Geoffrey Rush, in his speech as Australian of the Year, put out a call to the writers of Australia, 

Alien Shores is a cross Indian-Australian anthology of renowned Australian and Indian authors and a powerful response to Geoffrey Rush’s call.

To be launched at The Hughenden with special guest The Indian Consul General and authors Linda Jaivlin, Rosie Scott, Susanne Gervay, Sharon Rundle, Meenakshi Bharat, Michelle Cahill, Andrew Kwong … hosted by Roanna Gonsalvez

Published by Brass Monkey Books Australia, imprint of UQP.

Editors: Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle (Eds)

Publish Date: May 2012

ISBN-13:9780980863932; ISBN-10:0980863937

They promote kids making positive choices and work against school bullying.

I Am Jack 

“I Am Jack celebrates kids. Unique, valuable kids who deserve the right to take pride in their own special qualities. Bullying takes this    right away from them.

In the context of family and school life, I Am Jack sensitively explores how bullying attacks the very basis of a child’s self esteem. Bullying isolates and victimises children. I Am Jack shows them that they are not alone and that they can win against bullying.

I Am Jack is children’s literature at its most effective. Beautifully written, revealing the quirkiness of kids, it is funny, loving, moving.  It gives adults and children a remarkable understanding into an area that challenges children’s belief in themselves.

This is a book children should read because kids are unique.”

Life Education, Australia

http://www.lifeeducation.org.au/

Greg Riley, the psychic who won THE ONE and who always stays at The Hughenden was on a mission to discover The Hughenden stories.

He found Dr Harrison Quaife who brought the first x-ray to the colony  and was a founding father of the British Medical Association and Astronomical Association in Australia.

The Morning Show on Channel 7 was filming Greg and the Australian Paranormal Phenomenon Investigator team as they investigated.

Fred (as the cheeky media personality Todd McKenny called him – Todd’s always a joker) – was much loved, like his father Barzillai Quaife – Australia’s first philosopher.

Fred and Barzillai both lived on Queen Street Woollahra in Sydney and influenced what Australia would become.

Barzillai Quaife wrote:-

‘Men may be foreigners but they are

men. They may be uncivilised but they

are yet men. They may be savages

but they still are men. One nation may

not oppress another. The natural rights

of man are universally the same ….” Barzillai Quaife 1872

Check out Channel 7 youtube to see it live:-  http://yhoo.it/IUpZT7 

The Hughenden supports Room to Read www.roomtoread.org; Books in Homes Australia www.biha.org; Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators SCBWI,The national Year of Reading 2012

Tulsa USA Oklahoma – oil, Tornado Alley, home of the Creek tribes.

Tallasi ‘old town’ – is named from the Creek Indian language.

Why am I going there?

To the mega sales conference for Kane Miller my USA publisher  to talk to 600 sales representatives  about ‘Butterflies’.

I’m really proud it was included in the Banks Street College Best YA Books of 2012.

If you’re out and about in Tulsa – come along and say hello – I’ll be there 21-23rd June.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The arguments were funny and feisty over literary versus popular; historical romance versus serious fiction; the modern women seeking her identity versus falling into the arms of a hero.

Fabulous authors explored love in its many literary and chick lit forms:- 

Best selling contemporary women’s fiction author, Lisa Heidke’s fourth novel, Stella Makes Good just released by Allen & Unwin. http://lisaheidke.com

Beautifully researched and written love and danger, plots and mysteries in Isolde Martyn’s ‘The Lady & The Unicorn’ and many more historical romances www.isoldemartyn.com

Lisa Walker  gives the environment support in her chic lit novels – ‘Liar Bird”published by HarperCollins; ‘Sex, Lies and Bonsais’ coming out January 2013 http://lisawalkerwriter.wordpress.com/

Loved giving the keynote especially as an ambassador for The National Year of Reading at The Gloucester Festival embracing why we write and our passion for story, meaning, laughs and loves.

By the way I didn’t meet Mr Darcy or Heathcliff but met writing friends and community and there was lots of love there.

Small festivals driven by a love of books, with a committed festival direstor – Lindy Dupree and dynamic authors with an enthused audience, create a welcome retreat.

Some Highlights:-

Jessee Blackadder’s talk about her literary berth in the Antartica – watch for her new book coming soon.

Jan Latta, intrepid explorer who has gone into jungle to embrace gorillas, came close and personal with rhinos, played with pandas, captured the passion to protect threatened animals.

Stephen Measday, Aleesah Darlison and me, reaching into the power of children’s literature to be travel with young people towards adulthood.

-Aleesah’s magical Unicorn Riders are feminists with wings, courage & adventure.

-Stephen’s Simon Savage are boys with courage & adventure.

