Christopher Cheng's Blog - - - - it's all about the books

New York, New York - Day 6 ... the real one

2012-01-29T09:39:00.000+11:00

Actually, the last post was Day 5 and THIS is now day 6.
What, another day in New York?
Absolutely ... although today was more business and less rest and relaxation (although Bini's feet probably do not agree that it has been restful!)
Today was the preconference intensives but still there was time to visit so we ventured up to the Metropolitan Museum to absorb MORE kulcha - van Gough, Rousseau, Picasso and way many more. I really can't spend all day looking at these marvellous artworks ... it is sensory overload.

This afternoon was more walking, this time a tour of Greenwich Village with the rather knowledgeable Leonard Marcus where he showed us some of the children's literary highlights ... including early publishing offices and houses of some of the wonderful American children's book creators. And Robert McCloughsky, of Make Way for Ducklings fame who did not create the book in Boston. It was done right here in New York with ducks from the local farmers' market that lived around his house for yonks!

where Make For Ducklings was really created!

And lastly the VIP Cocktail Party, an invitation only affair ... it was a schmooze and mingle affair with many of the local industry folk ... and what delicacies were supplied on the night. These two shots are of mashed potato with topping. Now I know that might not be to everyones palette but it really was a taste delight and we went back for seconds.

the chef

mashed potato special - ina martini glass of course

the gathering throng

And tomorrow, the conference begins in ernest!

New York, New York - Day 6

2012-01-28T15:04:00.000+11:00

A slow rise this morning and then a quick taxi ride up to Central Park the carriage rides. I am amazed at the tax rides. They are fast, the drivers don't have to ask you for directions (or plug details into a sat nav), the taxis are clean ... AND they are CHEAP. I have been here to New York quite a few times and never trotted around the park so this time we did - it's a tourist thing!

Park sights from the horse carriage:

and at the entrance was this sculpture being inflated:

Carriage ride over, it was a quick trip to FAO Schwartz to check out the toys - which is right next door to an Apple store (which goes beneath the path!). We found our 2012 Christmas decoration here - but you will have to wait to 10 more months to see that!

And back to the Hyatt ... and the gathering throng of Regional Advisors. It is such a thrill to catch up with all the folks and to hear what everyone else has been doing. Dinner was out to John's Pizza (near the theatres, walking in the rain) for our pre-conference dinner gathering.

Tradition dictates too that on the night before the conference begins Regional Advisors who wish to go to the theatre and this year it was to see Mary Poppins - which was a most appropriate choice being that it was Australia Day AND that the book was written by an Australian! We had just about the best seats in the house. This is a great production. Our seats were so good that when Mary flew off in the final scene her flight path was right above our seats. It was SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS.
I found it very hard to sit there and not sing those wonderful songs - even my feet were moving! The sets were so brilliantly employed and the dancing jut wonderful. Yep ... loved it totally.

Happy folks in the audience ,,,,

So now the 13th SCBWI Winter conference shall begin.

New York, New York - Day 4

2012-01-27T06:44:00.000+11:00

Are we having fun yet? You betcha we are!
We needed a lazy morning - and it was. A late rise before we ventured out into the sunshine. But first we waited for our lovely friend Judith who came up from DC, just to spend some time with us. Yeah!
Today was another stroll down to Times Square where we came across an amazing electronic billboard. A close look at the piccies below will show us (Bini is waving in one of the photos). Okay so it requires a very close look but we are there ...

We are easier to see in this one:

Our stroll continued up to MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) and we could have spent all day on the top floor with works from Dali, Picasso, Rousseau, and so many more. Just LOVED this! Here are a few snaps of the works we spied:

Of course there were a few more obscure pieces too ... like this one that looks like two rather large elephant turds ...

but then this is just brilliant - and features ME (taking the photo).

And just to prove that we were there:

MoMA done (had fun in the gift shop too) it was time for dinner and tonight's feasting was again in Times Square, this time at Red Lobster ...

Manhattan Chowder and salad

Pineapple Shrimp and Calamari

Lobster, garlic shrimp and more...

Waiting to see some of the SCBWI gang arriving tomorrow. Looking forward sooo much to the Winter Conference.
More fun tomorrow.

New York, New York - Day 3

2012-01-26T14:21:00.000+11:00

ANOTHER day in New York.
Another day of sights,
Another day of FUN!

AN early morning rise - no sleeping in today for we had a 10.30 viewing at the 9/11 memorial. This was a spot we had to see as I watched the events unfold from Australia at he time and was relaying information to the lab I was working in at Purdue. We also saw the site in 2002 as the clean up was underway so the rising towers and pool was a delight to see. I love the second photo here of the reflected tower.

... and the Fire Station opposite.

That done, it was a bit of shopping and then lunch with my agent Mark, and this time on our way to his abode, we knew where we were walking. What a thrill it was to spend a few hours with him. I am so buzzed that he is looking after me ... and he is a nice guy too! Today's dining feast was at a Thai restaurant called Room Service and their speciality - Pad Thai wrapped in an omelette ... it was scrummy! As was the Seafood Hot Pot. The decor though, chandeliers and red velvet covered bed-heads behind the purple chairs, was rather unusual.

And then it was time to head off to the New York Public Library where I was snapped Reading Between the Lions (this was on the bucket list). Look closely between the two lion statues below ... that's me! It might be hard to see, okay ... it IS hard to see, but that was the only way you could see me and BOTH lions. Now what book was I reading?

But then an absolute "When we go to New York we HAVE to do this" thing - me photographed next to Winnie-the-Pooh. I have always wished to see the wonderful A. A. Milne creatures and now I have. To see the creatures ... such a delight. Another bucket list item completed and this one was right at the top! Pooh looks so much like my teddy bear (who also stars in that magnaplurious picture book Sounds Spooky) and this Pooh was from Harrods. Piglet - he is sooooooo small. Even better looking than the book illustrations! We are going back to get a better picture (will change camera settings)!

SO, Day Three was nearly done but the final task was to touch base with the delightful Bridget Casey (ARA) and crash the New York SCBWI Metro New York's pre-conference mixer! Thanks folks for making me feel so welcome and chit chat the hours away with you all.

And now Day Three really is Done!
What next?

New York, New York - Day 2

2012-01-25T09:18:00.001+11:00

Happy New Year ... well, Lunar new year that is ... and even though we weren't home to feast with the family as we always do we did get to celebrate Chinese New Year - New York style. A quick ride down the Subway (easy as with the coding and the numbering! ours was the RED line) and in minutes we were in Chinatown and surrounded by the drum beats and the Lions dancing. It was a tad damp but that didn't dampen the spirits of the gathering throng. Much cheering and beating and HUGE party Poppers popping!

... and Bini has made her mark on this town. they even have a police van initialised for her as this photo shows (see letters next to elbow):

Of course being Chinese New Year we had to have lunch, which was scrumptious ... steamed prawn dumplings, red bean pancake and shallot pancakes and a wonton soup Shanghai style (and the left overs are still in the fridge) ... no noodles for lunch - they came at dinner though! whew!

We came across this lovely little park. There are lots of them thrown around the city. This one I think is Confucius Park ... and have a statue of Sun Yat Sen in the park. And the building below was not just a shelter. Theree was a Tai Chi lesson going on as well as a few games of chinese chess and something else where money seemed to change hands - ah these inscrutable Chinese.

Lunch done, a stroll along the streets found us walking towards the apartment of my lovely agent Mark who received the shock of his life when he saw us approaching. Had we been a few minutes later we would have missed him completely. He was more than a little stunned. A quick chat, (I think Mark was still shaking his head in disbelief that we met on his street) to arrange lunch for Tuesday and we were off again, this time to Books of Wonder ... and this bookstore truly IS a wonder. Why? Because ALL the books on display are face out. You can see the FRONT covers! But that was not the most amazing discovery. They had a heap of OZ books ... not just the Wizard of Oz titles but many other titles about the land of Oz. I did not realise that Baum wrote so many Oz books! A cup of coffee and a red velvet cup-cake (which is really just chocolate cake with red food colouring but they are all over the place here) and then we were off again. "Not more walking!" exclaimed Bini ... but sigh, there was!

Crazy statue and digital work...

A dinner, which was nothing worth noting about, from one of those chain eating houses (we were both tired after two days of much footwork) and then back through Grand Central Station which looks such a picture no matter what time of day - or night - it is. It even has an Apple Store there!

And day two is now done!

New York, New York - Day 1

2012-01-24T10:09:00.000+11:00

NYC, oh I do love it.
It was really really nice to lie in bed and sleep in but then we had to get moving for a very late brunch ... and not a great one either. You can't really destroy a simple breakfast but this came close - a New York Breakfast at the nearest place we could find...

...burnt bacon which was edges only with fat. No eye of the bacon and the coffee was rather argh!

BUT we have found other breakfast options while on our walk today ... and did we walk!
So the first walk was passed a few churches, St Barts and then to the Cathedral - St. Pats. Just a wonderful building. We had planned to attend church but we only made it in time to see the folks all leaving. Stumbled across Rockfeller Centre and the ice skating going on there ... sooooo cold (okay so that is fine for ice skating but it still is cold) and the Lego shop with this amazing lego dragon. And one question for the Rockefeller Centre ... where is the Australian Flag? We couldn't find it!

where is our Aussie flag?

lovely

Bini contemplating

The view onto Park Avenue and Grand Central Station is quite lovely - and not noisy ... we barely hear the engine sirens....

snow draped statues over Grand Central Statio

Back to the hotel for a breather (we have found the New York City Library and the famed lions so will make it there soon) and then it was time to walk again, this time down Park Avenue. Beautiful lights are strung through the trees all over the city ...

We made it as far as 20th Street before our bodies called to be fed. So back up to Park Avenue and a stroll along to Times Square (not as wet or snowy or sloshy as our first night) in search of food. And we found Ruby Tuesday and real food!!!!

char-grilled salmon salad

'simple' burger

love the lego dragon

St Pats Cathedral - restoration work being done but still gorgeous on the outside ... especially with the snow!

St Barts

Day one done ...

Oh, most folks know I am not a sports nut but GO the GIANTS (the New York Giants have just made it to SuperBowl XLVI in Indianapolis in a few weekends.) And tickets to the game are now being sold for $2500.

New York, New York

2012-01-23T08:30:00.000+11:00

Saturday.
We made it. We are here in New York, New York, although the weather and a few rather annoyed passengers who had to be deplaned nearly conspired against an on-time arrival.

This white stuff is absolutely everywhere. When we left Indianapolis this morning fresh snow, inches thick, had fallen and the Interstate was rather icy! Lots of slip sliding was going on there, and it did not improve on the way here. Snow was covering runways and when we finally landed at JFK we had to wait on board while the ground staff cleared a path for us to walk to the terminal.

After catching a cab to the hotel it was time for a stroll and a cup of coffee. Now, even though it isn't King Street Newtown coffee, we had to do the Starbucks thing (and we were a tad hungry) so we dropped in to the very first one we came across and look what was spied as we entered the door. See, I am supposed to be here! I was not impressed though when they didn't respond when I mentioned that I was Chris C.

We sort of looked at the map and we sort of didn't but like a magnet we were drawn to Times Square. This place just buzzes ... see - new jacket and gloves and WARM jacket and gloves!

Our hotel is next to Grand Central Station which is just a beautiful building so after we strolled the streets it was back to the dining concourse where we found Juniors. Here they serve award-winning cheesecakes - no photo to show though. We ate it too fast back at the hotel! But we really know that we are here in the USA. This is my Grilled Chicken Breast Salad ... enough for TWO, and we also shared a soup!

... and then back to the hotel to collapse for the night.
Warning: as is my way, there will be many more food photos over the next two weeks.

West Lafayette - Indiana

2012-01-21T14:40:00.000+11:00

It snowed AGAIN today and it was so cold that we decided I needed a new jacket, so a quick drive to Tippecanoe Mall was made. Now I have new COLD weather jacket, gloves and beanie! but best of all I drove through the ice/snow/slush/muck, I didn't get lost, and I drove on their right side of the road. It was like I was living here just yesterday. Tonight there is ice-rain falling - and the roads are more than a tad slippery and dangerous. More Snow forecast so all I can say is that I am over this snow stuff!

Last night was a lovely dinner with Professors Jill and Bob May from Purdue University. Great to see Kristian again too. Whenever I was here at Purdue working for Paul I would always try and catch up with Jill and her Children's Literature classes that semester and chat to the students about being a writer and Aussie kids books. I also am on the advisory board for the online kids mag First Opinions, Second Reactions that comes from here - which we forgot to chat about. Could only have been better if the wonderful Professor from Cincinnati Uni had come - Darwin Henderson. Missed you Darwin. Forgot to get a dinner photo (scrumptious meal - New York Times recipe) but did grab this as we left.

And my wonderful mate Paul. I have known him longer than just about anyone else here in the USA spending years in OZ together before he came over here to do his post doc work - he was supposed to come back but decided that the snow and the cold and the research work was better over here. I made a quick trip this afternoon into his lab to catch up with some of the staff who I know and worked with. It was such a delight to see them (or chat on the telephone to them) and they are a wonderful crew - they have to be. They look after Paul!

It's been a grand two days with Paul and the family here in Indiana and it was just brilliant that we could dine tonight with the kids too. AND dinner included a Happy Birthday cake for Bini complete with birthday songs. That was a total surprise for Bini (and me too). See, Paul and his family are very, very special.

doggie entertainment with the cousins

So now as we sign off here for the night from Indianapolis (we are staying overnight near the airport). Next stop NewYork.

Welcome to the USA

2012-01-20T08:43:00.000+11:00

We're not in Sydney any more ... but just look at this snap taken yesterday during takeoff yesterday - Wednesday January 18 (Bini had a very, very long birthday). What a beautiful city we live in!

We are in downtown West Lafayette Indiana, where I used to come for a few months every year to work at Purdue University for my fantastical friend Paul ... and it is SNOWING and COLD and well and truly DARK by 7 pm!! This is just the third snow hit here this season and it arrived today because Bini called for it - obviously! With Paul being an Aussie (and most of his family too) there was an order despatched from the trenches before I came over for some Aussie treats ... this is a snap of Paul and Sue unpacking his bags of booty - they travelled Priority on Virgin Australia of course.

