by Paul Collins
Or did you come from the sun?
Your toes and ears are surely from the sun
Shining and necessary.
Or perhaps, my boy, you came from the river.
Your hands and elbows are surely made from water
Moving and rapid.
Or did you come to me from some other place
Beyond the moon or the sun
Or the river?
A place that contains all these things
-stars too bright as your eyes,
But is greater than them.
My boy
Passing moon and sun, stars and river,
I think you came from a question Floating through the universe Dark and quiet
Until you reached the answer
Of my waiting arms.
There Are Worse Things Than Poetry
Steven Herrick
Tour de Cycling
Lorraine Marwood
Illustration by Judith Rossell
Calling Me
Gabrielle Wang
About the Contributors
Deb Abela
Having always been short and a bit of a coward, Deborah dreamed of being braver and stronger, which is probably why she writes about spies, ghosts, soccer legends and characters who battle sea monsters and evil harbour lords. She’s written Max Remy, Jasper ,Zammit, The Remarkable Secret qf Aurelie Bonhqffin and Grimsdon. She has won awards for her books but mostly hopes to be as brave as the characters inside. www.deborahabela.com.
Dianne Bates
Dianne has published 100+ books, mostly for young readers, some of which have won national and state literary awards: others have sold overseas. Her current book is Crossing the Line. Di has also edited a number of children’s magazines. She lives in Wollongong, NSW, with her author husband, Bill Condon. Their website is www.enterprisingwords.com.
Michael Gerard Bauer
Since resigning from teaching in 2000 Michael has written a number of popular and award-winning books for children and young adults. These include The Running Man, Dinosaur Knights, Just a Dog and the Ishmael trilogy. His books have been published in the UK and USA and translated into eight languages.
Christine Bongers
Christine is a former journalist who has sunk her teeth into fiction. Her novels have been Notable and short-listed books in the CBCA awards and short-listed for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards and WA Premier’s Book Awards. Her titles include Dust and Henry Hoey Hobson. More at www. christinebongers.com.
Janeen Brian
Janeen is an award-winning children’s author and has been writing full-time for over twenty years. She has had seventy three books published and more due for release. Janeen is a
‘bitser’! She writes all sorts - novels, poetry, picture books, information books - and short stories, like ‘What Goes Around ...’!
Sue Bursztynski
Sue grew up in Melbourne, writing on the beach a lot. She has written ten books, including Crime Time and Woifborn, a werewolf novel and a CBCA Notable Book. Sue reads submissions for ‘Andromeda Spaceways lnflight Magazine’. Sue’s brother was born soon after the Beatles’ visit. His name isn’t Ringo or Jimmy.
Isobelle Carmody
Isabelle began writing The Obernewl:)in Chronicles while still at secondary school. Since then she has established herself as one of Australia’s leading writers of fantasy. Her book The Red Wind won the CBC Book of the Year Award in 2011 and her most recent book is a second collection of gritty, urban fantasy stories called Metro Winds, published in 2012. She is now working on the final book in The Obernewl:)in Chronicles.
Margaret Clark
Margaret has written books under the names MD Clark, Margaret D Clark and Lee Striker. She has written over l 00 books about relationships, friendships, and social issues under the guise of humour. Margaret’s books include Pugwall, which was made into a TV series and The Chickabees series. Her latest book is an Aussie Nibble called Blast Off!
Paul Collins
Paul has written over 140 books. He’s best known for The Jelindel Chronicles, starring the heroineJelindel from his story in Trust Me Too. His latest book is Mole Hunt, Book #l in The Maximus Black Files. Paul is also the Publisher at Ford Street Publishing and manages Creative Net, a speakers’ agency for authors and illustrators.
Visit www.paulcollins.com.au and www.fordstreetpublishing.com/ cnet.
