by Lollie Barr
‘I can’t believe it’s really over,’ said Wanda dejectedly as she slumped into a chair.
‘It feels like a lifetime ago that we started the magazine. I can’t believe how everything has changed,’ said Maggie looking at her four girlfriends.
‘But it has been a change for the better,’ said Mand. ‘Least now we’ve got the summer off. Anybody got any plans?’
‘Well, I was thinking,’ said Belle. ‘Why does The Mag Hag have to end? Why can’t we do a second issue over the summer?’
‘That’s such a great idea!’ said Cat who felt so much more positive about life in general, now that she didn’t have to play the negative bitch all the time.
‘Oh my god!’ said Wanda, her smile as wide and open as the future possibilities that lay ahead of them. ‘Who knows where it could lead.’
‘We rock!’ said all five girls at exactly the same time. Then they looked at each other incredulously before collapsing into a fit of giggles.
I would like to thank my inspirational and wonderful mum for reading my manuscript over and over again, and for giving me a love of words; James Valentine for the initial inspiration; Linsay Knight, Chris Kunz and the team at Random House for making writing this book such an enjoyable process; Julia Stiles for her deft editing and getting my warped sense of humour; Dr Gabrielle Morrissey for the advice on the boys feature and Dr Vivienne Lewis from the University of Canberra for the quotes in the body image story.
Big thanks to Daniel Barr, Elizabeth J. Bond, Helen Sharpe, Cath Riordan, Mandy Nolan, Greggie Gurney, Jodie Tomlinson, Ben Barnes and Di Morrissey for offering words of encouragement and inspiration when I needed them most; the Mildreds for getting me started; my cover girls – Jade, Jasmine (thanks for helping with the cover artwork), Ruby, Trudie and Chapei – who captured the attitude of the Mag Hags perfectly; and to all my gorgeous friends – you know who you are – thank you all for being part of this book.
Photo – MICHAEL ROSE
Lollie Barr is a freelance journalist who writes for newspapers and magazines in Australia and internationally. She lives on the north coast of New South Wales beneath a cute little mountain with her dog, Jericho. The Mag Hags is her first novel.
For more info on Lollie and The Mag Hags, go to:
www.randomhouse.com.au/kids or
www.myspace.com/lollie_barr