Our Autumn gathering at ‘Library at the Dock’ in Melbourne was our second gathering of the year. It was an inspiring afternoon and our attendees enjoyed hearing from our three speakers and chatting at the networking afternoon tea.
Sometimes there are technical issues, and the large screen refused to cooperate. You may notice that some images contain a speckled board background. Well done Caz and team for trying to fix it! The afternoon went super well regardless! The afternoon commenced with a warm welcome from Caz Goodwin, our Victorian ARA.
Our popular ‘Show & Tell’ segment speaks for itself! Look at all these fabulous members sharing their latest book release or award or other bookish news.
Next, we enjoyed a personal look at the writing and publishing journey of member speaker, Bernadette Green. Bernadette’s publications include picture books Who’s Your Real Mum and Saturday is Pancake Day.
Animal loving Bernadette dreamed of becoming a writer in her teenage years and although life took her in different directions from mushroom picking to a youth worker, she found her way back to writing. I think many of us can relate to that!
Bernadette spoke about the process of how her two picture books were published by Scribble Books. And she shared with us her reaction to first seeing Daniel Gray-Barnett’s sketches for Saturday is Pancake Day. Bernadette did not expect to see a fox family as the main characters in her story which shows how the collaboration between author and illustrator can be surprising, delightful and a true blending of ideas. We saw how rough black and white sketches become stunning detailed coloured images and Bernadette shared her favourite page with us.
Next, we enjoyed afternoon tea, I really must remember to get a photo next time! We had plenty of time to meet new members and catch up with regulars while sipping coffee and enjoying a delicious cannoli – or two.
After our networking break, we heard from member speaker, Nean McKenzie. Nean is a children’s writer and optometrist. She is also a keen traveller and gets lots of inspiration for her middle grade books while travelling.
Nean shared readings from books which inspired her in childhood, and which take her back to her younger years. Always a keen writer and reader, Nean at one time had twenty-six pen pals, regularly wrote in her diary, and wrote her first novel at age 15 using a typewriter. It was fascinating to learn about the theme cryptozoology (creatures not proven to exist) which Nean features in two of her books. In her third book, Timefire, Nean uses themes of the supernatural and time travel.
Here is Nean with her books Cryptosight, Xenoflight and Timefire.
To finish the afternoon, Caz Goodwin chatted with our guest speaker, Meg Whelan. Meg is senior editor on the children’s book team at Affirm Press, where she works on books for young people of all ages. Meg talked about the Affirm list and why they acquire what they do, acquisitions meetings, reader requirements, editing and the collaborations between Affirm and their authors and illustrators.
An engaging Q&A with Meg followed.
Before we finished up there were two lucky door prize winners (including me – thanks Bernadette!) who received book prizes donated by Bernadette and Nean.
Thanks again to our wonderful and generous speakers Meg Whelan, Bernadette Green and Nean McKenzie. We always learn so much from every gathering and leave feeling inspired.
And thank you to our SCBWI Vic Team, Caz Goodwin, Amy Adeney, Judy Watson, and me (Kaye Baillie) and a big thanks to everyone who joined us to make it a special afternoon. Mark your diaries for our next event August 10th at Docklands!