Interestingly - the bag that contained all the lollies / candy / sweets (choose appropriate word depending on country) was searched by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) here in the USA looking for forbidden goods. They leave a slip in your bag to let you know it has been inspected. They even looked at some of the tins of tea (T2 of course). We know because the packets were opened. I wonder what they thought of the Musk Sticks, Summer Rolls, Bullets and the very Australian Vegemite (labelled for Australia Day). Advertising plug: Vegemite is a wonderful Australian invention (read my new book coming out in October). Of course that might also explain why some of the Tomato Sauce (not ketchup) had seeped out of the bag too. The liquid that they pass off as tom sauce here definitely isn't!!

Chris is photographed (below) in this very unflattering outfit (too short Drizabone, gloves are in pocket) but it keeps the body dry and the wind out. It was rather chilly, even coming from our mild Sydney summer, and by the time that we had walked around the block our faces were frozen! I might have to buy a rather warm hat. Well it least it wasn't like the first time I arrived in the US 12 years ago on another snowy wintery January day. I was very (in)appropriately dressed in shorts and t-shirt.

and a few more snaps from the plane yesterday:

A resting afternoon, another day here and then New York City here we come.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 12 - Samantha Berger

2012-01-06T17:00:00.002+11:00

This is it, the 12th day for this editions of these 12 Days of Christmas with the most wonderful glorious Christmas Memory of pyjamas coming from my superb friend from Brooklyn - Samantha Berger.

Sam writes and writes and writes. She wrote the picture books Martha Doesn't Say Sorry and Martha Doesn't Share both illustrated by Bruce Whatley. When she isn't writing books, she's writing cartoons, and when she isn't writing books and cartoons, she likes to help rescue dogs, and to travel all around the world. Then, she writes about that, too. Samantha lives in Brooklyn NY, with her dog Polly Pocket, and is writing at this very moment.

Read on and get wrapped in this great Christmas Memory - and I have left Sam's spelling of the night clothing here.

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You Never Grow Out of Christmas

When I was eight years old, and my brother Milo was five, we both got a wonderful gift, one Christmas morning:
THECOOLESTMOSTINCREDIBLYAWESOMEAMAZINGEXCELLENT PAJAMAS OF ALL TIME!!! (with no less than three exclamation points).
Mine: a pink, rose-budded, satin gown, that hit the floor and gave me insta-fairy-princess status
Milo’s: Superman comic book pajamas, with built-in feet and an added cape to aid with flying.
All Christmas day, we played and posed, as pleased and proud as anyone’s every been of their sleepwear.

We loved these new pajamas with a PASSION and dubbed them “The Official Christmas Pajamas.” Our photo was taken wearing them by the Christmas tree, and we declared wearing the pajamas every Christmas, a new family tradition.

There was just one issue:
They were too big. Way too big on both of us.
The nightgown trailed on the floor, acting much like a giant dust mop.
My brother’s pajamas sagged at the waist, knees and feet, giving him the appearance of a shuffling elf, who’s had a little too much eggnog.
This was justified by the one sentence grown-ups always say, “They’ll grow into them.”

And sure enough, we did.
The very next year, my nightgown almost fit, and my brother’s PJs were perfect.
The photo was taken and the tradition continued.

The year after that, my nightgown fit, but no longer touched the floor, and the sleeves were a bit short.
My brother had to cut the feet off his pajama bottoms, because they only reached this middle of his shins.

The year after that it was ridiculous.
The year after that it was comedy gold.
The year after that, it was impossible.

So…at the very end, the Official Christmas pajamas were converted into things like Official Christmas Hairbands, Wristbands, and Doll Clothes, but at the end of the day…they STILL made it into that Christmas photo one way or another.

To me, all these years later, this has meaning:
You can grow out of clothes, but you never grow out of Christmas.
(she writes, as she dabs away a tear with the pink, satin Official Christmas Hankie!)

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See, I told you it would be an amazing Christmas Memory! Have a look at Samantha's website. It's fun.

Thanks for dropping in to check out these Christmas Memories. I love reading these memories and hope you do too. And already there are other folk chomping at the bit to add their Christmas Memories so come December 26 ... there will be more.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 11 - Isobelle Carmody

2012-01-05T17:00:00.043+11:00

It's now the penultimate day of these 12 Days of Christmas and so for this post it is a thrill to have the delightful Isobelle Carmody, creator of the Obernewtyn titles and one of my recent favourites - the Red Wind. This memory comes all the way from Prague in Eastern Europe where she lives with her partner, Jan Stolba, a poet and Jazz musician, and her daughter Adelaide, where they are waiting for it to snow. Well, Isobelle and Adelaide are. Jan hopes only that the cold, cold sun will keep on shining.

Here Isobelle shares her Christmas Memory - of presents and a special book too.

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I remember this one Christmas when I was little - maybe eight or nine. We were always so anxious for it to be morning as all kids are, and in a fit of madness, because our father was very strict, my sister and my brother and I - the three eldest - decided to go down and see if Santa had come. We must have been crazy because it was still totally dark and we had not even been to sleep. It was probably around three in the morning because we lay there plotting awhile.

Finally we goaded one another out of be. I think we were all scared to death half way to the lounge and would have turned back at once if any of us had suggested it, but of course no one was going to suggest it and be the coward who could later be teased for aborting the mission. We were scared, partly because my dad would have a fit if he caught us, it is always strangely terrifying to break parental rules when you are little, you think the word is going to end, and partly because of the terror that we would actually see HIM, The Big Red Man. I think we thought of him as a sort of ultimate father figure. Probably we had him confused with God. Kids fuse so many things with a sort of poetry we adults can only marvel at - that is what I love about writing with younger kids as protagonists. That was what I actually discovered writing Greylands.

Anyway we get there and open our presents and find we had watches for Christmas. We were allowed to open our presents in the morning, then we took them into mum and dad to show them what Santa had brought so it wasn't such a mad thing to open them. But of course we got caught because of all the paper rattling. Well, no, the other two got caught, because when I heard footsteps I hid under the table and then I was too scared to come out, so I huddled there watching my fathers' terrifying feet while the others were read the riot act and marched back to bed.

It was a good hour later, crippled by cramp because I had not dared move a muscle for the whole time and petrified I would get caught that I tiptoed back to bed. What a journey it can be to just get through the house past your parents' bedroom sometimes. That is why I think I loved that book Ping. I so identified with the duck that hid because he was scared to get a spank for being the last duck on the junk, and then he endured this terrible night because of evading it, so that the spank which he still got the next day, probably seemed like a love tap. But I did not get caught and finally I was lying in be. And then I realized I still had the watch on! I had tried it on, unlike my sister. So I lay the whole night in terror that my perfidy would be discovered. It wasn't of course and oh the relief of morning and being legitimate!

What I still wonder about to this day is why my brothers and sisters didn't tell on me. Maybe Santa intervened. Maybe THAT was the real Christmas present!

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Isobelle is an Australian Fantasy Author who has written over 30 novels and many short stories for adults and for children. She has won many awards, including CBC Book of the Year this year in the younger Readers' Category for The Red Wind, a novel for children which she illustrated with pen and ink drawings. She has also won the CBC Book of the Year in the Older Readers Category and the Peace Prize for The Gathering, the Golden Aurealis for her urban fantasy, Alyzon Whitestarr.

Drop in to Isobelle's website where you can and also the site all about Obernewtyn.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 10 - Lesley Vamos

2012-01-04T17:00:00.001+11:00

And now for Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas and introducing Lesley Vamos. Lesley lives in Sydney and creates her own unique art, both digitally and traditionally, and jewellery too. A description of Lesley is best given in her own words ... "Lesley is short, freckled, has an unusually high voice, silent laugh that makes her look like she's crying and is not ticklish on her feet. She loves telling stories, making things up and eating eggplant. She doesn't really cry but laughs all the time and has been told she gives rather a good shoulder massage.

Her first book - the Anything Shop - was released in October 2011 and she has been doing a heap of other wonderful art too.

Now read on for Lesley's very travelling Christmas Memory ...

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Christmas as a kid was less a time of relaxation and reflection and more a crazy cram of family festivity. My parents divorced when I was young so normality for me is visiting four families in two days. It started with my mum's partner's side ...

I remember the Hailes’ fondly with the doorbell that chimed Big Ben's bells. The house was always lavishly decorated and the garden immaculate and appropriately themed. We would sit at the white, floral-adorned, outside table feasting on delicate gourmet delights in-between taking turns on the tire swing at the back of the garden, sneaking peeks at Sid’s ride on train and taking Pat's hand to visit the horses across the road. After choosing one present to open in the car we were bundled into our tiny, badly dinted Honda for the two and half hour drive to Lemon Tree, a journey that seemed to take the entire day and comprised singing competitions, rousing and often controversial games of eye spy (no you can’t SEE a holiday) and the occasional vomit.

Christmas in the Passage was amazing fun. We stayed with my aunty who always had the house crammed with home-made magazine-inspired decorations and treated us like the girls she never had. We’d spend the night at my grandparents playing darts, eating hearty English inspired finger food and taking the golf buggy out for a spin on the course. After being woken up by our cousins and opening our respective pillow cases of presents we would say our 'goodbyes' and head back to Sydney to our step-mum's Baulkham hills BBQ bash.

The Chebaia family was always incredibly welcoming and there is nothing like the food at a Lebanese Christmas. If you’ve never tried it, head by a Lebanese house after Christmas. I guaranty left-overs.

Mornings on Boxing Day were spent making tummy room for the Hungarian lunch put on by my Nani. I’m still amazed at my ability to eat 7 chicken schnitzels in one sitting! The day was spent lazing around the balcony over looking St Ives and listening to my dad and uncles one-up each other with jokes that had you red in the face and lying on the floor in agony. Riding home squished between presents and leftover orange potato I remember feeling that level of happiness that only comes with a full belly a new toy and the love of your family.

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Lesley studied at the college of Fine Arts, receiving a Distinction and animation honor in their Bachelor of Digital Media. She spent the next year in LA getting experience and is now working as a Freelance illustrator and graphic designer, spending time both in Australia and abroad.

Do drop in and have a look at Lesley's new website, the home page is filled with unique characters. I couldn't find me although I was thrilled to see her rendition of me for our PaddleDuck team poster! And check out her blog too.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 7 - Kate Forsyth

2012-01-01T17:00:00.025+11:00

Welcome to 2012 and the lovely Kate Forsyth for this 7th day of our 12 Days of Christmas. Kate lives in Sydney and it is always a treat when we can get together. She is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than twenty books for children and adults, including The Puzzle Ring, The Gypsy Crown, The Starthorn Tree, and The Witches of Eileanan. Her books have been translated into 10 languages.

Kate has a beautiful Christmas memory, renewed again this Christmas just gone.

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When I was a little girl, we used to have Christmas every year with grandparents, my aunts and uncles, and all my cousins. There were nine of us – six boys who were nearly all blond or sandy-haired with blue eyes - and three girls. My sister Belinda was fair, I was dark, and my cousin Clare was a gorgeous strawberry blonde. It was great fun having so many to play with, and often Christmas was the only time when we were all together. I remember it always being very hot, and playing Marco Polo in the pool for hours, and cricket on the lawn. The jacaranda blossoms were the most glorious violet-blue colour, spread against the cobalt-blue sky, and dropping flowers to float in the water. My sister and my cousin Clare and I would pretend they were fairy ball gowns. The air always smelt of gardenias, and in the dining-room two long tables would be pushed together to make one. Cherries were scattered along the table, and soon our mouths and fingers would be stained dark red.

We always had the same meal for lunch on Christmas Day. Vichyssoise or cold pea and lettuce soup to begin with, then cold roast pork and ham, potato salad, mixed greens with avocado, and tomatoes with fresh basil picked from the garden. Then we’d have hot Christmas pudding with cream, icecream and homemade brandy butter. By that time, we were all so full that we ate slowly, scraping our bowls clean. After lunch we had present opening time. The youngest child was always the elf, which meant my cousin Julian was still having to be the elf when he was an adult.

In time, we all grew up and Christmas began to change. My cousins married or moved away or travelled overseas. My grandparents died, and so too did my aunt and uncle. We began to have families of our own, and in-laws to spend time with. We still ate much the same menu, though vichyssoise was replaced with seafood, and different children had turns at being the elf.

However, this week we managed to gather the whole clan together for the first time in years. Clare came from London, others from Wollongong, or the north coast. Our cousins’ children met our children for the first time since they were babies, and we smiled to see their mouths were soon all stained dark red with cherry juice, and that they all played Marco Polo for hours. Sometimes the magic of Christmas is knowing that – no matter how fast our world changes – some things will always endure.

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Do have a look at Kate's website, where you can also sign up for her regular newsletter.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 6 - Dianne de Las Casas

2011-12-31T17:00:00.003+11:00

For the last day of 2011, and the 6th day of The 12 Days of Christmas I am absolutely delighted to present Dianne de Las Casas who founded PICTURE BOOK MONTH which ran in November and which I appeared in. How amazing that was and what a reception we had. Just wait till you see who has been lined up for 2012.

Dianne is an award-winning author and storyteller who tours internationally presenting author visit/storytelling programs, educator/librarian training, workshops, and artist residencies and she is another passionate champion of literacy.

For us in the Southern Hemisphere this Christmas memory might seem rather strange but here comes winter and snow!

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Dirty the Snowman

I live in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. In the South, it rarely snows and when it does, it is an event. In December 2009, I had a holiday book signing at Barnes & Noble in Baton Rouge, a 1.5 hour drive from New Orleans. Though sleet and snow was in the forecast, I was determined to get to the bookstore! I have never cancelled a book signing. My then 9 year old daughter, Eliana, accompanied me.

We left New Orleans early but the weather began deteriorating. Freezing rain quickly turned into sleet, making the roads slick and dangerous. I proceeded cautiously and it took me nearly 3 hours to reach Baton Rouge. Because of the weather, there were few people in the store. Still, people were in the holiday spirit and I had a nice crowd.

In the middle of my book signing, people began gathering at the front of the bookstore. I asked Eliana to check it out. She ran back shouting, "Mommy, it's snowing!" Everyone rushed outside and sure enough, soft flurries were settling on the cars in the parking lot. The flurries turned into flakes. I let Eliana play in the snow, watching her catch snowflakes on her tongue. There have been many Decembers when we spent Christmas in shorts and t-shirts so seeing snow accumulate was immensely exciting.

There was no way I could drive back home in the inclement weather. Southern cars don't take kindly to snow! My friend, Holly, who lived nearby, offered us a place to stay. Enough snow had accumulated in her backyard that our children began building a surprise. When they were done, they unveiled... "Dirty the Snowman!" Our children rolled and stacked three huge snowballs all by themselves. They decorated him with two coals for his eyes, a carrot for his nose, branches for his arms, and an orange baseball cap on top of his head. He wasn't the pristine white snowman of our Christmas cards with a button nose and top hat, but he was a snowman built with Southern pride.

