Deborah Abela Ooohs….. Action Packed Author Tony Park at Newington Literature Festival!

 

LOVED catching up with author friends from everywhere. Some favourite moments:-

Deborah Abela and Tony Park joking around – adventure African ex-soldier author meets one of my favourite authors Deb Abela

Tristan Bancks was hilarious on the Books for Boys panel except - yuk to his ‘scab’ story!

Maggie Hamilton really makes a difference empowering boys (and girls) – love beautiful Maggie – and when will she give me Reiki again? Maggie has magic healing hands.

Andrew Daddo’s story of writing his 1st book had everyone in stitches.

Dinner at the Hughenden with fabulous award winning Lucy Christopher for his first book – international best seller ‘Stolen’.

Libby Hathorn - so funny dining at the Hughenden when the next table whispers – ‘Is that Libby Hathorn? We named a class at Australia Street Public School Newtown after her!’ The Mum was thrilled to see Libby.  She’s a brilliant author.

So good to catch up with Tim Pegler from Melbourne – cutting edge YA novellist.

Special to chat to Isabelle Carmody  who has flown in from Prague for the festival. She says she’ll be back in Australia in a couple of years.

Newington Literature festival is raising funds for Room to Read – bringing literature to the kids of the developing world.

As an author ambassador for Room to Read, I think Newington is fantastic.

Thankyou to Sean Corcoran Head of English for supporting Room to Read a Newington College charity and to Newington College for embracing Room to Read!

Fantastic Newington College Literature Festival 2011 is on again with heaps of authors – Isabelle Carmody, Barry Jonsberg, Duncan Ball, Simon Higgins …..

The buzz of the festival is brilliant – kids, teachers and dynamic authors.

A huge banner welcomes everyone to Newington College in inner city Sydney.

Chris Kelly the Newington College bus driver arrives at The Hughenden Woollahra to collect the authors.

Hard to get their attention as everyone is catching up on news – best selling adventure writer Simon Higgins is running late with his samurai sword - he’s a master at it.  International fantasy author  Isabelle Carmody is jet lagged as she flies in from Prague.  Barry Jonsberg is just having a good time – must be the Darwin lay back atmosphere. He’s just flown in from Darwin of course.

The bus rocks into Newington and other authors join us – Duncan Ball, William Kostakis, Sue Murray, Max Barry, Arnold Zable, Jackie French, Jeni Mawter, Leonie Norrington ….. and many more.. welcomed by Festival Coordinator Sue Richer.

SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards 2011

The SCBWI Retreat was wonderful with many RA SCBWI leaders short listed for the Crystal Kite Awards.

RAs at the retreat who were shortlisted include:-

Tracy Barrett – ‘King of Ithaka’

Sydney Salter – ‘Swoon AT Your Own Risk’

Jo Kittnger – ‘Rosa’s Bus The Ride to Civil Rights’

and ….. others.

 

In Australia & New Zealand the shortlist is:-

Always Jack        Susanne Gervay

Arnie Avery         Sue Walker

Last Tree in the City    Peter Carnavas

Marmaduke Duck & the Marmalade Jam – Juliette Maciver illustrated by Sarah Davies

There  was an Old Sailor -   Claire Saxby

Ned Kelly & the Green Sash -   Frane Lessac and Mark Greenwood

Congratulations everyone!

Congratulations to my friends/colleagues – Hazel Edwards, Shan Tan, Serena Geddes

I’ve come home from the USA after the fabulous SCBWI retreat to discover my friends have been amazing:-

Congratulations to Hazel Edwards for the prestigous White Ravens award for  ’f2m: the boy within’ by Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy published by Ford Street. www.hazeledwards.com

It’s for  outstanding international books for children and young adults, with 250 titles from more than 40 countries, selected from the thousands of books. The catalogue is available at www.ijb.de.

Congratulations to Shan Tan for the huge honour of an Academy Award for short films for ‘The Lost Thing’ based on his award winning book!

Congratulations to Serena Geddes  illustrator for her ‘Why I love my Mum’ and ‘Why I love my Grandma’  which is hitting Australian stores for Monther’s Day and will be sold throughout the UK in the huge Sainsbury’s stores.  www.reeni.com.au

 Published kids authors & illustrators are welcome to join the Sydney Writers & Illustrators Network at The Hughenden, 14 Queen Street Woollahra (Sydney) – 1st Wednesday of every month 10.30-12.30

 

Kindness – the power of good- featured in Reader’s Digest published by Mark McCrindle

The Power of Good: True stories of great kindness from total strangers

This book counters the overwhelming media bombardment about a violence, cruelty, war.

The world has also KINDNESS.

One just has to see the terrible disaster in Japan with the earthquakes and read the stories of human kindness – neighbour helping neighbour.

The Power of Good is a celebration of those acts of kindness we have all experienced.

 

 

 

Let brotherly (and sisterly) love continue.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:

for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.

Hebrews 12:1-2

 A percentage of sales of this book go to the Australian charity HOPE STREET www.hopestreet.org.au

There are seventy very short stories – easy to read, easy to relate to, easy to care.

Some of the stories are written by:-

Writers:  Peter FitzSimons, Geraldine Brooks, Libby Gleeson,  Susanne Gervay

Media personalities: Jean Kittson comedian, Anthony Ackroyd comedian

 TV Reporters: Simon Reeve presenter ‘Sunrise’ channel 7; news presenter Tracey Spicer; Anton Enus SBS World News

Leaders of Charities: Simon Rountree Camp Quality; Father Chris Riley Youth off the Streets; Stephen Murby Cystic Fibrosis Victoria

Sports, politicians, many others: Eric Bailey former NBA player;  Tim Fischer AC former Deputy Prime Minister; Professor David de Kretser AC Governor of Victoria .

This book of acts of kindness – ‘the power of good’-  is being launched now.

For more details contact: www.mccrindle.com.au; info@mccrindle.com.au