Tamar Valley Writers Festival, Tasmania

While I could hardly be called a prolific writer of children's books, I'm passionate and particularly interested in non-fiction picture books for upper primary.

My two titles were published a while ago and are still in print and I meet readers, and convert new ones, wherever I go.

I was fortunate to be invited to the Tamar Valley Writers Festival as part of the schools program. Thanks to Paul Collins and the Creative Net Speakers' Agency for tossing my hat into the ring.

I couldn't speak highly enough of this festival, located this year at the Swiss themed resort, the Grindlewald, a few kilometres out of Launceston.

And while speaking highly and offering thanks, a HUGE ALMIGHTY thank you to Petrarch's Bookshop. Their pop-up shop at the festival was quite extraordinary and I, for one, found my wallet opening all by itself on numerous occasions.

My sessions were for middle and upper primary and years 8 - 12. I believe that what I have to share with students (my 'point of difference') is that I come to writing stories through telling stories. My mantra is: speak, write, read aloud.

It was great fun acting out stories with the young ones and introducing the older ones to stories told.

The Tamar Valley Writers Festival is every two years. Its a ripper!!!

CHENNAI: Under the Aalamaram International Storytelling Festival

What a treat to be invited along to tell stories as part of Under the Aalamaram International Storytelling Festival.

With Storyteller Craig Jenkins from the UK and Giorgiana Elena from Romania

The festival takes place across ten days, primarily in schools in Tamil Nadu, born of a dream of the organisers of Kathai Kallatta, a storytelling organisation founded to '...address the benefits of storytelling for children, adults, teachers and parents'.

From the 23rd August to the 2nd September it was nothing but stories, stories and more stories. The team was a mix of local tellers and guests from the US, UK, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Romania.

During this time, it was estimated that between us, we told stories to over 8,000 children from kindergarten to middle high school. In addition, we ran workshops for the older students and teachers, and there were two public storytelling showcases.

There were times when we told stories to small groups and on other days, we were greeted by a sea of students.

It took a pano shot capture the numbers of students in this session

So many highlights during the ten days, but if I boil it down, the essence for me was the hospitality of the festival, the schools and the local storytellers and the good will of the international storytellers who supported each other as we adapted to the heat and the traffic.

The public concerts were a huge success and it was wonderful to see storytellers from different countries telling stories from their place with such warmth, polish and passion

Craig Jenkins (UK), Jeeva Raghunath (Chennai), Diane Ferlatte (US), Giorgiana Elena (Romania), Ariyo Zidni (Indonesia), Jackie Kerin (Australia), Lindy Mitchell-Nilsson (Australia), Roger Jenkins (Singapore).
 

This is how storytellers are greeted in schools in Tamil Nadu.