Meet the New Recruit!

The ocean is a capricious mistress at the best of times. One never knows which way her winds will blow and so it is with leaden hearts we bid one of our most idiosyncratic crewmembers farewell. Roving Reporter, Nette Hilton has had to jump ship as it were and is no longer able to attend the Conference. Fear not Nette for you will not miss out! We have recruited a new Rover keen to share all and sundry with you and anyone else who cannot make it to Sydney this year.

Charlotte Calder

So raise your voices and sing a welcome shanty for Roving Reporter, Charlotte Calder.

Charlotte Calder is the author of four YA novels published by Pan Macmillan, a picture book - Stuck! and a junior historical novel The Ghost at the Point, both published by Walker Books. Stuck! illustrated by Mark Jackson, was a CBCA Notable Book, 2010. 

Another picture book, The Twelfth Dog (Hachette, Lothian Books imprint) is coming out at the end of January 2017, illustrated by the brilliant Tom Jellett.  All about a naughty pooch who won’t give the ball back in a backyard game of cricket.

Charlotte lives with her husband, two dogs, a cat and two beautiful thoroughbreds saved from the knackery in a beautiful spot near Orange in the central west of NSW. Plus their three adult children when they drop in for the weekend. These days her time and headspace tend to get gobbled up by pressing deadlines for her daytime job as a freelance copywriter, but she’s determined to get back to writing novels for kids - one of these days!  

Is this your first SCWBI Conference? If not how many have you attended, where?

This is my second CBCA conference, after 2014 at the wonderful Hughenden, in Woollahra.

What is the most memorable (SCBWI) Conference experience you’ve had to date, or hope to have?

Getting to know so many kindred spirits, and feeling so energised by the end of it all!

As a creator in the Kids Literary Industry, what do you want to be best known for?

My books being loved by their readers. (And by relevant adults doesn’t go astray either!)

Name one thing you cannot live without.

Apart from the obvious, Big Stuff … how to limit it to one?? Smooches from four legged (and other) kids, olives, chocolate, roses, sunny days … Writing, naturally, and music … and BOOKS! 

Learn more about the rest of our Roving Reporters, here. And there’s more to come, when we share some tantalising tip bits about what to expect at this year’s Conference.

Rove you then!

Dimity

#SCBWISyd

Meet the Stowaway! A new Rover Revealed

Look what we found lurking beneath the decks, another recruit for our burly crew of Roving Reporters. Please, bang your tankards together for, Kel Butler.

Kel is a newcomer to the writing game, having only discovered her passion for children’s literature and storytelling after becoming a parent, although it has always been a big part of her life in other ways. Prior to kids Kel had a long history in the film and television industry. Through reading to her children every day, Kel came to appreciate the nuances and dual storytelling of picture books and undertook the Writing Picture Books Course at the Australian Writer’s Centre.

Since then Kel has embraced the beauty in all forms of children’s books and dedicated herself to learning about the craft, expanding her knowledge and experience as a writer. She hopes to one day be a published author and is currently working on a couple of picture books, a young reader series and an adult fiction novel that came out of nowhere.

Kel’s passion for writing can only be surpassed by her passion for global literacy and education. Last year Kel came across the book “Creating Room to Read” by Room to Read founder John Wood and the soul connection was instant. From that moment Kel dedicated herself to the plight of global literacy and education. She is a volunteer for Room to Read working on the Writer Ambassador Program and helping to co-ordinate the World Change

Is this your first SCWBI Conference?

This is my first SCWBI Conference and I am very excited to be involved.

What is the most memorable (SCBWI) Conference experience you’ve had to date, or hope to have?

So far it was this year’s CBCA Conference but I am new to all this and have only just started attending.

As a creator in the Kids Literary Industry, what do you want to be best known for?

Writing great books that people can’t get enough of.

Name one thing you cannot live without.

There are two that hold equal weight for me. My people; my family, friends and communities. And stories. I can’t live a day without discovering a story, they are life’s other necessary nourishment.

Ahh, yes – stories – as essential to life as clear skies and calm seas. Now with a full complement of crew, I gaze toward the horizon, ready to bring this ship to shore and the SCBWI Sydney Conference 2016! Hope to see you there.

Rove you Later!

Dimity

#SCBWISyd

Roving (Captain) Revealed - Meet Dimity Powell

Well shiver me timbers I’ve just about run out of crew for you to meet. A wise captain never gives the exact location of her treasure but seeing as you’ve now had a good peak into my treasure chest (read; Roving Reporter team) you might as well get to know a bit more about the mad lass helming the wheel.

In our final instalment of Rovers Revealed, may I introduce you to…me, Dimity Powell.

Dimity Powell aka Chef de Brigade of Rovers

Gold Coast children’s author, Dimity Powell considered herself a ‘bridesmaid author’ for a very long time, always shortlisted rather than spotlighted. That was until people started asking for her word-webs to include in anthologies, junior novels, school magazines, picture books, and even digital apps, one of which was Shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Books Awards 2016. Her picture book, The Fix It Man will reach bookshelves by March 2017. This makes her happier than a bear eating ice cream. She writes exclusively for kids because it’s crazy good fun and because she believes kids and great stories are life-essentials, like ice cream. Her writing ambitions are modest although she’d consider giving up sugar to hear one of her picture books read on Play School. Meanwhile, she enjoys her role as a devotee to children’s literature by giving writing workshops for children and adults and reviewing as many ‘must-share’ titles as she can online.

Unearth more at Dim’s Write Stuff.

Is this your first SCWBI Conference? If not how many have you attended, where?

This will be my second Conference. The first was two years ago in Sydney. This is what happened - SCBWI Sydney 2014 Conference.

What is the most memorable (SCBWI) Conference experience you’ve had to date, or hope to have?

My inaugural conference was memorable to the nth degree. It was a glorious consolidation of knowledge and literary relationships. I found the whole experience enriching and very satisfying, which sounds a bit unspecific but the thing that stuck was the ‘vibe’ I received from being there. Of course, it would be great to have a manuscript requested but that’s just icing on an otherwise already delicious cake.

As a creator in the Kids Literary Industry, what do you want to be best known for?

My propensity for story sharing, both the stories of others and my own. And that whatever I create is done with integrity and heart. To know my words are tucked away on a bookshelf somewhere and loved by someone is the best ending of all.

Name one thing you cannot live without.

At some point in any day, I will need my hairbrush. I really come undone without it. And did I mention my need for ice cream…?

Stick around for more interesting tip bits and updates from our Reporters as we steer our team into Sydney Harbour in September, ever closer to the SCBWI 2016 Conference.

Till then, Rove you Later!

Dimity

#SCBWISyd