I had a telephone conversation with Jan Nicholls, President of the Children’s Book Council a couple of weeks ago. I’m at a school with 2 minutes to spare before a couple of classes are due to arrive.  Jan asks, “Can you come to the Bookweek dinner?” I probably sounded a bit stroppy, “Jan, my flight from Sydney gets in too late, surely I told you this already.” Then Jan says, “Can you change your tickets?” Now me even stroppier, “Jan, there’s going to be a huge change fee.” Jan, “I think you should be at the dinner, you’ve won an award.” I’m thinking I can’t have, I don’t have book in this year. Jan then tells me I’ve won The Muriel Barwell Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature, but then again, I can’t have, I’ve nominated someone else for this. Surely…then it sinks in, I’m overwhelmed with emotion tearing up in front of 60 year 3s and 4s who have meanwhile piled in.

Last night I flew in from Sydney and accepted my award with pride.

Like so many of my peers, we all donate a huge amount of our time behind the scenes helping others without ever expecting to receive an award for doing what we love. When I arrived in West Australia twenty years ago I didn’t know a sole, the Children’s Book Council invited me to speak at a meeting. That welcome and acknowledgement meant soooo much to me. Without their constant support I don’t think we creators would have the confidence to do what we do. They tirelessly promote the books of writers and illustrators, come to many of our book launches and are always the first to congratulate us when we succeed.

I’m involved with children’s literature because I’m passionate about children’s books, children reading writing and helping emerging and established book creators. I get the same satisfaction as if it was happening for myself at seeing one of our authors/illustrators getting published for the very first time. Or having one of my colleagues receive an accolade or offered a contract.

Most of my time is spent visiting schools under the CBC or FCLC umbrella and being the IA for the SCBWI and serving on the COM of the ASA, or lately my IBBY upcoming visit to Korea. You have to stop and think - poor MG might not be getting enough TLC. I thank Mark for having patience with my passions.

I accept this award on behalf all our West Australian emerging and published children’s book creators. I hope to continue to assist, give my energy and support you in all your endeavors and in the meantime, I will cherish this award.

Broome is made up of two square blocks of corrugated iron shops with same iron roofs. Quaint and paintable. The town has a multicultural mix from the history of Japanese pearl divers who intermarried with the Indigenous traditional landowners = beautiful people.
Pearl shops line the streets and vie for customers. I try on a golden strand of pearls, first thinking they’re 420.00, on second glance, perhaps it’s 4,200. The pearls light up my face. An instantaneous face-lift, I feel ten year younger. Perhaps it’s the shop lighting. In any case, the price is actually 42,000.00 so I carefully remove the strand and move away from the counter.

As a co organizer of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Rottnest Island Retreat, I was totally exhausted before the ferry docked on the island, but as soon as I put my toes on the jetty, I soon remembered why Dianne Wolfer and I started the Retreat…because what could be better than to spend time with your best-est writer and illustrator buddies for 4 days of professional development and serious partying. We’re all a bunch of big kids at heart and with no parents to supervise, we had a blast. We danced. We wrote. We sang. We toured. We painted. We biked. We read. We ate. We drank (just a little).

This time I planned, prepared and was realistic what the Fair was all about. Although nothing can truly prepare you for the sleep deprivation due to the intake of fifteen espressos per day, might as well been on a caffeine drip.

As authors and illustrators, unless your publisher has flown you in as a special guest, as if, you need to take a deep breath and when you’re beat, remember you’re in Italy.
Perhaps being asked to speak at the SCBWI Symposium beforehand and having the SCBWI at the Fair itself to call home helped enormously. I met colleagues from around the world and shared the joy when they had successful encounters and commiserated together in combined exhaustion.

I’m still buzzing weeks later. I met so many people I’ve worked with, but never met in person. I’m in negotiation in selling foreign rights into a couple of countries, new projects are being thrown my way, and even a contract.

So I say… go by all means, but be realistic why you are there, and when it all gets too much, hop on a train for Venice.

Day 2 and 3

Our SCBWI team are mooo-ving their paints all over our bovine.
Enjoying watching the dynamic young talented crew strut their stuff.

My studio is alive with ideas. Just call me the tea lady.

The best part of learning this art was the company kept.
With my wonderful peers, we all came away with immaculate trailers.
Please also check out their trailers: Robyn Mundy’s, Meg McKinlay’s, AJ Betts’s, Lara Morgan’s, Amanda Curtin, Chris Nixon’s and Dianne Wolfers.