By Nicole Godwin
Yes! It’s true! With mixed emotions, but no regrets, the SCBWI ACT committee is standing down.
As the outgoing ACT coordinator, I can’t let the changing of guard go without a shout out to the talented, creative, uber-organised and beautiful individuals that are part of the outgoing committee. Together, we thought up grand ideas for events and somehow managed to pull off every last one!
Shaye Wardop is the most organised person I know and is a wiz at everything she puts hand to. If we ever asked for a random item, Shaye had it in her ‘just in case’ bag. On top of being the best record keeper and organiser, Shaye’s writing has been recognised again and again in various competitions. Her sci-fi and fantasy manuscripts for younger readers will continue to make their mark.
Grace Bryant was not only our tech guru, but also had the knack of gently encouraging us to get out of the detail and look at the bigger picture. Grace’s humour, ease and intelligence also made her one of the best MCs we’ve had at SCBWI ACT events. We all wanted to be more like Gracie in front of a crowd. Her thoughtful and engaging writing and artwork will continue to see her recongnised.
Cate Whittle was up for any job that was thrown at her. She regularly kept the wider SCBWI community in the loop by writing engaging blog posts after events and was always up for sharing her extensive knowledge with the SCBWI ACT community. Cate somehow made writing for middle grade look effortless and was always happy to share her wisdom to support others. If you somehow aren’t already a Cate Whittle fan make sure you check out her next book Emergency Rescue Angel coming out in Feb 2020.
We can’t say farewell without also saying a few thank yous ...
Both Susanne Gervay and Tania McCartney have been mentors and constant sources of support. If we ever had a ridiculous question or idea, Susanne Gervay and Tania McCartney gently steered us back onto the yellow brick road.
The biggest thank you goes to SCBWI members in ACT and those who we have adopted (and have adopted us) from far and wide, including the South Coast, Wagga Wagga and Sydney. We thank all the SCBWI ACT peeps for your energy, sense of fun, and for embracing everything from ‘stuffed Gracie’, battle of the booksellers, impromptu Jackie French workshops and much more. We’ve loved laughing with you and have hopefully helping you on your own journey in this funny old world of children’s literature.
To finish off, we would never leave SCBWI ACT without a plan to keep the events rolling. I would like to introduce you to the new committee who are full of new ideas and are bubbling with energy. Shelly Unwin will lead the team as ACT coordinator, supported by Mitch Frost, Sarah Wallace, Catherine Meatheringham and Krys Saclier. The new committee is now armed with a tome of guidelines and are already full of ideas for future events and speaker.
Goodbye, but not farewell. We’ll still see you at ALIA House for the next event in 2020.
Edit from Cate Whittle: I would like to add that Nicole Godwin has also brought a host of talents to the leadership role as our ACT coordinator, including (but not limited to) tireless energy, good sense, diplomacy, and lots of fun. Look out for Jelly Boy who will be taking the world by storm, also in Feb 2020. Thanks, Nic, for being a leading light as we wrote our ideas into this chapter of SCBWI ACT.
The outgoing and the new committee
From L to R: Shelly Unwin, Krys Saclier, Mitch Frost, Sarah Wallace, Catherine Meatheringham, Susanne Gervay, Shaye Wardrop, Cate Whittle, Grace Bryant and Nicole Godwin.