We ended the night with hot cocoa, cookies, and lots of laughter. Our snowman looked like a mud pie but he was a celebrity! Everyone wanted pictures with "Dirty the Snowman." That cold, snowy December day in Louisiana is now a warm holiday memory. Every December, we wish for snow, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Dirty the Snowman will make a return visit.

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Make sure you drop in to Dianne's website (she's also on Twitter: @storyconnection and Facebook: fanofdianne) and don't forget to check out Picture Book Month - I am sooooo thrilled to be part of that gang!!!

See you in 2012.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 5 - Doug MacLeod

2011-12-30T17:00:00.006+11:00

Welcome to Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas and the terrific Doug Macleod from Melbourne. Doug writes wonderful books (he has written at least 26 I think) including the fantastic shortlisted title The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher and his new book (which I am sure will be fantastic too) The Shiny Guys, coming out in May 2012. I can't wait for that one!

This is a short memory but a funny one for sure.

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One of my happiest memories of Christmas was seeing my mum take part in the nativity pageant in Ballarat. It was in a huge tent and we were lead from one tableau to another by an obliging Judean. Mum was in the scene where the innkeeper turns Mary and Joseph away from the inn on the pretext that there is no room.

Mum was hilarious, miming to her husband about what a niggardly old misery-guts he was and then trying to make the stable 'look nice' for the wanderers. There was a camel in her scene, but he was very well behaved, except for the farting.

I had never seen my mum act before and I was very impressed.

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Do visit Doug's website, its just a little bit funny, where you can even uncover a few words about the television writing side of Doug, but to enter the website you have to click on the nose! The site re is lots of fun so spend a while there. Don't forget to find out how many visitors doug has had to his site. And you might want to check out his blog too.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 4 - Mio Debnam

2011-12-29T17:00:00.006+11:00

And for the 4th Day of Christmas here is my friend Mio Debnam, who lives in Hong Kong and is also the Regional Advisor for SCBWI Hong Kong. It's always a thrill when we catch up, whether in Hong Kong or at a SCBWI gathering somewhere around the world.

Following is Mio's recollection of a family tradition that she 'stepped' into - an after Christmas lunch walk through a very interesting paddock.

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It was my first English Christmas. The morning – filled with carols, laughter and good smells had been splendidly jolly, but as we sat down to the long awaited Christmas lunch, stomachs rumbling, I thought this must be the highlight of the day. I was glad I’d managed to resist snacking as the table was crammed with food. A glistening golden turkey, a baked ham studded with cloves and sticky with honey, crisp roast potatoes, deep bowls full of jewel like vegetables, not to mention stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. A feast fit for a king – and feast we did until we had to undo the straining buttons on our trousers.

It was three o’clock by the time we got up from the table and staggered to the sofa by the fire. I sank into its warm embrace intending to doze a bit, but my plan was rudely disturbed when Peter, my boyfriend’s father, walked in and announced, “We are ALL going for a walk now!” This after-lunch walk, I discovered, was a family tradition. We all groaned, but as everyone else was getting up and collecting their coats and scarves, I reluctantly levered myself up, and turning away, tugged my zipper up to the point where my trousers wouldn’t fall down, then shrugged into a coat.

The sun hung low in the sky, but the air was still and not too cold. I breathed deeply and started to enjoy myself. Maybe a walk wasn’t such a bad idea after all, I thought.

That was before we decided to take a shortcut. There were cows in the field. They were pretty big, and there were lots of them, so I kept a beady eye on them. Good job I did. Half way across the field, I noticed that they were drifting closer. They seemed interested. A couple began to canter towards us. This was alarming. We broke into a trot. As I was busy watching the cows, I forgot to watch where I was putting my feet and my high heeled boots – worn specially for the Christmas meal – sank into cow pat after cow pat, each more gooey than the last.

Luckily, we made it to the fence and vaulted over it before the cows reached us. I had some difficulty making it over, as my boots now had huge amounts of cow poo clinging to them and weighed a ton, but finally I too was pulled to safety. We were now on a muddy dirt track, hemmed in on both sides by head high nettles. “Hmm,” said Peter, pointing at a spot miles into the distance. “I’m not sure, but I think that the way home is that way…” At this point the sun disappeared behind the hill and we were plunged into darkness, only broken by a circle of light three centimeters across that Peter’s tiny Christmas cracker torch threw onto the ground.

It took us ages to get home – but we found every rabbit hole we stumbled into, every wrong turn we took hilarious and we filled the night with laughter and song. This, it turned out, was the highlight of my first-ever English Christmas!

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Mio is a writer/editor and also the author of a middle grade fantasy novel, four picture books and several educational readers. Her latest books are the kidsGo! Guides - a series of travel guidebooks for kids.
To find out more about Mio drop in to her blog and say hi at kidsgotravel blog.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 3 - Narelle Oliver

2011-12-28T17:00:00.002+11:00

It is a thrill when my friends agree to contribute to this season of Christmas Wishes and today, for the 3rd Day of Christmas, is the delightful and hugely talented author and illustrator Narelle Oliver who lives in Brisbane (Queensland). We spent wonderful time chatting and having fun at the Ipswich Festival in August this year.

Narelle has published 12 picture books over the last 25 years, many which are award-winning, published internationally and feature her beautiful linocut illustrations. Narelle has a particular interest in using animal adaptation (especially camouflage) as a theme for her stories. She lives in inner-city Brisbane with her husband and two children, a family of scrub turkeys, azure kingfishers, and many other beautiful birds which visit their overgrown rainforest backyard.

So now, read on and find out about a very fond childhood Christmas that is so very very Australian!

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My Childhood Christmas …

Like many families in South-East Queensland (Australia), our family joined the throngs who headed to the Gold Coast every Christmas holidays. I’m talking the 1960’s now – when Surfers’ Paradise was an exotic wonderland of high rises and sportscars beside the beach, long surfboards, leather-brown bikini girls paying good money to be sprayed with mutton bird oil, beach shows which featured hypnotists who made beachgoers acts like chickens, etc….

My grandparents had bought some land there when it was little more than a swamp beside the sea, and built a lovely beach house. So, every Christmas holidays for as long as I can remember, we stayed in that house – and always over Christmas day. Dad would spend a whole day packing up the Holden family station wagon with all our holiday paraphernalia plus all the wrapped Christmas presents. Packing that car to fit everything was an absolute artform and it was a proud moment when he shut the back door of the car to show how it all fitted.

They say that the sense of smell provides our strongest memories and for me, Christmas is tinged with the smells of mosquito repellent, dusty mosquito nets, and Coppertone sun lotion. Of course, we always assembled the plastic Christmas tree packed in its usual spot in the cupboard and hung some threadbare tinsel on it, my parents weren’t big into decorations. And Mum roasted a chicken and added the usual Australian 1960’s side accompaniments – Golden Circle tinned pineapple rings, iceberg lettuce and perhaps a sliced tomato and tinned beetroot. It was all made a little more festive with Christmas- themed paper serviettes and bonbons which provided paper party hats. But the best bit was when the hot “traditional” lunch was over and we could eat mangoes which were grown locally and bought by the tray. We would be in our swimmers ready to head for the beach, so it didn’t matter that the juice ran down our arms and covered our faces. Perhaps, I shall add the smell and taste of mango to my Christmas memories.

Narelle's 2011 Christmas Card

I have to say it always seemed a little odd to me that all the Christmas imagery in the shops and on cards was snow, reindeers and pine trees. It was strange to buy cans of fake Christmas snow to spray on windows, when I had never seen real snow. It gave me the feeling of not being in the right place at the right time. But with endless summer days of beach and waves and sand, I didn’t worry about it for too long. And perhaps it heightened my interest in the nature of Australia ... which is so very different from the Northern Hemisphere. But that’s another story.

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This is a wonderful Christmas memory with so many Aussie icons. Do visit Narelle's website and if you would like to see her workspace see her Look at my Desk post for this blog.

And one more age appropriate photo from the family vault:

aged 5 with brother and fake spider

12 Days of Christmas, Day 2 - Dee White

2011-12-27T17:00:00.004+11:00

The first Aussie appearing this year for the 12 Days of Christmas is a Victorian friend and terrific author Dee White. Dee lives the Macedon Ranges, Victoria (a gorgeous part of the world) and today, the second day of the Boxing Day test, I know she will be keeping track of the cricket.

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My mother was English and cricket was always a big part of our life when we were growing up. When England played Australia in the Boxing Day test, the barracking became quite fierce. In the lead up there was always the Christmas Day family cricket match.

We lived in the country so we had a 'big' backyard, which meant that very few house windows were broken, although many cricket balls got lost in the orchard. Amateur cricketers didn't use pads or helmets back then and my older brother was a fast bowler so we all developed quick reflexes - it was hit or be hit. My father is Austrian so he's more of a snow skier than a cricketer, but he has always been a good sport about the Christmas day cricket, even if he did accidentally run through the wickets at the bowlers end one day.

Dog, goat, parents, me, my sister, my two brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins; everyone joined in the Christmas day cricket. The score was never important. It was all about having fun...and moving about after an excessive Christmas lunch

The Christmas day cricket game has continued through the generations, and today my kids and their aunties, uncles, grandparents etc all join in. Our dog, Puff has also been raised in the Christmas day cricket match tradition and she is a handy fielder. She's great at catching in 'slips', although she's not quite up with the fielding positions and sometimes stands on the pitch to wait for the ball, so she can catch it before it gets to the person batting.

Christmas day in Australia can be very hot, and Puff runs around more than anyone, but refuses to stop for a drink in case she misses some of the action. When she gets too thirsty, she grabs the cricket ball, runs off with it and hides it in the long grass so the game has to stop while she has a drink. Afterwards, she finds the ball for us so we can resume play.

I can't imagine Christmas without cricket in our household.

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Visit Dee's website and blog and she also has a website for kids Writing Classes for Kids which does exactly what the name says. Check them out. She is an obsessive animal, book and cricket lover whose children's and YA books include Letters to Leonardo, Hope for Hanna and Harry's Goldfield Adventure. Her 2011 highlight was attending the SCBWI LA conference where she met amazing people and learnt a mind-boggling amount about writing and publishing.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 1 - Kristi Valiant

2011-12-26T17:00:00.033+11:00

Welcome to the 2011 edition of the 12 Days of Christmas. Three years ago I contacted 12 friends who are children's book creators and asked them to share their favourite Christmas Memories ... and each Christmas since, I have added to that list. This year a new bundle pop up with a wonderful smattering of memories; some are funny, some are serious, some will certainly make you giggle - or get goose bumps ... and they are all from the heart. I hope you do enjoy these Christmas memories.

And to kick off this year with the first day of Christmas is my lovely friend and wonderful illustrator Kristi Valiant who lives in Evansville, Indiana (USA) with her delightful memory of Christmas Eve nights and also the beginning of new traditions.

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Christmas for me growing up in Wisconsin (USA) was full of lovely traditions, food, church, gifts, snow and time spent with my huge extended family.

Every Christmas Eve night, my four brothers and I bundled up as best we could in our Christmas finery and Dad herded us outside into the van. We'd wait and wait for Mom to finish getting ready and come out. Dad beeped. My brothers and I bickered. Finally Mom came shuffling outside so we could head to church. Afterwards we drove all around town looking at Christmas lights. When we arrived back home, the youngest got to enter the house first because Santa always came to our house while we had been out on Christmas Eve night. Our town of Fond du Lac was first on his list of stops for the night. We'd open our presents and stay up half the night playing with toys and eating candy. My parents preferred sleeping in. It took me years to figure out that Mom was really helping Santa while the rest of us were freezing our butts off in the van outside waiting for her.

Now my husband and I are figuring out what traditions we want to create with our family. Last year for our older daughter's first Christmas we began the tradition of baking a birthday cake for Jesus and singing Happy Birthday to him on Christmas day. This year we have another newborn and will continue that tradition with both our girls. It's a simple way to help us and the girls remember what we're celebrating - how God came to earth as a humble baby so we can go to heaven with him someday.

My absolute favorite way to celebrate Christmas is to stuff a bunch of shoeboxes full of toys, school supplies, books, and hygiene items and give them to Operation Christmas Child (www.operationchristmaschild.com) to send to kids all over the world who need some Christmas love. This year our shoeboxes ended up in south Sudan. How beautiful is that!

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Kristi has illustrated a handful of picture books. Her debut author / illustrator picture book is PENGUIN CHA-CHA (Random House 2013). She is currently illustrating a series of chapter books called Little Wings about a messy-haired cupid She is the Regional Advisor for Indiana SCBWI and lives with her husband, daughters, and a room full of hippos and monkeys.

Have a look at Kristi's website here and send her a note to say Hi!

Look at my Desk! Greg Holfeld

2011-12-09T16:00:00.008+11:00

Back to Creating Spaces and a look at the wonderful DESKS of some of my writing and illustrating friends around the world. This week we spy on the creative space of Greg Holfeld. Greg is a wonderfully talented illustrator creating the art behind the Captain Congo graphic titles (and a whole lot more which you can discover at through his website). We were able to hang out in Ipswich a few months ago.

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This space is new, less than a year, but just about everything in it I've had for quite awhile.

There are two desks, each claiming a different sort of work territory. The smaller oak desk was picked up in an antique shop around 1993. It's always been the place where I do the “business stuff”; bookkeeping, letter writing, etc. Here it holds up the computer, and nothing serious ever happens with that. It's where everything technical, distracting or duller than drawing takes place.

On the other hand, the best times are when the drawing table gets to live up to it's name. I picked it up at an auction house not long after the desk. There's a little plaque on the underside that says: “Mech. Eng. Dept. University 21 MF 62”, which leads me to think before I drew pictures on it someone was drawing mechanical engineering plans. (Co-incidentally, I did that one summer for the Saskatchewan Power Corporation after art college – my last “real job.”) What's being drawn on it now are more pages of “In For The Krill” and a new book with Captain Congo author Ruth Starke.

The rest of place is all about books, penguins, and monkeys!

Some writers say they enjoy having their dogs in their creative space. Don't know why you'd want to have a smelly dog hanging around the studio when you can have a cat that walks on the desk with her butt in your face and then bumps your drawing hand until she's fed.

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Another delightfully "lived-in" creative space. And just love the primate images in his workspace! Many thanks Greg.

