‘Passing through nature to eternity’* – with love to Jesse Blackadder

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The talented, vibrant, smart, adventurous, extraordinary writer Jesse Blackadder lost the battle with pancreatic cancer 10th June 2020. She has passed to another place leaving her loved partner Andi and us all bereft.

I think of her quick wit and laugh, her critical thinking and enormous passion for story. Too young to leave when she had so many more books to write, scripts to create, adventures to have, more advocacy for children’s literacy, just more, more, more. She was not only an award winning author, but a great supporter of children’s creators, SCBWI, writers, literacy and literature. Jesse adventured into remote and exciting parts of the world from Antarctica, Alaska to Blackadder territory in Scotland for her internationally acclaimed historical novel 'The Raven's Heart’. Her Antarctic Arts Fellowships spending months in Antarctic led to the creation of her two beautiful books,  Chasing the Light about the first women to land on Antarctica and her children’s book Stay about how the Royal Guide Dogs of Tasmania, replica Labrador was kidnapped in 1991 to Antarctica and stayed. With screenwriter Jane Allen, Jesse spent three months at the Mawson research station creating a TV series but is incomplete now.

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Writing Sixty Seconds,(HarperCollins) was a novel that came out of Jesse’s enormous courage and power, with its heart in the drowning of her two year old sister.  Listen to the ABC Richard Fidler interview with Jesse about Sixty Seconds:-

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/jesse-blackadder-rpt

Jesse was so excited about her new children’s books with her love of horses in ‘The Dream Riders’ series. The first two books have been completed and published by Walker Books.

http://www.jesseblackadder.com/books/kids-books/the-dream-riders-series/  

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There have been many moving tributes to Jesse.  Her publisher of adult books at HarperCollins, Mary Rennie writes:-

‘Jesse gave generously to her community and was involved in many literacy and support programs. She was the founder and project leader of Byron Writers Festival StoryBoard, a mobile creative writing program developing creative literacy in young people, and was on the board of the Byron Bay Writers Festival. … her impact on the Australian writing community was huge – as a supporter of others’ work and as a friend to many.

Most of all, Jesse was a wonderful, compassionate, creative person and she will be missed enormously.’

Her children’s publisher Lisa Berryman, HarperCollins reflects:-

‘Having the opportunity to work with Jesse Blackadder on her children’s books was a pleasure and a privilege that I will always treasure. … Jesse also became a friend. … Jesse made friends wherever she went … Witty, funny, open, clever, warm, generous and charming, Jesse had a charisma that was irresistible. With that beautiful smile that lit up her lovely face, she was an author you would find any excuse in the world to spend time with. …, and she will be so very missed. ‘

Jesse had so many exciting projects, ideas, passions ahead. I am still waiting for her to visit Sydney from Byron Bay for our regular coffee and funny, witty, adventurous stories, But I know she won’t be coming again. The loss is heartbreaking, but she has left a legacy of important and beautiful books for adults and children.

I miss her. Like so many others will miss her. Thankyou Jesse for everything.

The world is a little dimmer without Jesse Blackadder.

Susanne Gervay

·      Passing through nature to eternity. – Hamlet (Act I, Scene II, Line 75)

Jesse’s website: - http://www.jesseblackadder.com/