News from the deep north!
Our last get together was Sunday 27 August in the City Library. As usual, we were a small but perfectly formed gathering. However, there was BIG news to share, some of it still under wraps.
Rebecca Ralfe – author, together with Emma Hopkirk – teacher at the School of Distance Learning, ran an online Book Week Event, which involved kids both inside and outside of Australia. This school has huge reach. Rebecca read from her book Milo's Little Secret, followed by discussion and writing exercises. Both Rebecca and Emma said how impressed they were with the work produced, and the eloquent questions.
Rebecca was also able to share that her book is going to reprint - so Milo gets to share his adventures far and wide!
Mary Serenc has been working on a series of early readers – known as Soundwave Decodables and she has now completed the Year 1 books. She has been involved in a series of Maths books – Maths Treck – and her part in that project was Foundation to Year 2, which has taken place over 3 years. Her capacity to write to this incredibly tight brief is amazing.
Diane Finlay, SCBWI FNQ Coordinator, is contracted to Odessey Books with her debut Y/A fantasy fiction, and says: ‘My understanding of the challenges with small press publishing grows as the publisher herself is dealing with big personal challenges. I can be nothing other than patient!’ Diane is working on a second Y/A – a contemporary gothic/noir, and will be submitting her JF manuscript to Larrikin House on their next call for submissions.
The SCBWI FNQ members are keen to be involved again as presenters at Cairns Tropical Writers Festival, 8 –10 March 2024. Thinking cap time!