Dim's Write Stuff

Last year it was the StoryArts Ipswich Festival which rocked my humble author boat. This year I was fortunate enough to kick off 2020 with one of my favourite literature festivals, the Voices on the Coast 25th Anniversary  , presented by the Immanuel Lutheran College, Sunshine Coast. For the last quarter of a decade, this festival designed specifically to attract children, young adults, emerging writers and eager readers to listen and workshop with Australia’s leading authors, illustrators and performers has been taking prime position on SE Queensland's literary event calendar. And it's not hard to see why; a plethora of quality presenters, a packed program of author and illustrator sessions and talks and a gamut of entertaining community events ensure the Sunshine Coast really does sparkle for four wonderful days. A cluster of crazy creators: L-R Martin Chatterton, Pip Harry, Jacqueline Harvey, George Ivanoff, Mark Smith, Wai Chim, Suzy Zail, Malla Nunn, Lili Wil...

As many busy creatives will tell you, finding time to write is precious enough without having to carve out extra hours to secure those all important school visits or Book Week bookings . Those same creatives, aka children's authors and illustrators, will continue to explain that it is often engagements at writing festivals, conferences and schools that form the bulk of our income. Enter the speakers' agencies, those associations devoted to finding their expansive lists of authors and illustrators the most lucrative, exciting and perfectly matched events as possible. Agencies work on our behalf as well as that of the schools and institutions that enlist them to find exactly the right author or illustrator for their literary event. I rely on those agencies I am listed with to not only find but also secure these bookings for me, without them I'd really need an extra Girl Friday to cope. That's why I'm all a flutter with delight to be signed up with one of t...

This author has been fortunate to be involved with the biennial  StoryArts festival in Ipswich for a number of years now, as a panel host, session reporter, delegate and fan of Kids' Lit. This year, however I had the joy of presenting to the school children, who each festival, are bused in from around SE Queensland to enjoy a host of story and drawing orientated sessions performed by a stellar lineup of children's authors and illustrators from around Australia. The school and family programs make up the bulk of the Festival operating out of Marburg near Ipswich, which concludes with a brief Adults' program, this year running in Brisbane. Lucky primary school children and their families are still enjoying events (I was only able to do one day) but my memories of the marvellous location at Woodlands of Marburg , lingering over lattes with industry mates and presenting in one of the haunted rooms of the magnificent Woodlands mansion remain sharp and colourful.  T...

For the last few SCBWI Australia East & New Zealand Conferences, I've been involved as a Roving Reporter and for the last two, including the most recent 2019 Conference in Sydney in February, I had the absolute good fortune of assuming the mantel of Head Blogger, aka Media Coordinator, aka Head Gardener, aka Rocking Rover. Not bad for one of the world's biggest Luddites. Fortunately, coordinating social media feeds, compiling a comprehensive blog log of every detail of the conference and directing a merry band of roving reporters is not just a matter of operating a smart phone - thank goodness! We'd be reading conference reports on slabs of slate if it were. Why I did it One of the most satisfying aspects of this role is the opportunity to nurture a fertile group of talented women (and man!) and witness the creative fruits of their labour flourish into useful, usable resource. (Yes, I adopted a slight flora turn of phrase for the blogging event this year.) Ea...

When I lived in London, what seems like a lifetime ago, I had the good fortune to observe many ritualistic ceremonies, one of them being Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park . This public-byo-soapbox-forum, dating back from the Victorian times was an eclectic gathering place to share one's view point and generally have a bit of a rant. It was and still is a melting pot of political debate and more importantly, a symbol for a free and democratic society. And with the need to expound arises the necessity to create, something people of the pen know only too well. To better celebrate creative life, the good folk of the Centennial Parklands Foundation , Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators SCBWI , and the historic Residences Centennial Park have joined forces along with dozens of writers, storytellers, publishers, arts associations, performers, illustrators, poets, and literacy advocates to present Writers in the Park . This one day festival is choc-block full of ...

One of the serendipitous side effects of conducting school workshops, is the enthusiastic emergence of creative talent. Following a week of Writing and Illustrating Workshops conducted by Angela Sunde  and myself, many students of Coomera Rivers State School, have approached us keen to develop their ideas and launch their stories and illustrations upon the world at large. Angela was able to assist with various suggestions where kids from 6 - 18 years of age can indulge in the art of creative story telling, poem writing and illustrating. We both strongly encourage children with a creative flare and a burning desire to take it further to check out these sites. They offer kids information about Writing events, Conferences and Workshops, Festivals and Competitions, all designed to show case and promote the work of young writers and illustrators. If you know of any people who want their stories heard please feel free to pass these onto them. Somerset Celebration of L...