Congratulations to author Angela Casabene and illustrator Michelle Conn on the publication of
a hardback picture book published by Affirm Press
January 2024
This is a love letter to children everywhere encouraging them to embrace their true selves and to live their big, messy, beautiful lives to the full.
Be kind. Be strong. Be curious. Be wrong ...
Be all you can be.
A fabulous debut picture book! We need to embrace our true selves in this big, messy, beautiful life!
It was a warm, sticky Sunday morning on February 18, when a collection of creatives gathered at Centennial Park in Sydney for a day of Sketch and Scribbles.
We were all excited as we headed to our first inspiration spot of the day, lead by Shelly Unwin to a shady circle under some tall trees. With the picnic blanket spread out on the pine needled ground, pens and pencils to the ready. We were quickly warned by a man sitting nearby that we were soon to be invaded by a party of 6 year old pirates, all of us ‘Oohed’ with delight, after all, children’s writers and illustrators love inspiration in any form whatsoever ever and what better inspiration then a boat full of child pirates.
Shelly started with a few rounds of word associations, and we wrote down whatever resonated with us. Some words were, ‘squirrel, dark, vampire, worms, twinkle toes, discovery, planet, star, wish, coin, gold, sparkle, treasure, hope…’, the list went on with more wonderful words to inspire us all.
We then had time for our creative inspiration to flow. After about 20 minutes those who wanted to share did, and goodness me, the remarkable illustrations that developed on blank pages in such a short time and the wonderful stories that gripped us as we witnessed them starting to develop.
We moved onto our next spot of inspiration, the swan pond, where Susanne Gervay handed out prompts of different birds. We lay around chatting, creating and crafting. After a superb sharing session, we had some lunch and then headed to our final inspiration prompt location, the gorgeous flying foxes. I presented a bit of information and Helen Hayden, who has been volunteering with an organisation to help the flying foxes, offered some fascinating points.
Again, the sharing of what was created in such a short time always blows my mind. I love how a cluster of creatives can gather with a spark of inspiration to develop pieces where you know they will be crafted into something remarkable.
Amanda Lieber
Congratulations to author Alan Horsfield on the publication of
Cover design by Brittany Wilson
A paperback junior fiction for 7-10 year olds published by Book Reality Leschenault Press
March 2024
How desperately can you want something? Grant discovers a Speed Devil Aurora skateboard advertised on a village noticeboard. But he doesn't have the money. Can he come up with a money-making scheme before he is outmanoeuvred by Luke Limskey?
Full of adventure and suspence!
