We got our cow. She is happily grazing in my backyard.

CowParade The world’s most famous public art event, is coming to Margaret River in 2010. When painted, she will graze in a park by a river in Augusta, West Australia.

Our cow team is made up of Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators who will be painting the cow in my studio over the month of January.

Wendy Binks also wrangled a cow. Together we picked up our cows. Anita Heiss was our official photographer, so for all your photography needs, do not use Anita.

Sydney
I return to the Pacific shores once again, to serve on the stimulating, challenging and rewarding board of the Australian Society of Authors. Bonus: working and catching up with fellow authors and illustrators who hail from all over Australia. Stop press: The collective noun for a gathering of authors and illustrators is a “blessing”. Here’s everyones mentor, Shaun Tan.

Friday: The Barbara Jefferis Awards And the winner is…Helen Gardner for The Spare Room.
The Judges Report:
Like a Dutch interior painter, Helen Garner uses the small domestic scene of two women in one house over three suffocating weeks to illuminate the deep and sustaining nature of friendship between women. As the protagonist — also named Helen — faces the challenge of supporting her dying friend Nicola through a course of painful and patently futile alternative therapy, she is forced to confront herself as well as the death of her friend. Great dignity is afforded to the female body, even as it collapses out of control, and to Nicola, whose courage is unquestionable. The lean, spare prose avoids any hint of sentimentality, while moments of joy and humour shared by the two women are evoked with economy and precision.

Saturday:
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators breakfast at the Hughenden Hotel with Susanne Gervay, Chris Cheng and Hazel Edwards. Elise Hurst, author/illustrator extraordinaire also broke bread with us.
And then onto the ASA AGM where Shaun Tan gave the Colin Simpson Memorial Lecture. Catching up with my friend and hero, the dearest Jeannie Baker. Also in this blessing is Julie Vivas and Nadia Wheatley.

And then last, but not the very least of at all possibly that ever can be. A quiet dinner with my oldest, bestest friend Shona Martyn and Chris, Evangeline and our friends, the Barnums.

Open Day at the Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre
A place of significance…comprising of 4 galleries, bookshop and archives. Where children’s book authors and illustrators are cherished and celebrated. Once a school term, the Centre is open to the public, where one can view how a book is created, from the original concept to the published work. Lesley Reece and her staff constantly engage and empower young minds, parents, teachers and us, the creators.

Twenty authors/illustrators under the stars, each allotted with three minutes of mic time, speaking about their latest work. How do we do it?

Well….er…with the help of ‘fruit of the vine’ and lovely Jan Nicholls armed with an egg timer and a bell. I was next to last, felt a bit like the nightwatchman (as in cricket). This Children’s Book Council initiative is a gem of an evening with people attending from all over the state.The venue was packed to capacity, nearly overflowing onto the Hwy. Sitting next to Kate McCaffrey was just asking for trouble.

What I enjoy most-est is catching up with peers and their latest books. Norman Jorgensen’s Jack’s Island is one of my favorites and will be a classic for many years to come. In Norm’s own words: “This is an exciting story of adventure, bravery and courage but most of all it is a story of friendship and loyalty”. A story after my own heart.

Perth Writer’s Festival authors toasted the warm summer evening by breaking bread on our back deck. Hailing from Sydney, Melbourne, Albany and Darwin, all cherishing the opportunity for a good ol’ catch up…
Leigh Hobbs, Barry Jonsberg, Libby Gleason, Jeremy Fisher, Dianne Wolfer all wined and dined and more wined.

Conducting two sessions for children, I was deeply touched by Abby Bachrach-Cox’s “Duffy” that she made allll by herself inspired by our book “Simpson and his Donkey”. Here she’s holding the US edition “The Donkey of Gallipoli”.

The Perth Writers Festival Brochure is out now. I’m speaking for children on Family Day Sunday March 1st.