Where I write

Today was the first day of Term 1, and already it feels like the year is chugging along under it’s own steam!

Novelist Tara Moss has been running a series of blog posts called, “I’ve Shown You Mine, Now Show Me Yours”, in which she invited her writer friends, colleagues and blog followers to send in photos of their personal/professional writing spaces. Judith Ridge (formerly of NSW DET’s “School Magazine” editorial team) was featured last week, actor/writer Rhys Muldoon (who recently co-wrote a children’s book Prime Minister Kevin Rudd) the week before that – and today…. my writing desk is featured.

It’s a bit of a buzz to be in the company of Tara’s esteemed and talented colleagues. Now I really have to get that first book written/published.

Teacher-librarians and English teachers looking for interesting snippets about Australian writers, to inspire their budding young writers, may well find some useful material. There are eleven segments so far, with three or four writers’ desks featured each time.

See today’s entries at:
blog.taramoss.com/index.php?itemid=378

Meanwhile:
#262
First day back at school.

Not too long to wait now. A new school library will be built on the site of the old one!

And I must share my favourite holiday snap; all that work on polar bears the last two terms made me yearn to see one up close:

#234
(Seaworld, Queensland, December 2009.)

World Book Day: April 23

I’m fortunate enough to share the same literary agent as Tara Moss, the successful Canadian Australian novelist, model and TV celebrity. Tara has decided to get behind the concept of “World Book Day”, and is happy for me to pass on her recent Facebook posts about it, should you wish to mobilise and get something happening in Australian schools. She says:

“Let’s celebrate ‘World Book Day’ on April 23, and encourage it to become a recognized and significant day on the Australian calendar.

“The connection between 23 April and books was first made in 1923 by booksellers in Catalonia, Spain, as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes who died on that day. This became a part of the celebrations of Saint George’s Day (also 23 April) in the region, where it has been traditional since the medieval era for men to give roses to their lovers and, since 1925, for the woman to give a book in exchange. Half the yearly sales of books in Catalonia take place around ‘World Book Day’, with over 400,000 sold (and about 4 million roses). In 1996, the United Nations (UNESCO) declared April 23 ‘World Book and Copyright Day’ and, in 1998, Tony Blair launched ‘World Book Day’ in the UK, where there have been strong programs each year since, involving booksellers, schools, publishers, parents, writers and readers.

“Can we be next?

“Books are key in my life, and I believe that an officially recognized and notable celebration of ‘World Book Day’ in Australia could go some way to ensuring a future where books continue to hold an important place in Australian lives.

‘If you share my interest in making this happen, please join this [“Facebook”] group, and give a book to someone you love on April 23. (The rose, I dare say, is optional.)

“… Let’s get the word out there so that ‘World Book Day’ becomes a notable date on the Australian calendar each year. ‘Book Day’ eclipses ‘Valentine’s Day’ in Spain, so I say, ‘Enough with the Hallmark greetings. Let’s get all of Australia to give their love a book on April 23 instead. Am I asking too much?’

“Happy reading, Tara Moss.”
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=61720981519&ref=mf

So there you go! Now, of course, the “Facebook” group won’t be accessible through many educational institution firewalls, but if you celebrate in your school, post your ideas here and I’ll relay them back to Tara. Maybe all those great “Library Lovers” ideas from February 14 can be recycled more than once a year?