Greg's Latest Book

Captain Congo and the Klondike Gold, words by Ruth Starke, Working Title Press, 2011

Do check out Greg's Website Panic Productions. I love that name (or http://www.panicproductions.com.au/)

Thanks Linsay

2011-12-07T08:29:00.000+11:00

Yesterday afternoon I tripped into the Tea Rooms at the Queen Vic building in Sydney to attend the farewell afternoon tea for my wonderful publisher Linsay Knight at Random House. Linsay has been a bedrock of the industry. Nearly as long as my books have been out there Linsay has been part of my bookshelf, either as a publishing colleague or more recently as my Publisher at Random House, but always as a friend. It has always been a joy hanging out with Linsay.
Along with the delightful Mark Macleod and Belinda Bolliger (who were also at the afternoon tea) Linsay has been working on developing great Australian kids writers and giving us a voice and getting us out there. She championed Sounds Spooky and look what that has done!

with Colin Thompson & in the background John Flanagan

So Linsay, heaps of thanks. Now for a new page in your non-corporate life.

India - Part 2 Kolkata Day 2 again

2011-12-06T08:43:00.000+11:00

Of course I forgot to mention in the previous post that in between dropping in to the two schools and the university we went back to the hotel, Taj Bengal, (which is a lovely hotel, glorious rooms, brilliantly comfortable, great breakfast, afternoon serenading by string quartet, and such pleasant and smiling staff - all the time, even when there is chaos all around), I received a phone call from reception. They were confirming my check out time (I thought) but then I was informed that our car in which we were being transported everywhere around Kolkata had been upgraded. We now had a Jaguar to take us to the airport.
"But I have to deliver a lecture at Calcutta University first and go to the Coffee House and then the airport."
"No problem Mr Cheng."
"Ok."
"And would you mind signing our Visitor's Book."
Stunned silence. I did wonder why.
"Of course."
"Would you like us to bring it up to your room?"
But as you can see in the photo below (everyone else skedaddled) I signed the book in reception where a number of staff were present, including a manager or two to assist my check out and to also snap a few photos of their own (I guess to stick in the book alongside my scrawled note).
It seems that being featured in a news story in the Times of India (that was one of the interviews conducted in the hotel coffee shop) - complete with photo - I might have been spotted.

So that was a rather surprising end to my hotel stay in Kolkata. By the time we got to the car, after many farewells and calls of 'please do come again', the bags were packed (the Jaguar has a large boot) and we were off. And I do applaud the driver. I cannot believe how narrow some of the streets were that he drove down - especially around the university. I was thinking 'please don't scratch the jag. They won't have me there again!' The hotel drivers rarely honk the car horns ... but that sound followed me right to the airport. It was the first sound I remember of India and it will be the last.

Kolkata International airport. Now that is an airport in dire need of a remodel, rework, drop and rebuild. It was sooooo depressing and in desperate need of repair (broken tiles, torn seats and lounges, no PA system and heaps more). There were also no Duty Free shops for me to spend the money I had just changed at the hotel. argh! Luckily with flight delays (there was a problem with the originating Silk Air flight) I was able to shop in Singapore.

SO - that is my trip to attend the Bookaroo Festival and the Australia - India Council tour. Just a surprisingly wonderful time.

India - Part 2 Kolkata Day 2

2011-12-05T08:46:00.000+11:00

Finally I get to upload this post. It has been sitting in here for a few days!

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Thursday, December 1, is my last day in Kolkata and the last day - for this trip - to India with two school visits, one university lecture, one coffee shop stop and then a trip to the airport.

These school visits have been so thrilling. I am constantly amazed at the buzz that surrounds my arrival at the school - and then the reception I receive entering the auditoriums. I absolutely that my website must have had a huge increase in hits .... there are facts that some of the people are reading about me that are only uncovered if one has read deep into the pages. It is also really special when the students come to the front after my talks with them and offer their thanks. Some are prepared speeches while others are more free flowing. They are formal, always addressing me as Sir, or Mr Christopher Cheng, and once Mr Chris. These students ad the teachers too were like sponges, absorbing it all. In all schools the students have been told I am from Australia and so have been chasing down information about Australia, our animals and places so when it came time for me to give a quick quiz session the answers were flying thick and fast. I did have to ask some of the students to repeat answers or slow down a little so that I could decipher their answers through their thick cents - but this was way much easier today!

At Ballygunj Sikasha Sadan School and then The Modern High School for Girls (amazing names for some of the schools, and I did notice a Modern High School for Boys too) each seemed to me to be an oasis in a sea of craziness, they are calm retreats from what goes on outside the walls. You could hear the car horns blaring in some of the rooms ... but not as intensely as outside. The schools were also clean which was such a change from the Kolkata outside those walls. The whole city of Kolkata needs a good hit with the steam cleaning machine. There were flowers and lovingly decorated walls. In all of the schools too they are extremely proud of their achievements - especially those awarded for scholastic studies (which I guess is no less the same in most schools. It just seems more amplified here). Always too I am taken to the Principal's Office for tea and refreshments (Bengal treats are extremely, extremely, extremely sweet). At Ballygunj School I was given a gift (as often happened in the schools) of a hand crafted mirror, wrapped in handcrafted paper. I love these gifts. The staff are very proud that the girls all do weekly handcraft sessions - and I was thrilled to unwrap the present. Now the fun will be getting it back into Australia. And it matters not what age the students (even those in university) are. They all love SOUNDS SPOOKY and join in and giggle and get spooked in the right places.

morning exercises - with Bamboo cane?

signing

chatting to students

more student chatting

Again another university and the hallways were dark and cold, the rooms were old and dull, certainly not the luxury that students here or in other western universities are used to. I guess at least today I wasn't bouncing up and down on a very old podium. Today's lecture was not what i expected. it was part f a refresher course for teachers - in 19th century literature, which wasn't that hard for me to talk about - that part lasted all of 3 minutes then i moved on to todays current trends in Australian Children's Literature and what is happening on our scene ... which many seemed to lap up! This photo below looks like the hallway is really well lit - but it wasn't. It was dark and dingy. Bulletin boards were those we hear from early last century and floors are well worn. Still it was a wonderful experience and my presentation was delivered in a well equipped room complete with microphones, swivel chairs, huge new tables and projection facilities. They were extremely proud of the room.

Univ of Calcutta hallway

To get to the university our driver had to drop us across the road - there was ANOTHER protest march going on!

protest march

And here is where you buy your text books. I quickly gazed at some of the stalls ... they are all subject specific too.

text books for sale

Right across the road from the University is the Indian Coffee House. tThis is THE place where the Kolkata literatti have hung for eons. I was told, very proudly by one of the students who accompanied us here the history and some of teh great writers who have created inside these walls ... and supped on the coffee. I snapped this internal photo below and was hoping to get one of the waiters with their ornate and rather decorative fluted hats but missed that one. There was so much smoking going on inside that my look in was only brief. interestingly lots of teh smloking was around the uni - there seemd to be less so elsewhere ... and tehy have some rather interesting smelling cigarettes.

The names says it all

inside - so English

Asha with camera snapped me walking the streets outside the coffee house.

ME!

And now - to the airport and home!

India - Part 2 Kolkata

2011-12-01T02:25:00.002+11:00

Today was supposed to be an easier day but it turned out to be anything but.
After a late breakfast (this is a glorious hotel by the way) there were two interviews, first with the Telegraph and then the Times of India.

Then it was out to Rabindra Bharti University to speak on Australian Children's Literature and me the writer but as these snaps will show the conditions at this university are not what we are used to at home nor at any of the places I have visited here. The students thought they were lovely and not only was this room filled but there were students outside the door and in the hallway. Imagine an aussie university like this. But I loved speaking to the students ... again they were so pleasant and courteous and wanted to know more and more.
And when question time started I picked a real strange one who asked some rather crazy questions - and who would not stop at one. I had to put on my teacher presence and make her return to her seat. One of the wonderful tasks from the Australia - India Council is the facilitation of what i have been doing. There are courses here on Australian Culture and Literature - and that is glorious.

from the podium

notice the desks

from the rickety stage

entrance to the building. it was dark and dingy and NO work place safety laws were followed

Driving to the university and back was hairy! I was a little rattled! We were delayed by they SLOW traffic.

Something to do with elections here - the most colourful part of a rather dark looking city

Back to the hotel for a photograph for the Times - which was supposed to be done this morning at the interview and added to our late arrival at the university - and then straight out again to the Oxford Bookstore for another session. Hardly any kids (many schools were closed today due to the local election) but some wonderful adults. There were two more interviews, the Telegraph again and another I can't remember - she was a bit disappointed that I couldn't give her any insights into a naughty childhood.

yes my head DID hit the steel rafters

notice the banner they made!

And then some shopping at one of the local markets where I was haggled and was pursued. One trader was such a pest that he followed us all over the stores. I walked out of another when they pestered toooooo much but a few nice pieces I have. Was a bit freaky in the markets. I didn't quite feel secure and relaxed so shopping was not too much fun!

So now I am packing. This time tomorrow night I am homeward bound. Love it here in India. They really need the support and the encouragement. There is a hunger here.

India - Part 2 Travelling

2011-11-30T03:32:00.001+11:00

I started today in Chandigarh, spent part of it in New Delhi, and now I find myself in Kolkata.
We travelled on the early morning New Delhi express. It seems like only yesterday (or the day before) that we were sitting on the train and, that's right we were sitting on the train the night before! And here is an early morning snap of the platform ... thee critters are roaming all over the place:

and this is sunrise somewhere along the New Delhi Express route:

while this is the breakfast menu and how you get it on the New Delhi Express:

and this is me trying to get a snap of the train with the trip details ... the indicator panel would just happen to change right when i pressed the shutter.

while this is the porter who for Rs 250 carried our bags across to the car (yes the blue plated official looking government car) which was waiting in the VIP area, over 15 railway lines and down the side of the station. Better than the rip-off deal we were caught with as we were departing two days prior. These guys must operate like a mafia ring for when we tried to change porters when we left New Delhi (they wanted Rs 500 each to carry ONE bag and that is just totally wrong) no other porter was permitted to approach.

Saw another Bollywood production on the go:

Then after a short respite at the High Commission (I still don't believe I have been chauffeured around in a government car and that I have been inside the High Commission) it was off to the airport for the next leg of my India with the Australia - India Commission. A little further down the track I will mention more on thee folks. They do an absolutely wonderful job and i have been soooooo well looked after.

Budget airlines are on the go here and this snap shows two - we flew Indigo ... and these are my knees being pummelled against the seat back in front. And they really got a belting when the person in front decided to do rapidly recline!

A hair-raising drive in the hotel limo (the driving here is nearly as bad as in New Delhi - how many times did I jump in my seat expecting to be side swiped by a car or truck or scooter!

So, this short entry is done and now I need some sleep.

India - Part 2

2011-11-29T01:30:00.001+11:00

So today finds this aussie author in Chandigarh attending an 8.30 roll up at Vivek high School in Mohali. What a terrific bunch of kids and I can't believe the great questions that they asked. I had real trouble being restrained to the one hour chit chat. All of a sudden it was over and first session was done.
Of course I have become attuned to the custom of then heading to the Principal's Office and having tea and cake. How civilised. What an office I visited. The principal's desk, the chairs, the bookcase ... amazing pieces of wonderfully crafted wooden furniture. And the Principal observed my slight sips of the warm water. She told me not to worry. It was 'safe' water. Yes I am being cautious! It seems to that the whole executive of the school squashed into the computer room to my session. They loved my teaching style and interaction with the students - and then I was offered ... in all seriousness ... a position as a kindergarten teacher at the school. When I declined, with the most acceptable reason that my lovely wife would miss me too much, i was then offered any teaching position - and my wife could come too! And finally i was asked to come back to the school in the afternoon to talk to the teachers. Alas, a day too crammed full with visits. To top all of this waiting at the entrance to the school when I arrived was the most exciting hand crafted posted I have seen featuring me. The kids here have been scouring my website and really have found out so much about me. The students too are so pleasant and so generous with their praise. It really is something rather touching. Its a looooong way to travel to give a talk but this was so very splendid but thee are some of the most beautiful schools i have ever been in. And the staff, they are all very thrilled with their school - and they have a right to be.

squashed into the AV room

signing

the poster of ME

One school done. 10.30 found us down the road (luckily we have a driver taking us all over the place) at St Kabir School. ANd if the first school was amazing this school was stunning. Beautifully attired. Wonderfully pleasant and on my entrance to the auditorium I was in receipt of a standing ovation - and i hadn't even spoken yet! This school too had completed thorough research and were filled with questions - so many that I couldn't answer them all but i will ... and add them to my website in due course. f course one question stands out ... who is my nemesis? Corr! The last school had a poster of me at the entrance, the students created a collage in the hall. I roamed around speaking - they were very impressed that i would, and that I could! And again, we concluded with Tea and Snacks.

In Action @ St Kabir

The kids presenting me with posters about ME

A collage about ME!

Another short drive down the road and we arrive to record a programme for the School community radio station.

On Air talking about Me.

And the last part for today was an appearance at one of the local bookstores - the Browser Bookstore. this is a library AND a bookstore that also included a photo session and interview with information extracted from my chat. Love the bouquet of flowers I received too.

And the number one question I was asked at all appearances today? Will I write about India in any of my stories?

@ the Browser Bookstore

Signing

So, the day is done. I just love doing the school visits. A successful and totally pleasing day all round. One that will live long.
Now to rest for an early morning train trip back to Delhi!

India - Bookaroo is done and dusted

2011-11-28T04:31:00.000+11:00

I was in new Delhi. Now I am in Chandigarh.
This afternoon I travelled on the Very Fast Train up here (which just means it skips a lot of stations i think cause I sure is no bullet style train) ready to begin part two of my lightning trip to India.
BUT first .. today was the final day for the Bookaroo festival ... and for me it was a blast. the First session was creating the first Bookaroo Community Story. Starting at 11 is still a little early here but we began anyway with a few funny snippets about creating a story, what makes a good story, and parts of story.

Then the creation began. Soon it was building and everyone was getting into the action, creating the sentences and then dramatising a word or two in each sentence. Our story ended up having snakes that talk, and lions that jump onto birthday cakes, and adults who abandoned children and girls crying and boys not too thrilled either and thunder and lightning and much action to boot. This went so thoroughly well.

