2010 – Exciting things:Kids & YA Literature Festival, IBBY Korea NAMI Island Festival, SCBWI Conference at The Hughenden to my new book ALWAYS JACK

Some of my ‘babies’ promoting STORY as a way to reach the world for 2010 are:-

International Conference in GOA India – January 2010 

SCBWI International Conference at The Hughenden 17-19th September 2010

The Kids & YA Literature Festival at the NSW Writers Centre Rozelle 3rd July 2010

My new book ALWAYS JACK comes out for Breast Cancer Awareness month October 2010

I AM JACK in the USA published by Tricycle (Random House USA)

PEACE for Kids – 5th Nami Island Children’s Book Festival, South Korea – IBBY (IBBY), UNICEF, UNESCO - November 2010

Storytellers, Partners in Crime, Sydney Writers & Illustrators Network, Launch of ‘Fear Factor – Terror Incognito Picador – at The Hughenden 2010 www.thehughenden.com.au

More News coming … let’s make 2010 an amazing year.

Jamie looks NUTS, but he is having a good time.

India & Australia: Literature & 'I Am Jack' in Goa, India

If you happen to be in Goa, India from 18-21st January, drop into this amazing Indian-Australian Conference about short story, human rights, novels, youth literature. I’ll be speaking there.

It’s the 5th International Conference of the Indian Association for the Study of Australia IASA – www.iasa-india.org - 

Fear Factor: Terror Incognito, edited by Meenaskshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle includes the stories of Booker Prize to emerging authors such as Sir Salman Rushdie, Thomas Keneally, David Malouf, Jeremy Fisher, emerging writer Andrew Kwong. My story ‘Days of Thailand’ is included and was inspired by my journey into Thailand as a young travellor and the impact of terrorism on us as a world community and personally.

Published by Picador India, there will be a high tea and launch there. It’ll be such an amazing experience.

I’m speaking on the power of youth literature and social justice and how through story in books like ‘I Am Jack’ and ‘Butterflies’, we emotionally engage young people about who they are and what sort of world they want to live in.

 My cousin Ruth Balint is a speaker too which is so much fun. I’ll be on a panel with the translators of Hazel Edward’s books ‘Antartica Dad’ and ‘Grandma Leaps the Antartic’. I love that.

Speaking at the British High Commission in Delhi to SCBWI India will be an experience in international friendship.

Lots of exotic experiences expected!!!!!

Wishing Everyone A Joyous Festive Season 2009

Thankyou to my parents who are always part of me, my family, friends, writers, illustrators and colleagues in Australia and around the world for a year of challenges and love. Some of my friends are facing great personal, emotional and health hurdles. I am in awe of their courage and I send my deepest love to them. Healing love.

To feel loved is to find spirituality;

 to love others is to experience greatness;

to hurt is to prove humanness.   (Buddhist teaching)

 I feel loved, love others and I have hurt because I am human.

Thankyou for taking social justice through my children’s book ‘I AM JACK’ throughout Australia and the world.

Thankyou for inviting me to speak at the World Burn Congress in New York  on my YA novel ‘Butterflies’ reaching to those who face enormous challenges.

Thankyou to the world SCBWI community of children’s authors and illustrators who sent their love to the children of the Victorian bush fires through the Hope Cards.

Thankyou to all those organisations which are part of my life – The Sydney Children’s Writers & Illustrators Network at the Hughenden, NSW Writers Centre, SCBWI, the Storytellers Guild, Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People, Room to Read and many others.

Thankyou to The Hughenden with its commitment to heritage, the arts and a welcoming haven to so many.

Thankyou for the gift of life, family, friends, creativity and a belief in  the ‘experience of wisdom as a way towards inner peace.’

Our journey of life is filled with conflicts, hardships, misunderstandings, loss, obstacles but also humour, comraderie, sharing, enquiring, searching and fulfillment.

LOVE TO YOU ALL. 

The joy of the arrival of Quin - heavenly writer

Kids' Home Library by Lee Littlewood Reviews I Am Jack

Kids’ Home Library by Lee Littlewood

www.creators.com

New Books for Kids with Important Messages and Fun Appeal

Authors have Fun at the Hughenden at Christmas

Jenny Hale and Jatta – the first in her werewolf series, takes being a werewolf seriously at teh Network Christmas party.  Jatta has just been sold to Scholastic Canada. Congratulations Jenny.

Tina Burke visiting from Toronto Canada for the SCBWI Xmas Party at the Hughenden, loves the Hope Cards. her beautiful painting of a girl watching the flower grow symbolises the rebirth of community after the Victorian bush fires 2009.                                      

Wendy Blaxland always looks fabulous, colourful – maybe because she writes plays as well as books and acts.

Chris Cheng and I are celebrating another great year for SCBWI.

Hilarie Lindsay is one of the great dames of Australian literature – not only an author of kids to adult books – but also a mentor to so many new authors. Award winning author Moya Simons was mentored by Hilarie. I was too.