A Rewarding Week

Wow. Poetry Friday again. After such a busy, fun and exciting week! I’m currently at the Ipswich Story Arts Festival, where I’ve been presenting sessions titled ‘My Life as a Book‘ to kids in Years 1-4, and having an absolutely wonderful time talking with children about the stories that inspired/shaped my books. (You can read a summary of my session by clicking on the link.)

Especially rewarding has been the discussions about bullying, prompted by my verse novel, ‘Bully on the Bus’. There have been a number of times where I’ve choked up at the words of the children – the wisdom! – but also at the silence that settles like a blanket, as I read sections of Leroy’s story. The silence that lingers – at times broken by a gasp – and the comments that followed.

I was soooo gloriously busy yesterday, that I didn’t get a chance to check in to social media until late in the day… and my tweet notifications had gone a little crazy! 

Just a little snippet

All the excitement generated by… the announcement of the Australian Family Therapists Award.

You can read more here; booksellerandpublisher.com.au

How wonderful to be at a kidlit event when the announcement was made, with so many other lovely authors, illustrators and lovers of kidlit, to share the excitement with!

Thank-you to my wonderfully supportive publishers, UQP, who believed in Leroy’s story, and did such a beautiful job in helping me tell it at its best – and sending it out into the world. I am always so grateful to have found a home at UQP.

That’s my exciting Poetry Friday post. You can link to more poetry snippets at Life on the Deckle Edge, hosted by Robyn.

Have a fabulous day!