- My JACKS (I Am Jack, Super Jack, Always Jack) are all of us searching for the right to be all we can be.

More updates in my next blog.

LOVE the Gloucester Festival. Bookmark it for next year – just to have a weekend away, making friends, enjoying literature and being stimulated with new ideas and thoughts.

www.gloucesterwritersfestival.com

Authors, illustrators, librarians, publishers …. so many people gathered to celebrate Maurice Saxby’s contribution to children’s literature.

Professor Robyn Ewing gave the keynote:- ‘Story is at the centre of what we do – imagine.’

‘A creative work remains permanently unfinished.’ Shaun Tan.

Children’s literature promotes creativity, imagination and exploration. 

The inaugural Maurice Saxby lecture was the brainchild of Libby Gleeson, an Ambassador for the National Year of Reading. She was joined by other ambassadors – Chris Cheng, Libby Hathorn and me.

A national year of Reading event 

It was a wonderful evening in Sydney’s heritage Mitchell Library.

It was goregous, arriving with the lights sparkling, the harbour dotted with boats, street performers juggling balls, families, young people, old people, everyone enjoying a glorious autumn day in Darling Harbour.

Lend lease Darling Quarter Theatre is such a commitment to Sydney and Australia – offering a beautiful theatre venue to our kids and families to see the best in youth theatre by Monkey Baa Theatre – www.monkeybaa.com.au

As a preview, I was in the family and friends performance to the 1st show ever performed at this theatre – ‘Tim Winton’s ‘The Bugalugs Bum Thief’ .

The kids were rolling in the aisles as the 3 boys went on a mad romp to find their stolen bums. The rollicking songs, the choreography tapping through stage and into the audience, kids and parents were in stitches.

It’s wonderful to see the best in theatrical direction, performance, stage craft …. used in theatre for young people.

Go and see it. Take your kids, your parents, grandparents get along there – it’s a romp.

Libraries, libraries, libraries – you’ve got to LOVE them.

They’re spreading the reading message and as an ambassador for The National Year of Reading, I’m speaking at writers’ festivals, book launches, libraries, schools, bookshops.

Is it fantastic? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Here’s a snapshot of my May tours for The National Year of Reading  - www.love2read.org

4-6th May ~ Keynote at the Gloucester Writers festival –  www.gloucesterwritersfestival.com

6th May – Launch at Gloucester Festival  of   ‘Alien Shores’ an anthology of refugees narratives that reach into struggles, humour, life of finding home with authors including speaking Sharon Rundle and Andrew Kwong. I’ll be speaking about my story.

17th -18th May -Coff’s Harbour region speaking at schools and the Catholic Diocese of Lismore in Northern NSW Teacher-Librarian Conference

20th May – Melbourne for the launch of Alien Shores by the Human Rights QC Julian Burnside with authors, Arnold Zable, Sharon Rundle, Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Susanne Gervay at 6 p.m. Readings Bookstore Carlton. http://www.readings.com.au/review/alien-shores-by-sharon-rundle-meenakshi-bharat-eds

22nd May – Launching Alien Shores in Sydney at The Hughenden Hotel with authors Linda Jailin, Sophie Masson, Sharon Rundle, Rosie Scott with the Consul General of India www.thehughenden.com.au

23rd May- Randwick Library in Sydney for Simultaneous Reading Time where ambassadors will read to parents and littlies across Australia – can’t wait, it’s going to be gorgeous!  http://www.alia.org.au/nss/

24-May – Taree Library speaking about ‘Always Jack’ for the Biggest Morning Tea in support of the Cancer Council at Taree Library brought up by the Australian Library and Information Association

25th May -Halliday’s Point Library on North Coast NSW

28th May – speaking at 10 am in Warringah Library in Sydney’s Northern Beaches about my first picture book ‘Ships in the Field’.

29th May – Teacher Librarian Conference at Maroubra Junction Public School Sydney

That’s my MAY spreading the National Year of Reading Celebration of Books!

Love you to come along and chat to me, or log onto the www.lovetoread.org website and join in to the many activities around Australia.

I proudly support partners of the National Year of Reading as an:-

author ambassador for Room to Read,

Role Model for Books in Homes,

Chair of the Board of the NSW Writers Centre,

co head of Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators at The Hughenden.

So many young people are joining the Anzac Services at dawn.

War is always frightening and the last resort.

My father was a prisoner of war. I grew up when so many young men were conscripted for the Vietnam War. The world is always at war and our young people serve and sacrifice.

As a mother, daughter, author, I search to understand true leadership and male courage.

It was a personal revelation when I wrote:-

‘War is not brave, but men can be brave in war and in life.’

(From ‘The Cave’ page 141)