Bill Condon
Bill has written several young adult novels, including
Corifessions qf a Liar, Thiif and Failed Sex God, and A Straight Line to J4Y Heart. He lives on the south coast of New South Wales with his wife, fellow writer Dianne (Di) Bates. His website is www.enterprisingwords.com.
Meredith Costain
Meredith lives in Melbourne with a menagene of pets. Her work ranges from picture books to novels and non-fiction, and includes Dog Squad, A Year in Girl Hell, Doodledum Dancing and novelisations of the TV show Dance Academy. She plays blues piano and has too many shoes. Visit her at www.meredithcostain.com.
Gary Crew
Gary has won the Children’s Book of the Year award four times and has been awarded many others including the National Children’s Book Award; the Victorian Premier’s Award; the New South Wales Premier’s Award; the Ned Kelly Award for Crime Writing; and the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (USA). His latest book is In the Beech Forest (illustrated by Den Scheer).
Justin D’Ath
Justin is the author of thirty-six books for children and young adults. His very popular Extreme Adventures are soon to become a TV series. Currently he is writing two more series for Penguin, Mission Fox and The Lost World Circus.Justin lives in Queenscliff, Victoria.
Hazel Edwards
Hazel is not a fan of graffiti, or tatts, but likes satirical cartoons. She is best known for There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roqf Eating Cake series (now a film). Her latest YA novel is
}2m: the boy within. It was co-written with Ryan Kennedy and was a 20 ll White Ravens top 250 books internationally. As a National Ambassador for the 2012 Year of Reading, Hazel web-chats with students in remote regions and has hints for aspiring creators and e-books on her website: www.hazeledwards.com.
Corinne Fenton
Corinne has a passion for wntmg children’s books, especially picture books, and enjoys sharing her experiences of writing and researching with children and adults. She is best known for her picture books Qyeenie: One Elephant’s Story, The Dog on the Tuckerbox and Flame Stands Waiting. Visit www. corinnefenton.com.
JE Fison
Julie is a Brisbane-based writer with a background in television news and marketing. Her work has taken her around the world where she has met some amazing people (and some not so good ones), shaken hands with an orang utan, camped with elephants and (accidentally) eaten rat soup. A family holiday on the Noosa River inspired her first fiction series -Hazard River, which is a mix of adventure and fun, with an environmental twist. She is currently working on a story for teenage girls. Visit www.hazardriver.com.
Pat Flynn
Pat lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. An ex-professional tennis player and teacher, he now writes realistic fiction with a dose of humour for young people. His latest book, A1y Awesome Story, is about a boy who hates writing.
Archimede Fusillo
Archimede lives in Melbourne, but travels all over Australia running writing workshops and giving author talks. With several YA novels to his credit, Archie has recently returned to his passion for writing short stories and is hoping to write another picture book so he can again work with talented illustrators.
Sandy Fussell
Sandy is afraid of polar bears, samurai swords and lava flows. So far she has written novels about the first two. Next stop, a volcano. She is the aut
hor of the Samurai Kids series, Polar Brry andJaguar Warrior. You can find her at www.sandyfussell.com and www.samuraikids.com.au.
Susanne Gervay
Susanne Gervay OAM is recognised for her writing on social justice. Endorsed by Room to Read, Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Life Education and the Cancer Council, her award-winning books include Butterflies and Ships in the Field and the Jack books - I Am Jack, Super Jack and Alwcrys Jack. Visit Susanne at www.sgervay.com.
Grant Gittus
Grant is a graphic designer and illustrator who spends a lot of time designing books like this one (for money). He has written and illustrated one book about which a publisher said, ‘It is hard to see who would possibly want to read a book like this ...’Visit www.gggraphics.com.au.
Kerry Greenwood
Kerry has written fifty-eight novels, a lot of short stories and several non-fiction books. She LIKES writing and now people are paying her for it. She was born in Footscray so long ago that the Internet was called books. She lives with a registered wizard and three cats. In her spare time she stares blankly out of the window.