And then my final Bookaroo session around the storytelling tree was just that ... telling the story of Sounds Spooky - soon I will have memorised the whole picture book but for now I still need the book or the musical score or the manuscript to remind me of those few spots i juggle the words. Lots of screams and shouts were created and I apologised profusely to the parents. AND as always happened the screaming of ARGH! went down brilliantly. There was lots of jumping and surprise and general scaredness in the audience participation - as it should be!

Audience participation

Saturday's session -- all about ME

Would I do Bookaroo again ... you bet! And hopefully my historical fiction titles will arrive in time if I do! ARGH!

Straight after that it was time for a train trip to Chandigarh - but not before I was stopped as Asha and I were leaving the venue for one last interview ... this time all about storytelling and the different forms. That was the third interview for today.

I will add more later on our confrontation (we lost) with the porters and the chaos of the railway statin later but i finish today's post with a few photos from the train trip ...

Delhi Railway Station

It really is called Meals on Wheels

This last train photo for tonight shows me travelling in FIRST class (backwards) holding the rose that is presented to all first class passengers. Our ticket price also includes, food (I think it was food) and tea and juice and complimentary newspapers ... oh we also spied a cockroach which is NOT supposed to be part of the FIRST class ticket!!!

YES I was given a rose.

Now for India part 2 coming up!

India Day 2 - Bookaroo in the City

2011-11-26T23:16:00.001+11:00

This is truly an amazing city.
It is filled with the most stimulating sights and sounds and smells - this really has been a place to get the senses sparking. Well at least for me ... mine are truly into overdrive.
Normally I try and drop a quick note to this blog each day of my trips away but this time in India it is a little more fragmented ....

Yesterday (Thursday) I was driven in a taxi (rather different to ours at home) and saw bicycles transporting steel for building sights, autos (rickshaws - three wheeled scooters) laden with 6 passengers when it really should carry just 3, motorcycles transporting what I can only assume was a family of 5 (one child on the fuel tank and two kids squashed between the two adults) cows mooing across a road, pigs snuffling through a rubbish heap right ent to a food stall, dogs and dogs and dogs ... and today traffic down the highway that included previously mentioned vehicles and a man riding a horse ... don't believe me - check out the photos.

Will add more on my visit to the High Commission later (do you get the feeling that I am still buzzing at being able to go inside the offices and meet some of the folks ... I also had my first media interview in the Commission grounds too. You bet ... a kid in a toy shop is me!) but Friday was also my first appearance for Bookaroo, and it was the School Day, so of course the place was flooded with kids.

My first session was Working With All Sorts of Animals - and of course that was relating some of Zoo stories which was interesting when 15 minutes after i started (the session was for one hour) one school left. They were on a very tight schedule and didn't realise how long the session went for. Then it was off to do an interview that was recorded for TV for Distance Education at Indira Gandhi National Open University. I ll add more on the hair-raising and nerve clinching roads that we travelled on later. I was interviewed By Professor Malati Mathur for two half hour sessions talking about me, my writing, a touch on the politics of the historical books and of course multiculturalism and what it means to be an Australian. Truly fantastic experience ... an the broadcast goes ALL OVER INDIA - and further!

And now (Saturday late afternoon in India) I will drop in a few photos here and then prepare for an evening feast and chat wiht Jyoti and a few of the Indian SCBWI folks ... yeah to that wonderful connection!

Check out the backdrop!

See ... I am here!

Chaos in the Bookstore

Transportation horse style - on the highway!

More from Bookaroo and today's activities India shortly!

India

2011-11-25T02:12:00.001+11:00

Who would have thought all those years ago when I started writing children's books that it would take me all over the world ... including to INDIA.
Wednesday, I travelled from Sydney to New Delhi (via Singapore where I nearly missed the plane because we arrived late and then the ground staff sent me to the wrong gate) for the Bookaroo Kids lit festival and also for the Australia India Commission Touring Authors Programme.
This is Awesome and thrilling.
I landed here very late last night and finally arrived at the hotel (after a very hair-raising drive - but this is New Delhi after all) early this morning and then on just a few hours sleep I have presented in a school and also at JNU university. AND I had lunch in the cafeteria of the Australian High Commission here in New Delhi ... what amazement!
More on those later (because I am very tired and need to get some sleep) but tonight ... I post a few snaps of my first hours here.

Way too close for my liking

MY Visitor's Badge - at least for a few hours

More soon from New Delhi!

International Liaison ....

2011-11-17T17:43:00.002+11:00

.... for Picture Book Month.

Come on. You already know about Picture Book Month so you don't have to hop to it and have a look at the website (http://picturebookmonth.com/).

Although if you do (and maybe you should) you might find not only a new post by another terrific Picture Book creator, there's one every day for the month of November, but part-way down the middle column you will find that someone (now who would that be) has been appointed as International Liaison for the Advisory Board.

Go on have a look!

And you haven't even seen my post yet.
You will just have to check in each day to find out when I am there.
I promise it will appear!

Read Picture Books
Share Picture Books
Celebrate Picture Books ... all over the world!

Read * Share * Celebrate!

Picture Book Month

Congratulations Margaret Wild

2011-11-16T14:38:00.001+11:00

Last night ... what a thrill.
We attended the 30th anniversary dinner for The Lady Cutler Award for Services to Children's Literature established by the NSW Children's Book Council. Of course the anniversary dinner was important but to see my dear friend Margaret Wild receive the award this year ... what a joy! This is the same award that I received two years ago.
Eddie Coffey was also present. Another bonus. He was the impetus behind establishing the award all those years ago - although he did not envisage males being recipients of the award. That's why the winner was awarded a cameo (I have the beautiful Bob Graham illustration hanging on my wall) - which we joked about when we chatted together. Margaret received the trophy, the same one that has my name engraved on it.

Eddie not wanting to speak, the two Margarets - Hamilton and Wild

Roll Call Photo

And as is custom there was a photo call of all past recipients present at the dinner and as can be seen in the photo above nearly half of us were there!

Hooray for Margaret. It really is a well deserved honour.

And last night it was announced that the inaugural Maurice Saxby Lecture will be held next year at the State Library of NSW. May it live on and on and on. Another Hooray and huge thanks to Libby Gleeson and Margaret Hamilton who plotted and planned and got this lecture happening.

Maurice, Margaret and Libby

And as always happens it was so glorious catching up with friends. It really was a most splendid night.

from the back...

Python

2011-11-14T14:12:00.000+11:00

The glorious thing about writing picture books ... well one of the glorious things ... is when you get to see an artist do their thing. Above you can see a few of the spreads for my new picture book, published by Walker Books, coming out next March - Python illustrated by Mark Jackson. I am stoked.
Mark's pictures just make me want to jump through the page and grab hold of the python. He really has captured the python wonderfully well, and wait till you see the ambush page! I just get soooo amazed every time I get to see what these hugely talented people can do. They see so much in the words that I create.

And it is amazing too to think back to my zoo days - who would have known then that all the cavorting around in the Zoomobile that I established at Taronga would lead me to create this, and all those other animal books I have done. It truly is remarkable to think where a walk/stroll/drive down one path will take you.

Look at my Desk! Anne Spudvillas

2011-11-11T12:37:00.006+11:00

Time now for Look at My desk - My Creating Space to once again get out there after the posts about my trip around the state. And so ... here is the wonderful Anne Spudvilas. Anne was also at Ipswich Literature Festival and so we were able to spend quite a lot of time chit chatting. What a thrill it was to hang out with her too. Anne creates the most gorgeous picture books, well that is what i knew her for but now I find out her creations are also other gorgeous art works.

********

I work in a shared studio in St. Kilda (Victoria) - 12 artists in individual spaces. Mine is a large room with a big window - I need natural light for the tonal nature of my work. It also has a large storeroom attached, great for throwing in everything I don't want to look at. This year I’ve worked at many different desks during residencies at Varuna Writer's Residence, the Art Vault in Mildura, and while house sitting for four different friends for periods from 1 to 3 weeks at a time. I don't use a lot of materials at any one time but I couldn't possibly store all the art materials, large canvases, my beloved dresses and masses and masses of paper in my apartment nearby. Studio space is a haven, although procrastination about getting there is always a problem.

My art materials include charcoal, watercolour, pencil and I do a lot of printmaking at another studio, the Australian print workshop in Fitzroy (http://www.australianprintworkshop.com/)

This is my main desk, but I tend to move around and fill up every horizontal surface with paper, roughs, cups of coffee, etc. walls too

My studio from the other direction - the original cover art from The Race (my first picture book) on the wall.

Recent work - a hand coloured etching done at the print workshop 'Polka Dottie' 20 x 25cm and a charcoal drawing done at my residency at the Art Vault in Mildura in July/August (1012 x 760 cm) are seen below ...

... that shows my two desks and studio space at the Art Vault, small monoprints and large drawings on the wall.

I'm currently completing the artwork for a picture book for Allen & Unwin.

********

I can think of quite a few people who would love Anne's creating space (and her storage rooms too).

Do have a look for Anne's latest book:

Night School, Isobelle Carmody (Penguin)

Discover MORE about Anne on the web here (or http://www.annespudvilas.com/) where she also has her online shop!

Look at my Desk! Where are they ....

2011-11-07T10:41:00.000+11:00

Where are they, the posts about the Creative Spaces from my writer and illustrator friends from around the world? They are ready and waiting to kick off again this coming friday.

I decided that while I was on the road trip and would be posting most days that it would not give enough time for folks to read about my friends. In the coming months there will Creative Spaces from writers and illustrators from around the world including Anne Spudvillas, Chris Eboch, Gus Gordon, Leigh Hobbs and many more.

So just wait a few days and you will see more of the Desks and the Creative Spaces that are creating absolutely glorious books from around the world.

road Trip part 2 - Moree

2011-11-06T10:37:00.000+11:00

Well this is it. the last school of our epic CAP Road Trip and we were at Moree Christian School. what a great school and a delightful bunch of kids this turned out to be. These kids really wanted to get in on the act and be part of our workshops. And wonderfully wonderful, some of these kids knew our books too. Again Sarah was creating with her students wonderful framed pictures and I had lots of stories, poems and information pieces about, Harvest Time, Riding Farm Machinery, Scooter Accidents, Wombats, GOing to work with Dad ... and heaps more. I even learnt about some of the practices used on farms today, all thanks to my very informative and instructive writers. You were great.

writers and illustrators sharing their work

My students also came up with a few titles for the compiled book ... that included:

In Our Backyards,
Writings from our backyards
14 Schools Write.

Now the words and the pictures from this three and a half week road trip have to be put together..

And that was it for this road trip.
It was a low-level flying trip to Tamworth to make it in time for Chris to fly back to Sydney with Sarah and the girls staying overnight before taking a slow leisurely drive home to Sydney!

Thanks all for an absolutely grand time.

road Trip part 2 - Wee Waa

2011-11-03T06:44:00.001+11:00

So this is nearly it.
One more school to go.
Wednesday, yesterday, saw us at Namoi Valley Christian School - hi writers and illustrators ... thanks especially to the kids who taught me about some of their farming practices. I loved reading about all of that.

illustrators sharing their work

And what an interesting way they did have of splitting one of the classes and selecting who would go to my session and who would go to Sarah's session. The 'Winner' from the game of Stone, Paper, Scissors (yes that game we used to decide who goes first in any of our school yard games) joined the art crew while the 'loser' stayed with me! Now is that an ego boost or what! ... and that was after a number guessing game too! I would have thought that a more appropriate way would have been for those who would benefit most from the different specialist fields that we offered.

Straight after school it was back to the local bakery for a lunchtime sandwich and coffee, a top-up with the water and driving supplies (chocolate and yummies) and then we hit the road for Moree and our final school.

we survived

Last night Sarah and I decided that a celebratory dinner in the motel restaurant (often it has been the local hotel or yikes, takeaway) was in order. It was appropriate with lovely atmosphere and food. It was a multi-purpose celebration:

Reason one the end of the road trip is nigh and we had survived and had fun along the way.
Reason two (as if we needed another reason) was that we had a glowing review of Sounds Spooky in the latest edition of Magpies magazine.
And reason three why we dined in the motel and not outside ... we were too tired and too worn out to venture into town for a slap up meal. Sarah even had bubbly!!

Last school here we come....

road Trip part 2 - leaving BOURKE

2011-11-01T21:38:00.000+11:00

And so we bid Bourke a fond (?) farewell. I still amazed that I have spent another two nights of my life in Bourke. I came, I saw and now I have gone.

But we did take a short cruise around town and have a look at a few of the sights that I remembered, like another of my residences. I didn't bother with a photo because the house where I used to reside in in Darling Street is no longer there, which is a good thing too because even when I was there it was already condemned - well it was the women's accommodation and it was covered in holes and broken screens and shutters and basically a mess!

First thing this morning too I had to grab some shots of, and walk along the old bridge at North Bourke.

the Darling River

THAT Bridge

Can't believe vehicles really drove across that ... did I?

And then it was on the road to Wee Waa via Brewarrina and Walgett, and suffice to stay that we skipped the first town and stayed just long enough in the second to buy some lunch fillings before hitting the road again!
We saw a splattering of road kill, flock after flock after flock of grazing emu and wildlife of various creations and also the most wonderful flock of glossy blacks roosting and feeding. Alas we just missed getting snaps of the birds in flight as a truck came barrelling down the highway.

And now we have made it to Wee Waa. Upon cleaning out the car from the past 400 kms we came to the view that it looked decidedly messy. We really do try to use limited number of drink bottles but ...

material collected from the car

A stretch of the legs after checking in to the motel found us here - at the local 'temporary' library.

Yes, we did what all good book people do, we searched for our books.
No books by Cheng or by Davis were found

... and probably just as well because who ever had a book in the library had to buy the afternoon coffee, which is what we were really searching for anyway --- a coffee shop (I can't wait to get to HOME King Street and have a REAL coffee).

Penultimate school tomorrow.

road Trip part 2 - in BOURKE

2011-10-31T20:57:00.000+11:00

Yes we are definitely here and today was a visit to Koinonia Christian Academy and 13 fun kids. Was fun meeting you all. Sorry that we couldn't share our picture book Sounds Spooky with you. And alas, my camera had a flat battery so I don't have any photos to add but I will most definitely pinch one of Sarah's if I can later.

********

I thought that it was pretty impressive me crossing the levee bank and making my foray into town but I went one better this afternoon. While Sarah and the girls went paddle steaming on the Darling I tripped out to grab a snap of where I used to live (I kicked up a stink when I was thrown into the women's housing accommodation where I lasted for a while before getting into this place, straight after it was built ... we didn't even have grass it was that new!)

