Yesterday I went to the reopening of Melbourne’s Chinese Museum, which has been closed for refurbishment for some while.
I am always happy to visit the processional dragons that live in the Museum, and now they are all housed together in the new Dragon Gallery. It was also a great opportunity to see the Millennium Dragon performing out in the street.
I was also interested because there is a new audio visual display introducing the dragons, and I wrote the script, so I was keen to see how it turned out. It looks great and is enhanced by beautiful graphics by Neil Goodridge and archival footage of the older dragons in action.
There was also some energetic lion dancing and dragon dancing performed by the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne. And of course lots of fireworks.
Appearances | Posted by Carole on Monday 23 August 2010
I’ve had a bit of a rest from public appearances. I’ve been chained to my desk writing my latest book, but now I’m ready to go out and about again. Here is where I’ll be over the next few weeks:
First up is a local Melbourne event.
Sat 28th August 12 noon at Collins Booksellers
Northland Shopping Centre, Murray Road, Preston, Victoria
I’ll be reading and signing books.
I have four events at the Melbourne Writers Festival. One is sold out. Here are the other three.
Thurs 2nd September 11.15 Epic Journeys
ACMI 2, Federation Square
I am on a panel with Childrens Book of the Year winner David Metzenthen talking about the journeys in our books. I’ll be focussing on Sugar Sugar. Tickets $6. Book online.
Thurs 2nd September 12.30 The Lure of Ancient Magic
ACMI 2, Federation Square
This is a panel with author Karen Healey. We will be discussing history and magic in our books. Tickets $6. Book online.
Sat 4th September 10-3.15 Wordplay
Artplay, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne.
This is an all-day event. Sally Rippin will be conducting an illustration workshop on how to paint with Chinese brush and ink. I will be doing a presentation about dragons! Wordplay is aimed at children from ages 6-13 and day tickets cost $21. Parents or guardians attend free of charge. Book online.
Then I’m off to NSW.
Sat 11th September 10 am, Write Around the Murray
Albury Library Museum
This is a workshop for young writers aged 12-16. It’s free, but you need to book on 02 6023 8333.
Sun 19th September and Tues 21st September 2.30 pm
Fast Forward Victorian Government Expo, Royal Melbourne Show.
I’ll be talking about my books and answering questions.
Appearances | Posted by Carole on Wednesday 4 August 2010
Borders has rearranged its Carlton branch and they are having a relaunch tomorrow evening. A number of authors will be there talking about their books—including me. I will be talking about my latest book Sugar Sugar which is set in the 1970s on the hippy trail across Europe and the Middle East. I will be taking along some of the items that inspired me as I wrote the book.
Today is the 94th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles which was fought during World War I. You might have heard about the discovery of a mass grave of soldiers who died in that battle and their recent reinterment. Fromelles is a village in France near the battlefield. In a few hours, a new cemetery will be dedicated in Fromelles where the soldiers have been buried. A large proportion of them have actually been identified by matching DNA from their remains with the DNA of a living relative.
The battle was a disaster for the Allies. More than 5000 Australian soldiers died, were wounded or taken prisoner in an attack which lasted less than 24 hours. No ground was gained.
You may be wondering why I am interested in this. Well, as it happens, the book I have been writing for the last six months is a non-fiction book about this very battle. So today, on a crisp but sunny Melbourne winter’s afternoon, I went to the wreath laying ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance. Family members of those soldiers who took part in the battle, school children and people who, like me, have an interest in this tragic episode in Australia’s history attended, laid wreaths and listened to the names of the dead being read out.
The Italian edition of Dragonkeeper—La Custode del Drago—has just been published. It’s up there on the publisher’s homepage along with Fay Weldon’s latest book, which is very exciting.
They liked the new Australian cover so much that they decided to use it too.
Hazelwood power station is still there. Still churning out 650,000 black balloons full of greenhouse gases per minute. The other day I made a small donation to Environment Victoria to help them with their Replace Hazelwood Campaign. Straight afterwards, I went out and there was a brand new billboard above the Dim Sim factory just down the road from where I live. That’s instant action for your money! Here’s their YouTube clip of them putting up the banner.
Last night the climate change group I belong to won the inaugural City of Yarra Sustainability Award for community action. That was very nice. We spend a lot of our time hassling the local council to do more things to help make a safe climate, and they gave us an award for it!
Appearances, News | Posted by Carole on Wednesday 26 May 2010
I have one more public event before I finish a busy couple of months promoting Sugar Sugar. If anyone in Melbourne wants to come along and hear me talk, get me to sign a book or have a chat. This is where I will be:
11.30 am Saturday 29th May
Ringwood Angus & Robinson
Shop L026a Eastland Shopping Centre
171 – 175 Maroondah Highway
Ringwood
Here are some pictures of my time in Sydney where I was guest of honour at High Tea at the Children’s Bookshop, and where I visited the Mythic Creatures Exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Also photos from the Centre for Youth Literature’s Booktalkers event here in Melbourne today, where I spoke to school groups along with other authors Craig Schufton, Kirsty Murray and David Levithan.
High tea at the Children’s Bookshop, Beecroft
With Paul, the owner of the Children’s Bookshop
My “why I love dragons” panel at the Mythic Creatures Exhibition in Sydney
Sarah Faithful playing Jackie in an adaptation of a scene from Sugar Sugar at the Centre for Youth Literature’s Booktalkers
Me with authors Craig Schufton, Kirsty Murray and David Levithan answering questions at Booktalkers
Appearances, News | Posted by Carole on Thursday 13 May 2010
I will now talking and signing books at two Sydney bookshops next week. So if you want to come along and hear about my latest book Sugar Sugar, see some photos of what I looked like in the 70s and say hello, this is where I’ll be. Both events are free but please ring or email and book.
This is my first ebook and it’s a bargain at US$9.99. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you can buy my new book! I’ll be very interested to see if anyone buys it.
Sugar Sugar isn’t the only book I have written that is out this month. Also just published is the paperback edition of The Dragon Companion which is an A-Z encyclopedia of dragons with lots of information about dragons and stories as well.
Check out the great microsite on the black dog books website which shows you what the book’s like inside. This edition is a bigger format, so Dean Jones’ gorgeous dragon illustrations are bigger and scarier. This is the illustration of the Iranian dragon.
