Williamstown Literary Festival. People's Choice Awards 2011: Friday 29 April - Sunday 1 May

Willimstown Literary Festival kicks off this Thursday with the People's Choice Poetry and Prose Awards. This year it will be in the Pirates Tavern.

This is the one event where the folk can step up to the mic and strut their stuff. I'll be mcing along with Michael Reynolds - host of Passionate Tongues, Melbourne longest running poetry open mic at the Brunswick Hotel.

The w/end is packed with over 60 writers in forums, workshops and readings.

Quoting from the last Festival update:

' ...It is only one week to go ...

First, we'd like to give a quick special mention to Ford Street Publishing whose wonderful anthology book Trust Me! includes contributions from 50 of Australia’s best known children’s authors, poets and illustrators. Two of the contributors are Willy Lit Fest guests Andy Griffiths andLeigh Hobbs.

Andy's and Leigh's Willy Lit Fest events plus other sessions aimed at younger readers are listed online on our Kids Events and Youth Events pages...'

The website now has a marvellous blog hosted by Megan Bourke. For updates and suggestions on how to make the most of the weekend: Williamstown Literary Festival Blog. See you there.

Poems Songs Story Times (PSST)

This cd is has been created for the Victorian Government's Young Readers Program produced by Vision Australia in partnership with State Library Victoria.

It is targeted towards the parents and caregivers of the very young but is of course a wonderful resource for those of us storytellers who spend a large portion of our time working in kindergartens, library storytimes, childcare and the early childhood council led programs like Imagination Magic.

Language enrichment in the early years through reading, storytelling, rhymes and songs is without doubt the best way to to prepare children to become strong readers regardless of social or economic circumstances.

There are many storytellers working around Australia who take pride in being able to connect and tell stories to people of all ages. Working with these old rhymes and songs, we are keeping alive oral traditions that date back for centuries. PSST includes the traditional and the contemporary, it is also multi lingual and has some wonderful pieces from little Fellas Big Voices (a Darebin Best Start and Indigenous Reference Group).

PSST can be borrowed from your local library.

Learn more: PSST

Kamishibai in kindergartens

After much practice and reading as much as I could about this storytelling art form, I've been having a ball with older children and family audiences.

Today at last, I finally had the opportunity to try out the kamishibai at a kindergarten.

When I opened the box, you could have heard a pin drop. These 3 - 4 year olds sat through 45 minutes of stories and half of that was kamishibai. They loved the slow reveal of the pictures and the use of character voices. In this story, Ol'Joe's false teeth runaway and steal other people's food. A Jackie Kerin original, I was delighted when it was declared an almost unanimous favourite. The children's visual literacy surprised me. They loved the comic drawings with think bubbles and energy lines and as I began the story with a map of the world, there was a gasp of recognition. As a lover of comics, I found their reaction exciting and will build on this as I work on episode 2: Ol' Joe, Split Dog and the Sock o' Gold.

As I closed the box and put it away, one child was heard to comment, 'she has to do that so the stories don't escape.'

When I studied acting, I didn't imagine I would end up telling stories to such young people but it's a privilege and joy to work with young children - still in the early childhood zone. So curious, so interested in the world and so honest in their relationship to stories.

And finally, as always ... thankyou Ted Smith for making me the kamishibai

Bernard Caleo and Michael Camilleri: What It Is?

Readings Bookshop in Carlton has a fabulous events calendar. Like a box of chocolates it's hard to know what to choose.

I chose to go and see Bernard Caleo and Michael Camilleri. Bernard is passionate about Kamishbai storytelling so with lights flashing and sirens sounding, I raced to Carlton with the kamishibai in time for What it is?

I can do no better that quote the website:

The ‘What It Is?’ shows feature comic book makers and

raconteurs live on stage, performances of kamishibai (the

Japanese art of paper theatre), and drawings drawn before your very eyes - to titillate and amaze. A vaudeville of ink on paper, talking heads, outrageous action. Your host: the Svengali of Melbourne comics, Bernard Caleo.

Michael Camilleri (author/artist of 'Itinerant Fighting Monk', the

graphic novella in Going Down Swinging #30, 2010) and Bernard Caleo (editor of The Tango Collection, 2009) wrestle

with Eisenstein's 'montage' theory and argue about it being more

useful for comics than film. Also, the classic kamishibai tale 'Sergei's pram' (2011). Also, a 'collective comic', drawn live.

