A Sassy Saturday!

Emma Quay, Ian McLean and Lisa Shanahan at the 2010 Sassy Awards last night!


Selwa Anthony greets everyone; Ian Parry-Okden announces the Sassy Awards.


Tara Moss accepts the Lynne Wilding Commemorative Sassy Award.


Wayne Scott Kermond entertains; Selwa says her thank yous!


Athlete Matt Shervington is auctioned off for charity!

Thank you once again, Selwa, for another wonderful literary seminar. See you next year, hopefully with a manuscript in train.

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. I do feel the magic tingling, but I sometimes need a bomb under me! (That's a gag for the "Number 96" fans out there.) Thanks so much for your support, Tara! This has been a great and inspiring thread!

My teacher-librarian colleagues, and English teachers looking for interesting snippets about Australian writers to inspire their budding young writers, may well find some useful material on Tara's blog. There are eleven segments in this series so far, with three or four writers' desks featured each time.

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

At my dethk

Author Tara Moss recently put out a challenge for her writing colleagues and acquaintances to send her jpeg images of their writing spaces, for a series of "I've shown you mine, now you show me yours" blog posts at The Book Post.

My writing desk is waaaaay more famous than I am (yet).

I was fortunate enough to be presented with a unique piece of Australian television history to use as my writing space: the specially-commissioned partnership desk made for Don Cash and Bill Harmon, co-producers of the cult Australian TV soap opera of the 1970s, "Number 96".

The desk is a custom-made Ron Barassi (of North Sydney) design, in rosewood with pine trim, and comes complete with two black leather swivel typing chairs (more suited to big, old typewriters than modern laptop computers - I have to use a more ergonomic chair when writing). The desk divider is a set of built-in drawers with filing cabinet - and is complemented by two rectangular, wooden waste bins. Both the Bill Harmon side of the desk and one of the bins show evidence of many a stubbed-out cigarette, another relic of Australian 70s showbiz. I'm told that the infamous Abigail often perched herself on the corner of the desk to chat to Bill Harmon, which was a tricky manoeuvre because the desktop has no legs and is thus intricately balanced across the divider cabinet.

Writer Nancy Cash, widow of Don Cash, used this desk to write her first novel, "Patterns of the Heart", in the 90s. Nancy gave the desk to me in 2006, when she returned to live in the USA, after living in Australia for about 40 years.

I have yet to prove financially that the desk still has some magic in it, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it just might. I certainly have plenty of book outlines in various stages of completion - and two keyboards on the go. So far, though, I also have the dubious honour of being my literary agent's longest-serving client who's never earned her any money.

Hopefully, 2010 is my year.



Bill Harmon, seated at the partnership desk made for Cash Harmon Television for
the production of the cult Australian TV soap opera, "Number 96" (1972-1977).
This photo appeared in Peter Luck's book, "50 Years of Australian TV: An Insider's View, 1956-2006" (New Holland, 2006).

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?