St Scholastica's College Writers Fe...

Melina Marchetta, writers, historians and … me too. We explored this historic college in inner city Glebe as part of the St Scholastica’s Writers Festival. The girls had made postcards of books they loved and created posters and bookmarks about ‘my place’ – who they are and where they belong. There were postcards on my ‘Butterflies’. It always moves me when my books reach readers in that way. I spoke to hundreds of girls and wonderful teachers. I loved it and...

Orwell's 1984 with Larry Buttrose, ...

It was a cast of Aussie stars a the Sydney Writers Festival Reading of George Orwell’s 1984 in the Ariel Bookshop in Sydney’s inner city. I read the frightening section when Winston Smith went to a prostitute to try and get human comfort. What a world – without love, friends, language – it’s isolated and frightening. The other readers were Sue Woolfe, Stephen Measday, Larry Buttrose, Bob Sessions the Publishing Director of Penguin Australia and many more … actors, writers, editors. Larry Buttrose was the host and there was VICTORY GIN at...

Hugh Jackman, UTS & Susie Gervay ...

Embarrassing was having my face flashed across those mightly huge screens at the 20th Anniversary of UTS with UTS graduates who were really important. It was rotating – so repeated embarrassment went on for a while. Despite my face problem, it was a fantastic night! I was invited as the guest of University of Technology Sydney (UTS) for their 20 year anniversary celebrations at the Hilton. A black tie affair. No, I didn’t wear a black tie. I sat between film makers and TV personalities like the odd ‘man’ out. The good part was that Hugh Jackman...

Writers at Sydney Uni and Me...

Spoke to fabulous talented new young authors at Sydney Uni. Part of their degree is to hear an author, so that they can uncover the life of an author. I told them that it’s tough but also brilliant. They are reading That’s Why I Wrote This Song and I played them Tory’s I Wanna Be Found – hope they loved...

At the heart of Literature is librarians...

Still reeling from the Bulgaian horror of those children trapped in the cruel institution without love, as I spoke to librarians (ASLA) today about ‘That’s Why I Wrote This Song’. I felt all over the place as I spoke. However they were warm and wonderful and some spoke to me about how I AM JACK is so loved. My new YA novel is about empowering young people to make choices that help them navigate life. it gets so hard sometimes. I wrote it out of a real place for my beautiful daughter Tory and my son Jamie and for young people in particular. At least I can...

Children of Bulgaria – I want to h...

Just saw disabled and ill children abandoned by parents into a Bulgarian ‘care’ institution on SBS television tonight. Can’t stop crying. Those children – so alone, so frightened, starving with no one to hold them … watching them go insane with no education, nothing to do, no speech, nothing but loveless pain. The lucky ones die. It hurts that I can’t put my arms around them. To see it, log onto ‘Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children’ on:- www.sbs.com.au Kids are so powerless. They depend on adults for their care, but this...

Kate Forsyth, Jan Latta, Susanne Gervay ...

So good to catch up with my friends – met at The Hughie, or what the non ‘in’ peopel call – The Hughenden Hotel in Paddington Sydney – and swapped news. Kate Forsyth just came back from the UK after doing a major tour for her new kids’ book series – Chain of Charms – it’s such a great series with gypsies, kids escaping death, Royalists and Roundheads with a bear, a monkey, a beautiful horse and of the course, the magic coins that make up the chain of charms. Jeni Mawter showed the cover of book three in her fabulous new...

CBCA Conference Melbourne and That'...

Just spoke to all these people at the CBCA Conference in Melbourne. I really like Melbourne. Saw heaps of authors and illustrators at the Conference – my friends. Authors like Hazel Edwards, Frane Lessac, Mark Greewood, Krista Bell, Stephen Axelson, Shan Tan, Jackie French, Bruce Whately, Sue Whiting, Sally Rippon, Elizabeth Honey … heaps … and lots of publishers, booksellers and people in the indsutry. Spoke about That’s Why I Wrote This Song and showed the video clip. View on Youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ess-R0dHtX8 The talk was great but the...