Phillip Gwynne
One of eight children, Phillip was raised in country South Australia. He has a degree in marine biology and has travelled the world. His first book, Deadly, Unna?, won several literary awards and he has written many others since, including Nukkin’ Ya, Jetry Rats and The Worst Team Ever.
Susan Halliday
Once an English teacher, Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Board Member of the State Library of Victoria and Chairperson of the Victorian Institute of Teaching, Susan’s new business card reads CHILDREN’S AUTHOR. Having written a wealth of professional material for adults, Susan has the popular Marcy series for girls under her belt and a string of child literacy projects in tow.
Jack Heath
Jack is the author of six action-adventure books. He started writing The Lab when he was thirteen years old and had a publishing contract for it at eighteen. In 2009 he was named ACT Young Australian of the Year. He is now twenty-six, and working on his seventh novel.
Steven Herrick
Steven is the author of eighteen books for children and young adults. His books have twice won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award and been short-listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year on six occasions. His most recent book is Black Painted Fingernails.
Simon Higgins
Simon is a former police officer, prosecutor and licensed private investigator. He writes critically acclaimed adventures set in Japan, where he has trained in Iaido: the samurai art of duelling. His Moonshadow series is published in Australia by Random House and in numerous foreign countries including the US. www.simonhiggins.net.
Leigh Hobbs
Leigh is an artist and author best known for the children’s books he has created featuring his characters Old Tom, Horrible Harriet, Fiona the Pig, The FREAKS in 4F, Mr Badger and Mr Chicken. Mr Chicken is at present a best seller in the Louvre Museum bookshop in Paris.
Greg Holfeld
Greg has made cartoons, comics and illustrations since he was a small boy in Saskatchewan, Canada. He has done much the same as a slightly larger adult in South Australia since 1991. You can see his work on television, commercials and short films, in books including the Captain Congo series and at www.panicproductions.com.au.
Ian Irvine
Ian, a marine scientist who has developed some of Australia’s national guidelines for the protection of the oceanic environment, has also written twenty-seven novels. These include the internationally bestselling Three Worlds fantasy sequence, an eco-thriller trilogy and twelve books for younger readers. His latest book for younger readers is Grim and Grimmer 4: The Calamitous Qyeen. His latest fantasy novel is Vengeance, Book 1 of The Tainted Realm.
Website: www.ian-irvine.com.
George Ivanoff
Author of over fifty books, George is best known for his Garners novels. Garners’ Quest won a Chronos Award and is on the reading lists for both the Victorian and NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. Garners’ Challenge was released in 2011. Check out George’s website: georgeivanoff.com.au.
Mojohnson
Born in Glasgow, Mo came to Australia in 1991 and began writing in 2005. Her first YA Novel, Boqfheads, was published in 2008 in Australia and in the UK in 2009. It was a CECA Notable Book. Something More was published in 2009 and her first picture book, Noah’s Garden, was published in 2010 in both Australia and the USA. She currently divides her time between teaching English, working in her husband’s Mortgage Choice franchise, and writing.
Kim Kane
Kim was born in London in a bed bequeathed by Wordsworth for ‘ ... a writer, a painter, or a poet’. Despite this auspicious beginning she went on to practise law. Five years ago Kim threw her materialism to the wind and started to write. She has written one novel, Pip: the story qf Olive and two picture books, The Vegetable Ark and Family Forest.
PhilKetde
Phil is an international award-winning children’s author. He has written in excess of 150 children’s books including Our Australia, Boyz Rule, Get Real and the amazingly successful Toocool series. Ford Street is publishing the latest Toocool books along with Susan Halliday’s Marcy series. For the latest news go to www.philkettle.com.au.
Sofie Laguna
Sofie’s books for young people have been named Honour Books and Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and have been short-listed in the Queensland Premier’s Awards. She has been published in the US and the UK and in translation in Europe and Asia.
