News
Whittlesea Bushfire Memorial Project
Glenn Romanis - 'artisan' and principal artist of many public art installations around Melbourne, in Victoria, and a new one recently completed in Malaysia -
and I have recently put together an Expression of Interest for the Whittlesea Bushfire Memorial Project planned for Toorourrong Reservoir.
The great news is that we've been shortlisted with two others. Now we're preparing a marquette of our design, refining the choice of materials, and, of course, considering
how to do this within budget. Last week we attended a briefing with the City of Whittlesea and Parks Victoria on site, and also had the opportunity to catch
up with some of the artists from the area who had worked on INTO THE LIGHT last year.
If we are fortunate to be commissioned for the work, it would be a privilege to be consulting with community again in Whittlesea and surrounding areas to make a work of lasting significance, that 'respects, remembers, and honours' the experience of the bushfires, creating a beautiful space within the park for contemplation for years to come. We'll let you know the outcome.
Glenn Romanis section of art installation - Malaysia.
Date Posted: Feb 22nd 2012
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Meine Girragundji
Renowned Berlin writer, translator and totally wonderful person Heike Brandt has completed a German translation of My Girragundji.
Heike is waiting to 'hear back from the publisher' over there, so, if anyone knows a German publisher who is not scared of frogs and
has a passion for uplifting and spirited books for children...and adult childs...then please invite them not to hold back.
Meine Girragundji is waiting for them. Simply email us.
Heike and I discovered recently that we shared what for both of us was a memorable experience: a year in the United States of America at the impressionable age of 17/18 as AFS students - American Field Scholarship students.
Photo of Heike by Anna Schroll
Date Posted: Dec 19th 2011
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Shake a Leg
Recently Shake-a-Leg received a '5 star review' in the UK kids books mag Books for Keeps.
Having worked hard writing the final drafts for Boori, here's the bit that thrilled me:
* Books for Keeps (November) 5 star review
'There's a lightness of touch in the writing and it keeps the reader absorbed throughout, right to the superb end pages
where strength of cultural identity and close-knit family ties come through exuberantly.'
Read the full Review
Good on you Boori and Jan and Allen & Unwin and long may those legs shake and dance across the world.
Date Posted: Dec 9th 2011
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Into the Light
On September 10th the INTO THE LIGHT exhibition was launched in Whittlesea with a community event at the Showground's Cattle Shed. I'd hoped to post this news beforehand but seemed to be busy directing the project and so apologies for not letting you know the event and exhibition was on. Now it's all over, I can safely say it was wonderful, no kidding.
There'll soon be photographs and a description of INTO THE LIGHT under productions.
Date Posted: Sept 26th 2011
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Byron Bay Writers' Festival
Thank you Byron Bay Writers' Festival for inviting me north into the sunshine! As a Queenslander, when I was a student living in Brisbane, Byron Bay was that place across the border you hitched a ride to for the weekend.
Now from Melbourne, a plane ticket to paradise is really a welcome mid-winter gift.
I'll be giving three sessions at the festival - Saturday August 6th 9.00 am - The Power of the Outback; Saturday August 6th 12.30pm - Writers at the Lakeside; and Sunday August 7th 2.00pm - Building Creative Bridges.
I'm planning to focus mainly on LOVE LIKE WATER, MAYBE TOMORROW, and PUT YOUR WHOLE SELF IN in these sessions but will perhaps sneak a few moments in to talk about new works that are forming.
Hope to see you there if you are also in Byron!
Date Posted: July 28th 2011
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Shake a Leg
Yay! SHAKE A LEG has just won the 2011 Prime Minister's Award for Children's Fiction. Boori and Erica Wagner (publisher at Allen & Unwin)
went up to the ceremony in Canberra and were hugged by Julia. Jan Omerod who illustrated the book was leaping out of her skin with excitement
across the seas at home in the UK. SHAKE A LEG is a book that so many people contributed to and I had the great privilege of being a 'ghost writer' on which was a new experience for me. I liked it. Boori and I are planning to work on a couple more SHAKE A LEGs - two and three - in this way. I'll have to save my white sheets!
Date Posted: Jul 8th 2011
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Warrima - Shake-a-Leg Dance
Writing and directing the short film WARRIMA is an exciting step for me. Working on the film was like being together with a big extended family: collaborating with Boori Monty Pryor once more; with Jon Staley, Executive Producer at Youthworx Productions who I first met twelve years ago and then who adapted and directed THE BINNA BINNA MAN for stage with students at Northland Secondary College; filming those same students who are still dancing with the Koori Youth Will Shake Spears guided by their elders Dedrie Baksh and Lyn Thorpe twenty years after the troupe started; being back in Kuranda with Joy and Bertie Riley, Tjapukai and Western Yalandji family, and the Mayi Wunba Dancers; and having the privilege of working with cinematographer Ian Jones with his amazing eye for the moving image, for filming people on their land, and his great capacity and generosity with making shots happen. And that was all before the post-production.
You'll have to have a look at the credits to see all the wonderfully skilled people that added their touch to WARRIMA. Also, don't miss Behind the Scenes. This is where you meet the Youthworx trainees - Nado, Darko and Marlea - who assisted on the crew under the direction of Dave Wardhol and who were central to the spirit of the whole experience.
Warrima - Shake-a-Leg Dance - is a short film about how ancient ways still move the feet of young indigenous men across Australia.
From the train lines and graffiti walls of urban Melbourne, Koori Youth Will Shake Spears travel to the rainforest of Far North Queensland to dance alongside their 'cousins' Mayi Wunba.
Warrima is about culture and it's about survival. It's about young people staying strong. It's about contemporary 'songlines' and it's about knowing who you are. Warrima will get you dancing.
Writer/Director - Meme McDonald
Date Posted: Jan 2011
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Love Like Water - Ljubezen Kot Voda
This is the first time it's happened to me - a book I've written translated into a language I can't read. When the Slovenian edition of LOVE LIKE WATER arrived in the mail it was an extraordinary experience to open the package and see all those words I'd sweated over looking so exotic and unrecognizable. As readers of the book will know, the style of writing in LOVE LIKE WATER has a very Australian flavour and so it is a particular thrill to have the Slovenian publisher Mish try the novel out in their country. And in a hard cover with the title and author's my name in gold. Thank you Mish.
Date Posted: Feb 2011
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MAYBE TOMORROW - anniversary edition
Allen & Unwin have published a new anniversary edition celebrating the twelve year anniversary of our bestseller MAYBE TOMORROW which was the first Boori Monty Pryor and I wrote together. Allen & Unwin have given MAYBE TOMORROW a fresh look in a larger format, adding a Foreword and Afterword and updating aspects of the text. A big thank you to Erica Wagner who was editor on the first edition when it was published by Penguin Books Australia. Erica is the publisher at Allen & Unwin whose enthusiasm and support of our writing is responsible for this wonderful new edition and the continued promotion of our other four books.
Date Posted: Jan 2011
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