Homies and The Popz Compton Cricket Club & Father Chris Riley off the Streets in Sydney

The Compton Cricket Club are coming back to Sydney, staying at the Hughenden February 2011

- they are committed to helping kids in trouble. 

- sponsorship by The Hughenden is natural with its cricketing history and being the home of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators SCBWI, Australia & New Zealand.

The ‘Homies and the Popz’ Compton Cricket Club (CCC) is the only all American born Exhibition cricket team in the world today.

The “Homies” mission is to curb the negative effects of gang activities amongst the youth of Compton, South Central Los Angeles and all inner cities, addressing homelessness through the ethics of Cricket.

Last year, they  collaborated with the charities Father Chris Riley Youth off the Streets as well as Urban Seeds Credo Cricket.

They are global ambassadors of goodwill & peace for urban young people in trouble through Cricket.

BOOK A NIGHT WITH THE HOMIES:-6 p.m. Saturday 5th February 2011

at Ray Hughes Gallery

270 Devonshire Stree Surry Hills (Sydney

$70

Book: hugh@cricketouttacompton.com.au

www.cricketouttacompton.com.au

 

The Sydney Children’s Writers & Illustrators Network Starts at the Hughenden again for 2011

The new year started with floods in Queensland and an enormous outpouring of support by Australian children’s writers and illustrators. I am proud to be part of this community.

With the new year comes Network. It begins at the Hughenden again in February.

It’s open to any contracted or published children’s/young adult author or illustrator.  Just turn up.

• Date: 1st Wednesday of the month – 2nd February 2011
• Time: 10.30-12.30
• Place: 14 Queen Street Woollahra (just off Oxford Street Paddington)
• Parking: 2 hour parking on Queen Street; all day parking in Centennial Parklands across the road; parking until 3 p.m. on Oxford Street opposite the Parklands.
• Bus: Plenty of buses along Oxford Street. Just get off at corner of Oxford, Queen, Moore Park Road.
• Cost: Buy your coffees/teas cake or frittatas during the meeting.

 Authors and illustrators often drop by, stay, catch up for coffee. Just caught up for coffee with the talented Queensland author Pamela Rushby at the Hughenden.

Her YA novel ‘When Hip Chicks Went to War’ (Hachette)   won the NSW Premier’s Award in 2010. Fabulous book.

Network supports Room to Read, bringing literacy to the children of the developing world www.roomtoread.com

Floods can’t stop Australia Day Ceremonies in Shire of Wakool & Across Australia

Australia Day means barbeques in every corner of the country from Melbourne, Perth, backyards everywhere to The Hughenden across the road from Centennial Parklands Sydney which is awash with sausages cooking, flags and community.

The Shire of Wakool, in the Riverina District is sheep and rice country with some cattle, orchards, in the South West corner of New South Wales. They have just ended 12 years of severe drought. There are the floods now, but the land is green and beautiful and the floods are receding.

I spoke on the banks of the Edwards River at the breakfast barbeque at Moulamein.

I acknowledged the traditional owners past & present – the Wamba Wamba nation, Woolworths who sponsors all the Ambassadars, the Australia Day Council of NSW , the Mayor and community of the Shire.

Mayor Rod Chalmers led the breakfast ceremony on the banks of beautiful Murray River under our gum trees.

Australia has experienced it worst floods in Queensland. Victoria has lost homes and farmlands. Everyone at the ceremony has been impacted by the floods & people who couldn’t be there were at the floods sand-banking rivers and helping evacuate.

However it was a time to celebrate our nation, so the snags were cooking and the Mayor led the  affirmation:-

As an Australian citizen

     I affirm my loyalty to Australia and its people

     Whose democractic beliefs I share

     Whose rights and liberties I respect

     And whose laws I uphold and obey.

I had the privilege of addressing the community here and later in Wakool, about how we are all one nation coming from all over the the world to find home here. I told the story of my parents’ journey as post WW11 & post-commuist Hungarian refugees who rebuilt their lives and family  here. We have all found home.

For a podcast & transcipt of part of the journey of my family’s migration on ABC National Radio- Perspective:-

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/perspective/stories/s1634484.htm

I wish my parents could have been there but I know they are in spirit.

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!

 

Australia Day:Charter Flight out West, Author Susie Elelman, Olympian Anthony Deane

Author and tv personality Susie Elelman and I were having a few laughs at the airport. We are excited about our charter flights out west as Australia Day Ambassadors. Susie is going North West and I am going South West.

Our charter planes were ready to go at Bankstown Airport, when 1010 Australian Olympian winter athlete Anthony Deane – who is in individual skeleton zooming down an ice shute – joined us. He’s dedicated, young and also excited about being an Ambassador. 

Anthony is the Australia Day Ambassador for Deniliquin.

I am the Ambassador for the Shire of Wakool. Mayor Rod Chalmers and his wife Linda are meeting us to drive further West into the Shire.

 

It’s wonderful being an Australia Day Ambassador!

Support Children’s Book Council Australia Cards for Queensland Floods

 An easy way to support the victims of the Queensland floods is by buying a $10 pack of 10 gift cards from the Children’s Book Council Australia Queensland.

http://qld.cbca.org.au/qldfundraiser.htm

SCBWI Australia supports the CBCA Queensland cards.

Other illustrators in the collection are Peter Taylor, Lachlan Creogh, Suzy Boyer, Matt Ottley, Jacqui Grantford