SCBWI VICTORIA September Meeting

Date/Time
Date(s) - 05/Sep/2015
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Location
Di Mattina's Restaurant
306 Lygon St - Carlton, Victoria

Join us for an inspirational afternoon where author/teacher/creativity expert Simmone Howell will explore various creative techniques including journaling and mapping to generate story ideas and stretch creativity boundaries (suitable for both writers and illustrators).

Simmone specialises in leading creativity workshops, finding the intersections between art, everyday life and writing.

Discover new approaches to tackle creative blocks and ignite your imagination, creativity and innovative thinking.

Bring along your preferred creative utensils and get ready for a special event.

Simmone Howell is a writer of fiction, non-fiction and screenwriting. She also teaches Young Adult (YA) writing at RMIT as part of their Associate Degree of Professional Writing and Editing.

Notes from the Teenage Underground won the Victorian Premier's Prize for YA literature and the inaugural Gold Inky Award. It was also a CBCA notable. Everything Beautiful was a finalist in the Melbourne Prize for Best Writing and shortlisted in the Inky Awards. Girl Defective was shortlisted in the Inky Awards and the Prime Ministers Literary Award. It was also a Kirkus best YA book of 2014 and selected on the best YA lists for LA Public Library and Toronto Public Library.

Simmone specialises in literature for young readers and her YA fiction has been published in Australia, USA, UK, Germany and Amsterdam.

Show and Tell   
As usual, we will have a brief ‘Show and Tell’ segment, so if you have a recent publication to show us or news of a recent success to share (such as an award or grant) we’d love to hear from you. 

Meeting Details

Date: Saturday 05 September, 2015
Place: DiMattina's Restaurant (upstairs room), 306 Lygon St, Carlton
Time: 2pm—5pm (all are welcome to stay on afterwards to chat and drink downstairs)
Cost: $25 members, $30 non-members (includes afternoon tea)

Payment Details

To reserve your place, payment must be received by Wednesday 2 September. You can pay in one of the following ways:

1. Direct Deposit to: 
            National Australia Bank
            Account Name: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
            BSB: 082 187
            Account Number: 82 863 8450

Please be sure your name appears with the deposit amount on your payment statement. Please also send a follow-up email to Caz Goodwin (carolyn_goodwin@bigpond.com) advising when payment was made. 

 OR

2.   Cheque made out to SCBWI and posted to:
             Caz Goodwin,
             37 Auburn Road,
             Hawthorn East Vic 3123.

Victorian SCBWI Committee Members
Caz Goodwin - Assistant Regional Adviser
Chris Bell - Assistant Coordinator and CBCA Liaison
Serena Geddes - Illustrator Coordinator
Betty Sargeant - Technology and Social Media
Jo Burnell - Membership Coordinator, Newsletter Editor

Gatherings for 2015
Our remaining two meeting dates this year will be on:
    5 September 
    21 November 

SCBWI Success Story with Andrea Edmonds

I remember attending my first SCBWI meeting in 2011, unpublished and feeling a little overwhelmed not knowing anyone.

Our lovely Regional Advisor/Author Susanne Gervay and Author/ Co- Regional Advisor Chris Cheng, were very welcoming to new members and generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise about children’s books.  Meeting other SCBWI members, both new and seasoned, who were passionate about their craft was inspiring, and it was very easy to make friends.

There was a lot of discussion about the Biennial Sydney conference which was being held the following year. It would be including an ‘Illustrator portfolio showcase’, which was open to all illustrator members published and unpublished.  It all sounded so amazing, and I remember submitting my portfolio without any expectations.

The 2012 Sydney conference was the first I attended, which was so exciting, inspirational, and by the end exhausting. It was a wonderful experience drenched in the company of illustrators, writers and children’s book professionals.

Exhibiting in the Illustrator portfolio showcase was an incredible opportunity, and one I’ll never forget, having received my first contract to illustrate a picture book ‘10 Silly Wombats’ by Ed Allen, with Scholastic Australia (Published 2013).

The 2014 Sydney conference was just as exciting, brimming with helpful information and enthusiastic presenters. To be involved with organizing the Illustrator Portfolio Showcase has been great fun, and very rewarding hearing that so many more opportunities for illustrators have opened up as a result of the showcase and online gallery!

Joining SCBWI has presented so many fantastic opportunities, and I’m learning so much as my journey continues as an illustrator. I’m currently illustrating my first picture book with Penguin Australia, to be published in 2016.

Andrea Edmonds, Illustrator

On-line Critique Groups Update

Success!

I am pleased to report that we now have seven active Online Critique Groups successfully up and running, covering all genres from Picture Books to Young Adult. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch to tell me how much they are enjoying their Online Critique Groups and how valuable the feedback has been to them.

New Places Available for Members

We also have members on the waiting list for all genres. To form well-balanced new groups we need more applications for PB, JF and especially PB (illustrators only) and YA. So we would welcome more members.

Published Writers and Illustrators

We have successful experienced published writers and illustrators in the groups as well as talented ‘keen to be published’ new writers and illustrators. As groups work best for all members when they are well balanced we are extremely keen to encourage more emerging and experienced published writers and illustrators to join in the critique groups.

It is interesting to note that many successful SCBWI members today started out their careers in Critique Groups made up of talented, keen, unpublished writers and illustrators. So I would like to encourage everyone to get involved, participate, widen your network and have fun.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Margaret Roc
Critique Group Coordinator