33 Green Street, back apt.

and also to Bourke Public School right next door, where I was based as District Relief Teacher for two and one third years (that was 2 1/3 years ... a long long time!). A few of the workers from my days here are still there. It was absolutely a buzz to spend the afternoon catching up with Mel - don't forget to let me know when you are next in the 'real world'.

It was all hauntingly familiar walking into through the doors. I thought that i had blocked it all out of my mind but ... nope! I knew exactly where the office and the rooms were! I even knew where the toilet was located. And talking of haunting what does one do at twilight on Halloween when one can't spook all the trick or treaters in the local neighbourhood? One pays a call to the local final resting place ...

... until the mossies started to eat me - at least I think they were mossies.

WHAT no Chopsticks?

2011-10-31T12:04:00.008+11:00

Well a bunch of years ago ... about 20 ... I said no one would ever see me cross the LEVEE Bank again. It's a long long LONG way from the bright lights and the big smoke but I have returned (have I really or is this a figment of my imagination for some grave misdemeanour and if so what the heck did I do that was THAT bad)!

And here is the photo to prove it ...

Noooooooo! Not the levee bank

picturesque

Yes the next school on the road trip just happens to be here in Bourke and some things never change ... We rolled in to town, did a 30 second burst down the main street and then found our way to the motel in North Bourke - right on dinner time and it seems some things don't change. The Bowling Club is still here and guess what we dined on - CHINESE food. It was the only place open for dinner. And all I can say is that there is nothing like country Chinese dining! Ah sweet mystery!

Oh so not Chinese and ....

the entrance

a cup of green tea in a china cup?

I can't believe I am here!

Missing Schools

2011-10-30T21:50:00.000+11:00

Sorry MET school Condobolin and also Parkes Christian School ... I missed adding you to the gathering CAP road trip posts, not because we didn't love seeing you guys but because I was distracted by food and bright lights.

So here is a quick catch up.
Sarah and I had the most thrilling time with the students at MET Condobolin - which was made all the pleasant after the rather rough motel night (see previous post). This is a small school so we ended up working with many of the grades and what a joy it was for me seeing the older kids and the younger kids working together writing their stories and poems. Words, phrases, thoughts and ideas were suggested by both old and young. AND there are now lots and lots of creations with the farm as the central theme appearing in my workshops now. Some wonderfully creative kids here at this school.

And a drive to Parkes found us at Parkes Christian School. Students from grades 3-6 rolled in this time and again, many great story ideas from a country perspective and a few delightful poems too. It is a amazing to think that we can spend three hours creating poems and stories and at the end of this all the students have work to contribute to the collection!

For me then it was a weekend back in Sydney before the next town that I was sure I would never return to ...

road Trip part 2 - find me accommodation

2011-10-28T08:24:00.001+11:00

Well that is what was our final task for Wednesday, to travel from, (where have we been, oh yes) from Deniliquin to Condobolin - a short trip of 450+ kms. Quite a fine drive it was with a few sightseeing spots along the way and then we heard the voice of our sat nav alerting us that we had arrived at our destination. There are not a great range of motels to choose from here in Condo - two that we can find - and it just so happened the one that was chosen for us had a slight Hitchcockian feel about it - it had a slight smell about it, a little like rotten flesh (possibly fishy) that had been masked with deodoriser that had been poured all over the source. Two minutes we were in reception and that was all it took for our clothes to absorb the odours ...
"What's that smell?" one of the girls asked as Sarah stumbled into the car.
"What's that smell?" I quizzled as i opened the door to my motel room.
"What's that smell?" they said in unison as they entered the miniscule room - by which time i had turned up on the door step, bag in hand exclaiming "I am NOT staying here."

And that was our length of stay at our first motel. Quickly, it was a ring around to locate the 'other' condo motel and arrange a night's stay. It was a combination of room deodoriser, air freshener, and insect repellant ("and Mr Sheen?" questioned the receptionist) when Sarah told her that we were leaving.

Whatever it was, it smelled toxic, and was enough to send my head in a spin and make the hairs on my body stand on end, stick in the throat and basically just made us ensure that were going to sleep in the car if there was no other accommodation in town.

********

And I am now finishing this after a restful sleep, two nights later. The second motel turned out to be a little rugged too. I woke yesterday morning feeling as though i had been caught in a fumigator (not that I know what being caught in a fumigator is like but i can imagine) after a night of inhaling whatever was surrounding my bed. Maybe it was the pillow, or the bed, or the mouse bait that I discovered hiding behind the bedside table ...

bait and not a good cleaning job either

I am not sure what it was. but do know that the throat and chest yesterday were very sore and raw!
and whoever decided that Mission Brown was a good colour!

road Trip part 2 - day 1 - evening

2011-10-25T22:29:00.001+11:00

I forgot to add tonight's dining experience ...

One of the less than fun things to do on the trip is decide what to do for dinner. Some evenings we have rolled in to town and all the dining establishments have been CLOSED and at many the food has been nice but not worthy of taking photographs (as I like to do).

But tonight ... that was a different matter. We asked a few folk and suggestions included the local Bowling / RSL / Golf etc clubs but that really didn't work for me (ooh ... Chinese anyone?) Instead we stumbled across the GLOBE Hotel (202 Cressy Street for anyone interested). If you are passing through this way then you MUST dine here ... the food was delectable.

It started with the most mouth watering damper, light and soft on the inside and light and not crusty or crumbly on the outside (it simply melted in the mouth) with three different butters to spread!

Our main a Surf and Turf that was a treat. The surf was delicious and the turf was perfectly cooked, easy to eat and dripping with a lightly herbed creamy dill sauce with vegetables cooked to my likeness (soft!)

And I forgot to snap the deserts - we shared one chocolate pudding and one sticky date pudding, both with ice cream.

This was a dinner worth writing about!

Road Trip part 2 - day 1

2011-10-25T22:07:00.000+11:00

So here we go at our first school for part 2 and thanks to the junior school kids from Deniliquin Christian School for having us there. The junior school was spilt into two groups and we had a gathering of kids from kindergarten to year 6 in each group. That sure made for interesting sessions - it was wonderful to see the older students helping the younger ones. And for the first time on our trip around some stories and art work are appearing with horses and farms prominent. My writers created some lovely work that included a fact file on the life of a kangaroo, as well as dream and dragon stories and a tory about a wished for horse called Bella. We MUST be right out in the country now! Sarah has the art work and I have the writing added to the accumulating file. It certainly is growing.

my silent writers

Had to add this snap of Sarah's girls hard at work on their travel journals ... and this was at the beginning of their session before i had even started.

One of the advantages of the tour is getting to have a quick look at the local environment. Nature is just glorious and I do love sights like these from the country. It was so very peaceful and tranquil standing by the river.

amazing twists

wonderful reflections

This wonderful natural specimen below suddenly appeared, not swimming from the watery surrounds but delivered to the water's edge in an Australia Post crate. Someone had collected it (not a very legal thing to do anyway) somewhere out on a run but it was too big to be kept as a pet (that was the plan) so it was deposited here. He (I think - although i didn't get to look close enough at his shell to determine the absolute sex) spent a while checking out the surroundings before swimming off to the depths of the river.

So that is Deni. Nice little slice of country New South Wales. Now on to Condobolin.

Road Trip part 2

2011-10-24T21:30:00.001+11:00

There is a WiIlie Nelson song that includes the line:
On the road again ... and guess what, I am.

After a total of 10.5 hours of travelling, first on this:

my mum lived in this town so I HAD to grab this station shot.

and then on this:

I finally arrived, totally stuffed, in Deniliquin here in country NSW to resume the CAP programme that Sarah and I have been travelling for. I have decided that travel by rail in the fashion that I have just endured, is for the oldies. Well it must be ... I was just about the youngest in my train carriage. BUT I did create a pretty good poem as we were clicketty clacketty travelling along the line. My brain (and head and stomach) though was so churned up there was absolutely NO creating on the coach.

It was great to see Sarah and the girls again - especially as they arrived just in the nick of time to save me from being swamped by a swarm (can one be swamped by a swarm) of little bothersome flies.

SO now to the next bunch of schools.

Writers Connect article

2011-10-20T19:57:00.002+11:00

Forgot, (well I didn't really forget ... it came out while I was on part one of the road trip) to drop this link up to an article that I wrote for the Spring 2011 edition of the UTS Alumni newsletter Writers Connect.

e–publishing
Chris Cheng on the changing face of publishing as we know it. The interactive, electronic medium opens up a whole new world for authors and readers.
Read more…

Here it is:
https://www.alumni.uts.edu.au/Document.Doc?id=61 or click on the graphic above.

Road Trip - day 5 & 6

2011-10-19T14:15:00.000+11:00

After a weekend break in Sydney it was back to Merimbula airport to be collected by the road crew. Please note I do NOT like little propellor planes!

and another wildlife specimen saved from marauding cars and trucks.

Then a short drive to Cooma for Day 5 and our hit at Snowy Mountains Christian School ... thanks guys for the great organisation and we look forward to seeing the finished works. This is going to be one terrific collection of writing and art.

Straight after school it was back on the road for our last night away in Jindabyne and today's visit to Snowy Mountains Grammar School. But on the trip to Jindabyne we had to stop at the water release that is being done to revitalise the lower rivers. The roar and the thunder from the gushing water was amazing. Now back at our motel 2 kms away we can still hear the gushing in the distance.

I couldn't resist this sign snapped on a shop door as we filed up with sustenance for our trip back.

And now ... back to the big smoke.

Road Trip - Day 4

2011-10-16T12:31:00.000+11:00

And so for day it's once more a visit to Saphire Coast Anglican College ... but this time to the Pambula Campus, which was doubly lovely because we didn't have to drive too far to go to this school! It was minutes away from our accommodation so we were even able to snaffle a morning cup of coffee.

What a delightful caring lot of people there.
Loved workshopping with the kids and receiving their great narratives and poems. I also got to glimpse the delightful art work that the students completed with Sarah - some great art there!

and with the weekend approaching where do I have to go ... to the airport at Meribmbula to grab a quick weekend in Sydney! And here I will return!

Road Trip - day 3

2011-10-13T20:01:00.000+11:00

Once more we drive from Pambula back up the highway (pass the gas bottle letterbox and the bloated wombat) to Bega, this time to spend our hours with class 3 (Sarah) and the class 4 students from Mumbulla School for Rudolph Steiner. What a super creative bunch of writers I was working with ... absolutely wonderful narratives and poems and descriptions were crafted about the environment.
After our separate sessions we pulled the two classes together to share their work, a really wonderful experience seeing the students responding to each other's work.

drafting the writing

sharing the art

sharing the writing

That blackboard (what is that some will ask) writing on the left hand side about the environment is mine. It was really strange using a stick of chalk to write on the board.
Great work all. Keep on creating wonderful passionate stories and art!

Road Trip - day 2

2011-10-12T20:44:00.000+11:00

Hi to all the beautiful people at the Bega Campus of Saphire Coast Anglican School.
Sarah and I had an absolute thrill working with you all today. And my year 3/4 writers ... you certainly created some lovely pieces of writing. There were narratives and poems and descriptive pieces of writing on topics that included sunflowers, fishes of all sorts, a cottage garden, farm animals and oh so much more. I love the short adventure stories too. I know Sarah is looking forward to taking your work on to the next school and getting it illustrated!

Each day we are talking about ENVIRONMENTS and my writers create works on the them first as a handwritten draft and then published on computer.

Here are a few quick snaps from today:

first draft

silent writers - really, really silent

publishing

happy staff

And of course we have been treated to fine morning tea and lunchtime dining.
Thanks so much all.

and lastly I HAVE to add this snap ... just love the country letter boxes.

on the Pacific Highway Bega.

Road Trip - travelling and day 1

2011-10-11T21:10:00.000+11:00

Where are Chris and Sarah (the Davis one of sound spooky fame)?
They are on a CAP (Country Area Programme) coordinated by Lateral Learning travelling to a bunch of schools on the south coast of New South Wales. Sarah of course is conducting art workshops while I am running writing workshops - obviously, and it is just as well that I am not doing the illustrations ones!

So - Yesterday we travelled from Sydney through to Pambula, where we are based for the week. A nice (what's nice? easy, pleasant, smooth) drive down the Princes Highway occasionally getting glimpses of the ocean and cruising through gorgeous old towns and saving young echidnas from becoming road kill.

Sarah and Nikau shuffling the youngster into the scrub

We rolled in to town well after dark, wondering if there would be any places open to eat and found just a lone Pizza Shop for evening sustenance ... thankfully!
Today we began at Thomas More Montessori School in Bega. And to the poor gentleman whose house we invaded first (we had the old school address) we do heartily apologise. Thankfully we were not toooo early!
Hey Kids at Thomas More lovely to meet you and great to see you and keep enjoying creating!

And this shot I added just for the beauty of the tree.

Next stop another Bega school.

Sounds Spooky - Launched

2011-10-02T09:34:00.001+11:00

AMAZING ...
what fun.
what a gathering.
Sounds Spooky is launched!

Thanks to:
Sarah for the Spooktacular illustrations!
Random House and my local book store Better Read Than Dead
Maurice Saxby for the wonderful words to launch the book
all the bods who turned up ...
     ALL the neighbours,
     ALL the friends,
     ALL the PaddleDuck Crew
and my B for letting me do what I do!

... and it's late at night and I hope I haven't forgotten anyone!

I had some really cool photographers there too so here are a few snaps from Daniel (more to come):

three of the PaddleDucks

listening to Maurice

Deep in thought ... did I really write this?

Look at my Desk! Serena Geddes

2011-10-01T13:50:00.001+10:00

Welcome to the Creating Space of a lovely friend Serena Geddes. Serena lives in Sydney and is a regular at our SCBWI gatherings. She has been powering away creating illustrations for many books of late which is amazing considering it seems that the last picture she has included has water views - very distracting I say!

Anyway ... read on for more of Serena:

So this is my creative space, I realized it looks pretty neat which is not usually how I work, but the last 2 projects I have created on the computer (Toilet Time for Boys and Toilet Time for Girls) I’m a traditional illustrator so in the midst of a book there will be paint, brushes, paper towel and random pages sprawled all over the floor… I seem to think better that way. On my desk, my ancient Wacom tablet (yikes) hot off the press copies of Totally Twins – Tropical Trouble, my morning coffee (an absolute must) my I luv NY cup/pen holder from my visit to SCBWI conference this year and a mash of paper with things I should be doing.

