around the world send their love and hope for the future to the children of the Victorian bush fires.

The NSW Writers Centre, Publishers & Anthony Browne

The passionfruit soufle is back at The Hughenden. Fluffy, mouth watering, delicious.

Maire Sheehan the Chair of the board of the NSW Writers Centre, Lisa Berryman Publisher for HarperCollins who always supports the festival and … the Director of the festival – (that’s me) …dug into the souffle last night while discussing the fine points of the festival on 4th and 5th July at the NSW Writers Centre. It’s going to be a brilliant festival with Melina Marchetta launching it. More details soon.

Not A Muse Poetry Anthology published by Haven

NOT A MUSE – Edited by Kate Rogers and Viki Holmes

A bold, richly panoramic anthology of poetry from all over the world, exploring the inner lives of women in a post-feminist era.

“Creator, lover, freedom fighter, explorer, home maker, myth maker… As this stimulating selection of poems proves, there is no such thing as an average woman—a notion upon which we might all care to muse.”                   — Stephen McCarty, Literary Editor, South China Morning Post

Published by Hong Kong Publisher Haven and launched on International Women’s Day 8th March 2009 at the Man Literary Festival Hong Kong. It includes two of my poems. I wrote this for my beautiful daughter Tory when she was a little girl:-

 My Daughter 

 

I roll to one side

to make space for her.

She rolls spherical

into a cocoon

slotting under my arm

and I stroke her body

angry that she’s woken me.

 

I should shout

I should send her

back to her room

filled with dolls and puzzles

and fairytale stories.

 

She breathes heavily

grunting to settle

foetal-like

nestling into my nightie,

flannelled, smelling of me.

 

I should have taught her

not to wake her mother.

I taste her curling brown hair

leaving wetness on her ear,

my face against hers.

 

 

HAVEN supports READ TO READ www.roomtoread.org

bringing literacy to the world.