Of the wheelbarrow-load of roles creators within the children’s literary industry assume, perhaps one of the most important and fulfilling ones is to sow a sense of wonder and joy that generates a vigorous love of story. The benefits of this cultivation of creativity are many, not least of which is a love of reading that perpetuates for life.
As we enter a new exciting season of children’s writing and illustration, it’s also time to whip on our creative gloves and make ready for the next SCBWI Australia East NZ Conference due to kick off in Sydney next February.
It’s my extreme joy to be asked back as ‘chief gardener’ for our SCBWI Roving Reporters team again. In this role, I’ll endeavour to introduce you to our 100% organically grown reporters from across Australia, inserting as many garden-based puns as my green-thumbs can along the way. Why? Because like SCBWI, nurturing new talent, sustaining perennial favourites and ensuring the growth of our fabulous industry is not only vital but a beautiful pastime to boot – garden boot of course!
The key to success of any new planting (and creative project) is preparation. Over the next few months, we’ll be aerating our collective garden beds, gathering our seeds of talent and watering in our intentions with Meet our Gardeners introductory type posts.
Our burgeoning team of landscapers currently stands at 12, more than enough to capture your imaginations and inspire. They include:
Ramona Davey
Coral Vass
Yvonne Mes
Giuseppe Poli
Leanne Barrett
Shaye Wardrop
Katrin Dreiling
Karen Collum
Maria Parenti-Baldey
Sarah Wallace
Rachel Noble
Cherri Ryan
So whether you have already booked your flights to Sydney or are not able to make it to the conference this time round, join us as we report on everything from the canapes to the masterclasses for the SCBWI Sydney Conference 2019.
Rove ya later!
Dimity
#SCBWISyd
Image courtesy of Tania McCartney - Illustrator Showcase designer 2019