My Brother – Rotary President for ...

Last night went to the the induction of my brother Thomas Gervay as President of Rotary Sydney. Really proud – they’ve sent 2.5 million books to kids in the Pacific and are working to get teachers into indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and lots of other things. The old saying is true – when good men do nothing, evil is done. Well, my brother represents when good men do SOMETHING, good is done It was such a fabulous night on the Captain Cook Cruise ship sailing bteween the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge and seeing everyone cheer...

Salisbury University Maryland and Susann...

Dr Patrician Dean led the visiting team from Salisbury University in the USA – enthusiastic readers in search of Australian writers and they found ME!!! We had a banquet at The Hughenden with sushi and salmon and chocolate pudding drizzled with more chocolate and wine in the Victorian dining room with the fire blazing and the weather chilly outside. Lovely. Then they wanted to know about my books. Searching questions about human relationships, search for identity, dependence versus independance, love, guys and girls. I played them Tory’s powerful songs ‘I...

Partying with Salisbury University Maryl...

They arrived at The Hughenden in Sydney – all excited and breezy – ready to meet and party with Oz writers and illustrators. Cocktail party with wine and great food – ate too many lamb puffs. Salisbury University has an international programme – taking Oz books to the USA. They ALL read Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief – inetrnational best seller. However they were excited about Kate’s Chain of Charms being published in the USA and all the authors – Jenny Hale, Felicity Pulman, Patricia Bernard, David Mulligan, Chris Cheng, Jeni...

NSW Writers' Festival Huge Celebrat...

What a fantastic festival at the NSW Writers Centre Saturday 21st June 08. It was full house with lots of networking, publishers, authors, illustrators and readers with everyone from Duncan Ball, Bill Condon – both are very funny – to Laurine Croasdale and her Surfing School to Kate Forsyth and her fantasty books to Michael Parker and his out there fantasy book Doppleganger to Stephen Measday and Tamra Pamer TV script writers. Publishers were terrific and supported the event – Lisa Berryman HarperCollins, Leonie Tyle Woolshed Press imprint of RandomHouse,...

Mum's The Word- Hilarious Play abou...

LOVED THIS WILD SHOW with WILD WOMEN My publisher from HarperCollins Lisa Berryman took me to see Mum’s the Word: Teenagers. THANKYOU LISA!!! LOVED IT!!! Here’s the Blurb:- A decade ago, a group of mums brought us tales of leaky boobs and dirty nappies in the international smash hit play Mum’s The Word. Older and wider, the mum’s are back with their hilarious sequel: Mum’s The Word 2: Teenagers! Laugh, cry and squirm as the women recall their youthful naive idealism regarding motherhood and entertain us with tales of bewilderment and...

ABC Radio Gold Coast – I Am Jack &...

There’s a big current issue about bullying on the Gold Coast. It’s hit the news in a major way. So ABC Radio contacted me to be part of a panel to talk about school bullying with CEO of Kids’ Helpline, Principal of a Gold Coast school and Teachers’ Federation Representative. It was terrific and everyone agreed that bullying destroys kids and the community and that we need to bring it out into the open. I think the power of story journey is that everyone can empahtise with the kid being destroyed. I AM JACK does that. The call back was HUGE on it....

Anthony Warlow, Phantom of the Opera, Bu...

Anthony Warlow owns Phantom of the Opera. His voice, passion sucked me into his world of despair, murder, brilliance and what a life without love does. IT DESTROYS YOU. I suffered over the Bulgarian orphans in their world without love. The children were disabled with their thin legs and strange looks. The Phantom’s face was deformed and frightening. NO ONE could see beyond that. But inside they have a soul, a character, emotions. We need love to live. In my book BUTTERFLIES is about that too. Dr Hugh Martin Head of the Burn Unit at the Children’s Hospital...

Bulgarian Orphans in Mogilino – Un...

I hope that UNICEF is SAVING these Bulgarian Children. The documentary of their loveless cruel existance in a Bulagrian institution tears your heart out. Here’s the update. Update on Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children Cutting Edge Program SBS screened the heart breaking documentary Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children, prompting many viewers to voice their concern. Carolyn Hardy CEO of UNICEF Australia has provided us with an update. ‘ When the documentary aired in the UK it shocked audiences in Bulgaria and in the UK and has provided a crucial catalyst to...

Manfreds aka Manfred Mann in Sydney...

Old Rockers hit the Sydney scene – that’s the Manfreds and their fans. Do Wah Diddy Diddy rang through through the audience. Yeah, yeah – even Tory knew the song. Cheesy, ‘dumb’ … all that – and great fun. Sure it isn’t a Tory Gervay song – I WANNA BE FOUND & PSYCHO DAD with heaps of emotion, but it’s great to shout and scream and have fun. My friend Cilla got the thrill of her life when Paul Jones, lead singer, sang a special request for her. No Goths, No Punks, No CRAZYS – well, we old rockers got a...

Make a Wish Foundation at The Hughenden...

To bring magic and joy to children with a life threatening illness by granting a cherished wish www.makeawish.org.au Met with MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION and have been asked to help by bringing authors and illustrators together to help make it happen. I want to do this -so there’ll be author morning teas at the Hughenden in Sydney starting in September 2008 with authors talking, sharing and all that great...