The next What It Is? : Readings May 30

Lean more about Michael Camilleri

Learn more about Bernard Calleo and Cardigan Comics

Rotary Club of Point Gellibrand Williamstown

pic: right to left: President Andrew Oakley and Sergeant Jim Grouios

It was my pleasure to take on the role of 'after dinner speaker' at the meeting of the Point Gellibrand Rotary Club this week.

This was a new experience for me. Although aware of Rotary from the outside, I had never been on the inside before. A more lively and hospitable crowd would be hard to find.

To bring you up to speed ... and quoting from the website ...

'Members of a Rotary Club are part of a diverse group of professional leaders working to address community and international service needs and to promote peace and understanding throughout the world.'

It's evident within minutes of meeting this group that they hold close the values of peace, understanding, compassion and wine. I like them a lot!

There being some enthusiastic punters in the group, I was asked specifically to talk about writing Phar Lap the wonder horse. Not usually asked this early in the season to talk about Big Red, it was a joy to share my story with such an attentive audience.

Thankyou for including me in a night of food, wine and excellent company.

Learn more about: Point Gellibrand Rotary Williamtown and become involved.

click to listen to a reading of Phar Lap on the the Museum Victoria and website.

Australian Bush Dance: Newport Fiddle and Folk Club

Autumn is a wonderful time of year in Melbourne. The wind drops out and the heat fades. Festivals spring up in the regional towns and in the city.

At this time every year, in Newport, only 12 kilometres from the CBD, the local Fiddle and Folk Club host a classic event - the Aussie Bush Dance. The setting is an old blue stone quarry that has been carefully revegetated with indigenous plants. Now full of wildlife, wild flowers and tall eucalypts, Newport Lakes Park is loved and enjoyed.

This year over 300 people turned up for the dancing, singing, storytelling and bush ballads.

My Kamishibai, made by folk club friend Ted Smith, was mounted onto the back of my bike and so like the Kamishibai storytellers of old, I was able to ride to the park and work from my portable elevated stage.

Enjoy the pics of mate Dave Davies, a reciter of bush verse and the Newport Bush Orchestra or the BO or the Bush Orcs - they answer to several names!

And of course the dancing!

Learn more about the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club

I'm enjoying planning my festival and other public appearances for 2011 where I'lll be performing and speaking about the art of traditional oral storytelling and my work as a writer for children.

So much of my work is in schools and kindergartens but the following events are open to the general public.

Caroline Springs Library: Imagination Magic April 7

Melton Community Hall: Imagination Magic April 28

Williamtown Literary Festival: April 28 - May 1

Education Week: 15 -21 May

Eastern Regional Libraries: May 17 (Ferntree Gully, Ringwood) May 18 (Yarra Junction, Healesville)

Torquay Froth and Bubble: June 18 -19

Newport Folk Festival: July 1 - 3

Aireys Inlet Festival of Words: August 19 - 20

Bookweek: August 20 - 26

Mentone Public Library: November 26

Williamstown Literary Festival 2011: Friday 29 April - Sunday 1 May

The Williamstown Literary Festival ... is the biggest literary festival in Melbourne's western suburbs. Held at the Williamstown Town Hall over the weekend of Friday 29 April - Sunday 1 May, 2011, the festival includes a series of pre-festival events from Tuesday 26 April. Our popular People's Choice will be at the Pirates Tavern on the evening of Thursday 28 April.

Events include panels, interviews, workshops for children, teenagers and adults, films, readings, storytelling and games. Writers of all genres including poetry, novels, non fiction, blogging, science fiction, romance, drama, television and sports.

Converge on the Willy Lit Fest for a weekend of entertainment, information, controversy and fun. The festival hub provides spaces to relax, food outlets to re-energise and the festival bookshop to browse and buy - plus author signings.

This year I will be hosting the People's Choice Awards with Michael Reynolds. Mike is the regular host of Passionate Tongues a weekly gathering of some of Melbourne's finest poets at the Brunswick Hotel.

Check our the home page on Lit Fest website, find: Perform you work and win! and follow the link to the People's Choice to register.

Venue: Pirates Tavern, 82 Nelson Parade,

Time: Thursday 28 April, 2011, from 7pm.