Doug MacLeod
Doug writes for TV and novels for young adults. His most recent titles include J1Y Extraordinary Lifi and Death and The Lifi qf a Teenage Body-snatcher. One of his earlier novels, The
Clockwork Forest, was presented as a play by The Sydney Theatre Company. In 2008 the Australian Writers Guild awarded him the Fred Parsons Award for contribution to Australian comedy. Visit Doug: www.dougmacleod.com.au.
Lorraine Marwood
Lorraine loves to write poetry. Her novel Star Jumps, published by Walker Books, explores the verse novel technique. It won the inaugural Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Children’s Fiction in 2010. Her latest books are Chantelle’s Cloak and Note on the Door and other.fomily poems from Walker. She loves capturing the poetic surprise in ordinary everyday happenings. Visit www.lorrainemarwood.com.
Marc McBride
Marc is a carbon-based life form that may or may not be currently living in Melbourne with a woman, a dog and a miniature human. He spends most of his time trawling a large garage in search of lost rubbers and pencils. Occasionally he makes pictures that are of extraordinary genius or naive incompetence and it’s often difficult to tell which is which.
Sean McMullen
Sean’s first young adult novel was The Ancient Hero; this was followed by two teenage time travel novels, Br!fore the Storm and Changing Yesterday. Sean has fourteen adult novels published, and his story ‘Eight Miles’ was runner-up in the
Hugo Awards for Best Novelette. See www.seanmcmullen.net.au.
David Miller
David has written five picture books and illustrated another ten. His books are illustrated with photographs of his dramatic, colourful 3D paper sculptures. His book Rtfogees was a CECA Honour Book and Snap Went Chester was short listed for the CBCAs. His latest books are Rufos the Numbat and Big and Me.
Jenny Mounfield
Jenny lives in Brisbane with her husband, three grown children and one very spoilt Jack Russell cross called Leo. She is the author of three novels for kids and young adults: Storm Born, The Black Bandit and The Ice-cream Man.
Kirsty Murray
Kirsty enjoys the company of ghosts. She is the author of nine novels including Vu
lture)s Gate) Market Blues and Bridie} Fire. Her latest novel, India Dark, is based on the true story of a theatrical troupe of Australian children that toured India in 1910.
Sally Odgers
Sally lives in Tasmania with her husband Darrel. Between them they write books and run a writing workshop and manuscript assessment service. Sally’s interests include bothering her kids, grandkids, the dogs and people on Twitter. Big adventures include running the Sydney City2Surf. Oh, and George-in-the-story is a real person.
Wendy Orr
Wendy is the internationally published and award-winning author of Raven’s Mountain and Peeling the Onion, as well as more than thirty other books, ranging from picture books to adult novels. She also had the fun of having her novelNim’s Island turned into a feature film starring Jodie Foster.
Oliver Phommavanh
Oliver loves to make people laugh, whether it’s on the page writing humour for kids or on stage and TV as a stand-up comedian. He also shares his passion for writing as a primary school teacher. Oliver’s books include Thai-rijfic!, Con-nerd and Punchlines. Visit him at www.oliverwriter.com.
Michael Pryor
Michael is a best-selling author of fantasy for teenagers. He has published more than twenty-five novels and more than forty short stories. He has been short listed for the Aurealis Award six times, and five of his books have been CBCA Notable Books. His website is www.michaelpryor.com.au.
Judith Ridge
Judith is internationally recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts on literature for children and young adults. In a twenty-five-year career, Judith has worked as a secondary English teacher, children’s editor, community arts coordinator, writer and critic. She has twice been a judge on the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, is a Churchill Fellow and has an MA in children’s literature.
Judith Rossell
Judith has been an illustrator and writer for many years, with books including maze and puzzle books, picture books and novels. Most recently, she illustrated the Skoz the Dog series, written by Andrew Daddo, and is currently working on a new novel. She teaches Writing for Children at RMIT. Her website is www.judithrossell.com.