Above my shelves I have a snippets of artist’s designs pegged on my mini line for those days when I am in need of inspiration and books by my favorites (also brilliant reference material) Mick Inkpen, Gus Gordon, SMK, Tina Burke, Anna Walker and Sarah Davis.

In an attempt to get organized I created this new wall, which is yet to be completed with things I am working on, where I am going and what I want to achieve.

I am not sure the relevance of me ridding a bicycle, but one day I hope to work with these guys.

My desk is a simple fold up l table I picked up from an Op Shop so I am unaware of its previous adventures, I’d like to think its been on a cruise through the Caribbean at least once in its life.

********

I wonder how many fokks "clean up" their creating space for these inside looks? Still think her window view would ba a major distraction!

Serenas latest titles

'Totally Twins - Tropical Trouble' New Frontier Publishing
'Lily's Wish List' New Frontier Publishing
'Toilet Book for Boys' The Five Mile Press
'Toilet Book for Girls' The Five Mile Press

And now you can jump right in to see more of Serena at her website here (www.reeni.com.au)

Surry Hills Library and a Spooky Holiday activity

2011-09-29T12:21:00.001+10:00

The first Tuesday of the holidays was time for Sarah and me to do a gig at Surry Hills library talking about Sounds Spooky (you know, that picture book that is out of stock in the warehouse) and then also having some holiday activity fun ... writing spooky stories with me and modelling spooky creatures with Sarah. Completed models were also photographed in the mansion or on some of the Sounds Spooky backdrops so the kids rolled home with a spooky story, spooky models and photographs (teaching idea folks)
Thanks to the library folk who put together the gig, to Dot our publicist, and also to the mums and dads for rocking along with your kids. We had a blast - see:

us in action

discussing our stories

discussing the modelling

artists and writers at work

modelled spooky creature on teh mansion steps

completed work!

New edition

2011-09-20T13:38:00.002+10:00

Look ... this arrived while I was in Ipswich ... a new edition!
Love the colours and the papers and the look and feel.
yeah!
Coming out November 1.

Same awesome poems.
Same awesome illustrations.
Same awesome price.
New ISBN: 9781742753621
AWESOME.

BOOKFEAST 2011

2011-09-19T16:48:00.001+10:00

For the past few years I have joined the Bookfeast crew at the Bookfeast Literature Festival, which has been running for 19 years now I think) ... always great food and lots of fun ... and SOUNDS SPOOKY did itself proud again!
Once again it was on - last Thursday (yes another late post - too much happening right now!)
Thanks to the students and teachers from Cabramatta West Public School and also Canley Heights Public School. It was a delight having lunch with you. Great manners. Great quesions. Fun Diners! Keep reading and having fun in the library!
And of course Michaal Fraser from Haberfield Public School (just a totally fantastic school ...but then I could be rather biased) another job well done.
Here are my dining companions:

Ipswich kids lit festival in Summary

2011-09-17T15:01:00.000+10:00

Well, Ipswich Kids lit festival 2011 is done and dusted

I gave a few workshops and presented many sessions chatting about books and me and of course SOUNDS SPOOKY - amazingly (yes I still think it is amazing) that SOUNDS SPOOKY was sold out in a few days!

So, here is the week in summary:

Number of :

kilometres flown by Virgin Australia: 3960 kms (two trips)
kilometres driven: 323 kms
hours spent travelling: 19 hrs 30 mins (or soemthing like that!)
schools who visited my sessions: 28
school I visited: 2
sessions presented: 25
panels presented: 1
children I spoke to: more than 1000
times I answered the question What is your favourite book?: at least 15
times I showed my new picture book created with Sarah Davis: 25 ... and then more in the book shop and sitting outside when exclaimed "oh YOU wrote that!"
number of breakfast, lunches and dinners consumed: 24
number of afternoon teas and morning teas: 17
number of snacks: too many to mention.
number of brown snakes spotted: NONE (although I was told to about one)
numer of tree pythons spotted: one
number of ghosts seen: NONE (although I am reliably informed that there are a few in the mansion!)

Some new(er) questions:

Q = How long is your hair?

A = "This long" I say turning around.

Q = What is your favourite team? (this one was consistently asked ... they must like sport up here!)

A = Team of what?

and then following my answer which was the question

Q = Sports team?
A = NONE!

Old Favourites:

Q = What is your favourite book

A = Two favourites - Night reatures and Sounds Spooky ... for the moment.

Q = How much money do you make?

A = Not enough.

Q = Where do you live?

A = Sydney

... and now we are done.
Thanks Ipswich and Esk and the Ipswich District Teacher Librarian Network and the wonderful Jenny Stubbs.

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 10

2011-09-15T17:53:00.000+10:00

Ipswich kids literature festival 2011 for me (and the other presenters) is now done and dusted!

The fianl day was spent for a few of us at Ipswich Grammar or for the lucky 4 - Leigh Hobss, Tracy Batts, Sarah Davis and me of course out at Esk ... about 40+ kms further out from Ispwich and past the Wyvenhoe Dam that flooded in January ... it was easy to see the water levels on the trees and the surrounding landscape. Esk was a blast.

A quick group shot though before we departed:

and one last snap of the Mansion - and I didn't see a ghost!

I most definitely had the best of the venues at Esk. My three session with the schools were at the local library (this too was flooded to shelf level two) and my sessions just happened to be in the council rooms - and YES I had to grab a photo of me sitting in the mayoral chair being very mayoral with my books and laptop nearby.

I must add that Sounds Spooky has had a roaring reception in the schools where I have presented it. They love me telling the story - and of course hardly any of the kids can imagine what Sarah has created with her glorius illustrations. And I do receive a delightful buzz when I surprise the kids (and the adults) as I read the book. Loved the schools out here Ipswich way. Great questions and so much fun and they all joined in the reading of Sounds Spooky. The Esk forlk also do a great lunch - we were NOT wanting of food this festival. The local paper snapped heaps of shots during my first session and I also did a radio interview with 2ST (Southern Highlands) during the lunch break. Busy busy busy ....

One last group shot (with Esk folk too) before we head for the airport ... notice the very mayoral feet on the bench!

Thanks Esk for a ripper time out your way and to Jenny Stubbs who organised the whole Ipswich Literature Festival. What a blast ... now if only I had a voice with which to speak. Ah well ... visual communication for a few days - or maybe notes on paper!!

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 9

2011-09-14T06:36:00.000+10:00

Well this IS the home stretch ... just three sessions to go and then we are done for the 2011 Ipswich Kids Lit Festival.

Day 9 for me had another three session in the Mansion with some of the smaller school - absolutely great fun. And of course it was the usual chit chatting about my works BUT ... only for part of my first session. Mid way through one of the kids spied a snake crawling along the outside verandah roof and twining itself in and out of the lace work there. So the rest of my session on writing and kids books became a chit chat on the the glories of reptiles and then more specifically on pythons. but it DID tie in with books ... it was a very early promotion for my picture book with Walker next year - Python.

But that wasn't the only wildlife spotted. Last night, on retiring to our rooms after dinner we spotted, a RAT, no a POSSUM, no it's one of those - who knows what. Well it was this:

Yep. Not a ghost, or an apparition of any other sort. This is just a poor photograph of what was probably a bandicoot of some description (its got a bandicoot like nose and it bounced around a bit). Don't blame me ... the light was non existent (mostly) and it was very hard to even see where the blob of the creature was sitting on the grass.

Interestingly though for one of my session, one of the volunteers came in and opened a window because of the musty / stuffy / kids / smokey smell in the room. I hadn't noticed it before in my first lesson for the day or in the sessions yesterday but then I remembered there is a ghost in the house that leaves his smokey smell when visiting a room! Maybe.......

So it was also a quiet affair at dinner tonight. Just one table of diners and for the final day of the festival we are all offsite. Sarah Davis, Leigh Hobbs, Meredith Costain, Tanya Batts and I are all travelling to Esk - about an hour away from here.

And then we are all Homeward bound.

Sounds Spooky

2011-09-13T16:06:00.001+10:00

Here I am in Ipswich with Sarah and she just showed me this page on the Random House Australia kids website and look:

yeah!

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 8

2011-09-12T20:48:00.000+10:00

Heading down the home stretch now ... and what was the big news for today? Those wonderful Aussie reptiles of the brown snake variety, were spotted on the path to the lower cabins. Thank goodness I dwell up here in the prestige block! I don't mind reptiles ... at least when I see them i want to be there in the zoo!

So today, three more sessions with local children up in a room in the Mansion. Not in any of the ghostly rooms though, but I could still tell the ghostly stories of the house.

And it was a thrill to be given a copy of the Glenore Gazette from Mr Thompson's Year 6/7 class at Glenore Grove State School. The current gazette contains not only school news but also poetry creations by the class. And in my copy of the gazette the students have all signed their own poems. That was WONDERFUL. Thanks so much year 6/7. Be really proud of your interpretation of CJ Dennis' work. Keep up the great writing and I hope you all had fun and went away with lots and lots and heaps of ideas.
And greetings too to the year 6/7 students from Glamorgan Vale State School. Hope you too grabbed lots of ideas.

And tonight, why it is way early. The clock hasn't even chimed 9 and I am back here having dined excellently (again) and eaten way way too much (again) and completing this note before getting ready to retire - early for once!

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 7

2011-09-12T06:11:00.000+10:00

This weekend (Friday to Sunday) has been operating as a separate programme attached to the festival and as an adult programme. This morning began with breakfast in the marquee with a panel of two, myself and Tristan Bancks discussing the topic ITS A DIGITAL WORLD and our involvement in that world. This was chaired by Poppy Masselos from the Courier Mail.
We prattled on for what did NOT (I repeat) did not seem like ages, and folks even said it wasn't long, when all of a sudden we were running over time and I had barely begun.
At least I was able to mention my first website which was built LAST CENTURY and the first email that I received through the website that was from a kid who said "your website sux". And blogs, and communication with a digital audience and digi promotion.
Of course I chatted about Book Trailers (although didn't get time to show the awesome Sounds Spooky trailer) and how librarians can use boo trailers to move books, and I did mention PaddleDuck and my involvement there.
And question time - well that really didn't eventuate too much, except for the discussion on the disappearance of teacher librarians and what can be done - which. in my opinion, includes self advocacy ... even though not everyone agreed with me.
During this time too a few minutes were grabbed for a special presentation. My lovely friend Deb Abela had been plotting and planning for a few nights. So with a card drawn by Gus Gordon and a bundle of books inscribed and given by us creative types, she and Sheryl presented to Jenny the gift. Just delightful.

the morning panel gathering

Lunchtime was he launch of the BookLinks travelling suitcases exhibition taking suitcases of five Queensland authors and illustrators to outlying Queensland schools, with samples of their works, and for the illustrators samples of their creative materials. A great idea.

a travelling suitcase

the lunchtime food queue

And then the rest of the day was a bit of Rest and relaxation with lunch thrown in the middle. Lotsa fun.

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 6 - evening

2011-09-11T10:40:00.000+10:00

SO day 5 and 6 I was back in Sydney but as has oft been announced - I have returned, and just in time for Saturday night's festival dinner in the Big Marquee. The festival theme, in honour of the wonderful Jeannie Baker and her book Mirror, was Moroccan. As I only just made it in time (traffic delays out of Brisbane due to horses and men chasing and football) I didn't have time to adorn myself in appropriate costume but many other folks were appropriately attired - as these snaps will show.

dancers

Is that you Oliver Phommavanh?

Jeannie and Jenny

The stage was also dressed in theme ... but Meredith Costain and I decided it needed testing so here are a few snaps I've called "Before, During, After" - all self explanatory.

Lots of frivolity with authors and illustrators having fun! And my planned early night ... didn't become so early - although it was early compared to some!!!

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 4

2011-09-09T13:01:00.001+10:00

SO - Thursday is over.
Lots of action and activities happening at the festival including Monkey Baa theatre performing Susanne Geray's I Am Jack under the marquee.
Today I was in at Ipswich Civic Centre presenting to a few hundered kiddies from Prep to Grade 3 from St Mary's, Haigslea, Sacred Heart, and IESS. Lots of fun telling stories and the asking of questions ... and that one perenial question has popped up again (its a common one with the littlies) - how long IS your hair?
I should list some of the other terrific creative folks who are here ... roll call please:

Gus Gordon

James Moloney

Tristan Bancks

Richard Newsome

Mark Wilson

Narelle Oliver

John Heffernan

Deb Abela

Tanya Batt

Meredith Costain

Angela Sunde

Sue Whiting

Brian Falkner

It really is a thrill spending the days and nights with these folks feasting, chatting, walking, drinking, pooling, yahtzeeing, ghost finding and a whole lot more.
I have made a quick trip back to Sydney and so caught the shuttle to the airport after my sessions ... and the shuttle just happened to be the same one that the wonderful Sarah Davis took earlier in the day (I know because her name was still on the airport pick-up card) on her way to the festival - see you in a few days Sarah.
But the catching up did not stop there ... Gus was also returning to Sydney and arrived at the aiport a short while after I did. Then who did we bump into on our flight to Sydney Tobhy Riddle who was returning from the Brisbane Writer's Festival. It was terrif to see him as well.
.... the creative folk are on the move!

More from Ipswich soon.

ipswich kids lit festival - Day 3

2011-09-07T21:54:00.000+10:00

And so another day is done in Ipswich.
What fun this is - I just love chatting about my book, the writing processes that I go through and how I create my books. It is such a buzz chatting about it all BUT the biggest thrill is when a spark is lit for one of the kids listening. One of the kids chimed in today with "I want to be a kids author too" - and she was absolutely beaming with joy and enthusiasm. We had talked about the writing process, the possibilities for ideas and just what happens when one lets creativity flow.

Tripped out to West Moreton Anglican College for a session with year 2 - I hope the blog photo turned out well and that you all had fun! and then two sessions back in Woodlands with the kids from Fernvale and Blenham. They asked great questions and were fun! It was great back in the Mansion today because when I was reading Sounds Spooky I could add a few new pieces from last night's tour about the ghosts of the Mansion - and especially the room we were in!

AND this is an early night .... no playing on the snooker table, no chin wagging into the late hours. Dinner is done (I eat way too much at these gatherings), telephone calls are made and now i will just add a few snaps from today and then to bed.

the post dinner run down for the following day

Lucia signing a copy of her book for me

More tomorrow .....

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 2 - evening

2011-09-07T10:44:00.000+10:00

We went on the ghost tour of the Mansion. It is a gorgeous old sandstone building with just beautiful timber panneling (there are no more cedar trees left on the property and the I could see why!). Alas, we couldn't find / spot / sense / feel a ghost while we were walking the floorboards! But we did spot General Douglas Macarthur's chair and desk and of course I just had to check it out! Absolutely the most wonderful chair I have sat in! Felt like I had to give a few orders - but nobody listened sigh!

lots of wood here

spooky hallway

and here are a few quick snaps of relaxing authors and illustrators pre dinner!

Alas, no apparition ....

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 2

2011-09-06T16:46:00.000+10:00

Oh it was a late night of chatting and gossiping and "chewing the fat" but this morning it was all go ... we were totally sparking on three and a half cylinders ready for Day 2 of the Festival.

The morning's here are just gorgeous - crystal clear today and crisp - I am sure it would have been warmer in sydney but by my last session this afternoon a few of us were sitting on one of the many verandahs soaking up the sun's rays and just relaxing.

My first two sessions today were out at Brassall State School (hey year two -- thanks for the great smiles and I hope you enjoy your writing fun in the classrooms this afternoon and onwards!) This school was caught in the January floods and in the snap below I am pointing to a blue line. This is the height of the waters that invaded library and as you can see from the shelves nearby, that means the collection went under water.

As as a result no books remained so now with heaps of vols the library folk are getting the donated books accessioned and onto shelves ... but there is an awfully long way to go.
And then I looked up to see this - must be a water snake!

This afternoon was back to Woodlands for my final session of the day and this time I was in the CHAPEL! And no I wasn't giving a wedding lesson!

So far at this festival I have spoken in a haunted house that has a resident ghost (tonight we are going on a ghost tour of the Mansion after dinner) and a chapel. I wonder what will be my next venue?

Ipswich kids lit festival - Day 1

2011-09-05T22:15:00.000+10:00

It's early morning in Woodlands - I know that now but not when I first woke. A few beams of light were peeking through the shutters, a lone peacock was honking, more feathered creatures were chirping and announcing their morning's arrival with their wake up calls and then - they stopped as the rain began to trickle on the bush leaves and the grasses outside. Surrounded by nature I am ... and then the fridge in the room kicked in! Ah well, there goes nature ... at least I slept through it most of the night.

SO today the festival begins.
It is a thrill in this wonderful setting perched on a hill, with valleys and dirt tracks and trees all around. Some energetic bodies went for early morning runs (it was raining folks, you'll get wet) while others of us crawled out of bed and faced the breakfast feast. With three session a day for each presenter this is an excellent festival to attend. I was eased gently into the festival, only two sessions today!
Hi to the kids from Rosewood. Working with the kids is great fun and a real joy ... especially when they decide to get really creative - with their writings and their questions.

Of course the festival for us is also about catching up with folks --- including this bag of ruffians, Michael Bauer, Sherryl Gwynther, Christine Bongers, and Oliver.

And like any good kids lit festival there has to be a bookstore:

and where are my books? Right here .... and some I have signed already!

And after a hard day of speaking to the throngs what is better than unwinding with a game of pool as Lucia Mascuillo demonstrates so brilliantly. She missed.

Of course when a call was made around the dinner table for illustrations for a charity auction for Breast Cancer nothing could stop the talent from oozing out as ably demonstrated by Leigh Hobbs, Anne Spudvilas and Greg Holfield!

Day one is DONE!

Ipswich kids lit festival - the arrival

2011-09-05T09:09:00.000+10:00

You're not in Sydney any more Christopher …

And that is right.

Now I am in Ipswich - or at Woodlands of Marburg to be precise. Tomorrow beings the 9th Ipswich kids Literature Festival organised by the terrific Jennie Stubbs. What a magical place this is … as these quick snaps will show.

After arriving throughout the afternoon a group of us went for a stroll though the fields ...

… with cow pats, grasses, fences, gates with hooks, gates without hooks, beautiful hills and such wonderful sights as the bull ant mounds (we were deciding who would be the first to stand there).

And then we came across this glove, which posed some interesting possibilities as proposed by the authors who were present.

And I have been reliably informed that there is a ghost here - somewhere in this mansion … and guess who is giving talks in the mansion over the next few days. Just perfect for a picture book called Sounds Spooky!

It was great catching up with a few of the folk I haven't seen for yolks, including Leigh Hobbs, Andy Griffiths (yes to the kids at OLQP - the one who is on your shortlist for this year's voting … he says to say HI!), Mark Wilson, John Heffernan … and then folks whose books I have admired and populate my bookshelf like, Anne Spudvilas, Greg Holfield, Sally Rippin, Gabrielle Wang and more. Then of course the others I see in Sydney and who I just enjoy hanging around with - Deb Abela, Sue Whiting, Oliver Phomenavah,

Finally there was dinner (duck entre and chicken main) - we are well catered for in food! which was completed with a cake for Andy's birthday.

The festival blog is here (http://ipswichkidslitfest.blogspot.com)

And so now let the festival begin ...

Look at my Desk! Samantha Berger

2011-09-03T09:44:00.000+10:00

Oh I am sooooo thrilled to be able to introduce you to the Creating Space of (if you don't already know) my lovely friend Samantha Berger. Sam wrote the absolutely delightful Martha books (illustrated by Bruce Whatley. See Bruce's creative place here). She lives in the USA and I don't see her often enough, which really is the case with most of my non Aussie friends.

********

Ta-Daaa!

It's my work space at work, and here I am working in it! This was my old office at good ol' cable Television's Nickeolodeon in New York City.

In this office, I wrote the PSA "Breakfast Time," promo campaigns for SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer, and the Emmy Nominated Fabulous Flatulence. It was in these years I wrote the story MARTHA DOESN'T SAY SORRY, illustrated by Bruce Whatley, so this space is extra special to me. I wrote tons of children's television and made up tons of children's stories, while I had this office. It was a special place.

When I moved in, it was a boring corporate space, facing a hotel in Times Square, FECH! So I decided to cover it from floor to ceiling with the things that made me happy: Simpsons dolls, my signed "Stay Moist" SpongeBob from Tom Kenny, Polaroid photos of all my co-workers with captions. It became a whimsical wonderland and an inspirational paradise! Every kid who came to visit Nick, came to see my office, give the gumball machine a go, and check out the toy collection. (Psst! Big secret, there are STILL toys hidden in the ceiling!)

I think, anywhere I've worked in the world, from NY to California to Sydney, Australia, I've always created a work space that looks a good deal like this one. You'd know my office ANYWHERE!

********

That surely is a grand place to play (oops I mean work)! Thanks to Sam heaps and heaps for letting us peek inside her creative space. I did get to catch upmwith Sam in teh USA at the recent scbwi conference. Don't believe me? Then check us out on my website here.

Samantha's latest books:
Martha Doesn't Say Sorry
Martha Doesn't Share, both illustrated by Bruce Whatley (Little, Brown).

Samantha's next book is CRANKENSTEIN! illustrated by Dan Santat (2012, Little, Brown).

Discover MORE about Sam on the web here (or www.samanthaberger.com)

Pythons

2011-09-01T16:15:00.001+10:00

Right before Book Week a call from Suzanne at Walker Books ...
"The illustrations for Pythons are in and do you want to come up and see them?"
"Do I ... of course."
So very nearly first thing the next day I was at the offices here in Newtown to salivate over the gorgeous illustrations that Mark Jackson has created. Just one question ... how do illustrators create these luscious creations?
Just look at this example with Suzanne and my lovely friend Wayne (who designs and illustrates at Walker - he's another one of those disgustingly clever illustrators) and at the bottom with Sue:

Yeah! Happy author!

St Monica's Star

2011-08-31T14:22:00.000+10:00

Some months ago the teacher librarian from St Monica's Primary School in Richmond, Leanne Duval, dropped me an email asking about my picture book One child and whether they could adapt it for a stage presentation - OF COURSE was my response and I am sooooo thrilled that i did.
Last night I tripped out to Panthers to see that presentation as part of the diocese's Creative Arts - One Child Can Make A Difference expo. I made it there just in time to see the opening act which was St Monica's and of course I had my camera ready to take snaps of the stars in action but there with a request for no photos this one below is all I could snap. But they have promised to send me the recording of the production.

Goosebumps covered my arms throughout the performance. It was a wonderful production with the words being read, (and if you know my book there are not too many words), and then each action being dramatised on stage to wonderful musical accompaniments and with terrific costumes that included, bees, turtles and frogs. There was cleaning and protesting and many more actions to accompany the text - all adapted from my book of course! And I was mentioned more than a few times!
Afterwards I was able to nip out the back to the 'green' room to see and chat with the crew. How much fun.
It truly is a buzz seeing your work presented in such a wonderful format.
CONGRATS St. Monica's.

National Bookshop Day

2011-08-21T10:24:00.001+10:00

What great fun it was to celebrate National Bookshop Day on Saturday morning, first at the Children's Bookshop at Beecroft and then at my local Better Read Than Dead at Newtown.

Reading in the PARK on King Street Newtown

The Beecroft gig turned out to be more of a pre book launch for Sounds Spooky (its not even out till September 1). Sarah and I read the story, chanted the verses and thenextracted ideas from the gathered throng for Sarah to use in a gost illustration that she created. Now THAT was a stunner watching Sarah create the ghost character from Sounds Spooky! Authors can be very jelous seeing these works create right before our very eyes! Thanks to Paul at the Bookshop (our room upstairs was filled with bodies and also decorated with spider webs and all sorts of spooky bits and pieces) and to our publicist at Random House -Dorothy- for getting this gig together. Jacqueline Harvey, John Larkin and Belinda Murrell were also there (they got to sit in the bookshop window). Of course after we read the story and chatted it was a signing session. Most memorable though and just wonderful to overhear was one little boy who turned to his father and said "I don't have to be scared at night now!" As an author of the text that just gives me goosebumps!

jealous of these illustrators

And it is always a buzz to support my local independent book store Better Read than Dead - and this year ... well all I will say it was such a buzz sitting on a specially created park on King Street Newtown (see top photo) - which is also the Princess Highway, National Highway 1 leaving Sydney. How many people can claim to have sat on a park bench on the driving roads of our Highwaty 1? We certainly got some crazy looks from passers-by! The time at Better Read began being the bag man behind the counter (it brought some interesting bookselling memories). Then with a few kids in tow it was outside into the specailly created park (one of the parking spots) to read from Sounds Spooky!

with Gandalf, Alice and Pippi Longstockings

the bagman

reading

What a great day! Hooray for National Bookshop Day. Go on, go out and buy a book from your local bookseller!

Look at my Desk! Narelle Oliver

2011-08-19T11:40:00.003+10:00

And now for the wonderfully TIDY desk of Narelle Oliver. Narelle lives in Queensland (Australia) and creates beautifully crafted picture books constructed from collage, or lino cuts and more. Read on and you will see what it takes to craft these gorgeous works and how particular she must be.

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I have to admit I was quite shocked when I took this photo just now. I hadn’t realised how cluttered this desk would look, when viewed objectively. This is my main work desk where I draw, write, cut lino, print lino, cut paper for collages, glue collages, make up dummy books, draw up storyboards etc. It’s one of four desk/work areas in my studio – the others are loaded up with computer, printers, scanner, lightbox, and a daggy “science table” with my collection of animal skulls, feathers, birds’ nests, snake skins, interesting shells, stones, fossils, seedpods and curly dry leaves. (yes, it looks like a primary school nature table – which I always adored when I was at primary school – well it was the 60’s)

I’m in the middle of doing the illustrations for a picture book using cutpaper collage – with some photographic elements and some linoprint elements. This means that I spend much time putting on my close-up glasses, then cutting out small shapes from pieces of paper with little nail scissors, putting glue on them, dropping them on the floor, picking them up covered in dog hair, swearing, sticking them onto a picture, realising they are not quite in the right place, trying to peel off the hairy piece of paper, then deciding it looks okay where it is, and then taking a sip of red wine to recover from the stress (only at night time, - in the day time, it’s a cup of tea, I promise). The little pottery cup there is testament to my need for refreshment after cutting and glueing. And why don’t I scan the pieces and assemble on computer, I can hear you asking? (No dog hair and no sticky fingers). Well, I just can’t get the handcrafted look that I want. I simply have to work with physical things and paper. I find no joy in assembling images on a computer screen. I love the feel and texture and various thicknesses of paper - it’s the feel of the paper that motivates and inspires me - and I love holding the pencils and the inky rollers, the smell of glue and paint and I want that to show in my work. Okay, I’m on my soapbox, better go easy on the wine.

Back to the desk you see in the picture, there are lots of cut pieces of paper and photographed objects there. I also have all my pens, paintbrushes, coloured pencils, glues, scissors, tweezers for picking up little bits of paper all about on the desk ready for action. I do have some oddities there too. I like to keep little things around me that interest and inspire me. There are some tiny old woodblocks of Chinese letters used for newspapers, which I bought at the “dirt market” in Beijing. There are some hand-bound empty books – ready for me to fill one day. There are also some metal “stamps” of all manner of furniture and other household objects used by newspapers long ago. My mother was a commercial artist and drew these objects for newspaper ads in the 40’s and 50’s – and she kept the metal templates for these and passed them onto me before she died. They are very special to me - and it’s a kind of printmaking, too, which I like.

Well, better get back to that glue stick.

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What a wonderful desk and such a terrific insight into the creative sticky and seomtimes messy world of an illustrator.

Read more about Narelle, her publications and processes at her website here (or http://www.narelleoliver.com/)

Narelle's latest book
Fox and Fine Feathers (Omnibus/Scholastic, 2009) received an CBCA Honour Book for Picture Book.

Day 4 LA SCBWI Conference 2011

2011-08-09T15:49:00.001+10:00

Day 4 of the conference was in a new format. The main body of the conference concluded yesterday with today, Monday being a day of writer and illustrator intensives. Oh to be sitting in the illustrator intensives watching some of the great artwork unfolding right before your eyes.

For me, that was missed as this afternoon was my workshop that I was leading on making your own book trailers. It was fun and I think the folks went away with some succinct but creative ideas for book trailers.

That done, and the conference complete there was but one thing left to do ... attend the Lin Oliver wrap party ... a not to be missed event! And in celebration of the 40th, the office staff unveiled the official Lin and Steve portrait.

the driveway procession

waiting in line

the portrait

Richard's gals

And now the 40th birthday celebration conference is done and dusted. all that remains is tomorrow's board meeting for me to attend and then a very a quick bit of shopping for essentials, and then to head off to the airport. This time tomorrow shall be homeward bound.

Conference reflection to come ......