The Sydney International Storytelling Conference 2014

I for one, am very grateful that the Australian Storytelling Guild NSW host a storytelling conference every second year. We are so spread out across this vast continent; the conference provides a great focus for us to gather, make new friends and strengthen old alliances not only across Australia but around the world. I think video skills are improving!

Congratulations Claire Saxby: ‘Emu’ hits the shelves

Friend Claire Saxby has launched Emu (illustrator Graham Byrne, publisher, Walker Books Australia).  The shelf I have dedicated to my picture book collection, is starting to bow – thanks Claire! My favourite is always the one I'm using at the moment. This week I have been up to my kneecaps with very young people so There was and Old Sailor has been getting a big work out.

Claire has been steadily adding to the list of beautifully illustrated nonfiction titles available for older children.  With Kangaroo and now Emu, the marriage of her rich text with Graham Byrne’s illustrations is evocative of arid Australia and the monumental animals that the stride and leap through the bush.

Emu was launched at my local independent bookshop Book and Paper on National Independent Bookshop Day. The window is wonderful celebration of Claire Saxby’s achievement in the world of Children’s books.

Kangaroo has been listed as an Eve Pownell Notable Book 2014. I wouldn't be surprised to see Emu listed in 2015

Read more about Claire HERE

Tucker Rd Bentleigh PS and Ford Street Publishing Literary Festival 2014

This was a literary festival held at a primary school for the grades 4 – 6. The time-table was abandoned and the whole day was dedicated to celebrating stories. The festival included the launch of Adam Wallace’s latest, Jamie Brown is NOT Rich, a literary quiz, a book-stall and show-bags. But at the heart of the day were the workshops. There were 10 on offer and each student had the opportunity to participate in 3. One only has to look at the list of presenting illustrators and authors to see the quality that was on offer: Paul Collins, Corrine Fenton, Kevin Burgemeestre, Meredith Costain, Adam Wallace, Claire Saxby, Ian Trevaskis, Sue Lawson, Andrew Plant and George Ivanoff.  Between them, these people offered serious, hilarious, ridiculous, profound, fictional and non fictional sessions.  Even Jordon the Labrador (seeing eye dog in training) was swept along in the excitement that never flagged from the get-go.

This awesome idea of having a Literary Festival in a school has won me over completely

My role was that of MC and it was a joy to work alongside Paul Collins and Ford Street Publishing and the staff of Tucker Road Bentleigh PS.

Read all about Ford Street HERE

pics: The line up of authors and illustrators. Ford Street gave all the students small books for them to collect autographs and they took to this idea with gusto!

Traditional storytelling with the very young 2014

I'm interested in telling stories with and for folks of all ages. Perhaps the strength and continuity of the oral tradition is best observed by people raising children. I'm frequently invited to tell stories to the very young in kindergartens, childcare centres and libraries. Its difficult to get photos or videos at these sessions because of privacy. Here is a rare glimpse of a session. Sorry you can't see the children but you can hear hear them. I love the quacking!

You're all INVITED: Launch of Words on the Wind. 24 July 2014

Storytelling Australia Victoria  invites you to the launch of

Words on the Wind

image: Anne E Stewart courtesy Penguin Books

When:   Thursday July 24th 

Where:  The Library at the Dock, directions  HERE

Time:     5.00 pm drinks and nibbles and Launch 

              6.00 pm Show Starts

Who:     Jan “Yarn” Wositzky telling 

             William Buckley: The Go- Between   

 Words on the Wind is a series of free storytelling shows coming to the new Library at the Dock, running from July through to December 2014. Nine storytellers from Storytelling Australia Victoria have crafted six compelling tales to reflect their relationship to this part of Melbourne’s Docklands. They will explore the history and environment of Victoria Harbor, a corner of Melbourne steeped in tales of mystery and intrigue, not to mention major engineering works! 

 PLEASE RSVP:

Anne E Stewart on 0408 550 945 or email anne@anneestewart.com.au

For more information go to http://www.storytellingvic.org.au/

or Like us on Facebook

* I'll be there celebrating the launch with my storytelling mates. NB drinks and nibbles!

Newport Folk Festival 2014

OK I'm a festival tragic, I admit. But this one is my favourite. This is my local and with my community we plan this party for months. My friend Gerry Nelson took these exquisitely expressive photos at the storytelling event that I host for Storytelling Australia Victoria every year. I added a little video and friend Bruce Williams gave me permission to add an instrumental piece form his CD 'Me and the Walls'. It all started 7 years ago with the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club.

Monash Fairy Salon: 2014 Symposium

As part of the Glen Eira Storytelling Festival, hosted by Monash Fairy Tale Salon these Symposiums are a coming together of the academic, literary, oral story teller and musician – in our turn we all had a chance to read, tell, sing, ask questions and generally enjoy the moosh of ideas that spin on the notion of Fairy Tale. The delight is the palpable joy the attendees express as ideas fly around the room and creative and intellectual dots are joined. This year there was a strong theme on the connection of the European folk tale tradition and how it informed the postcolonial Australian tale spinners, what happens when a story emigrates, or when the affection of a genre is transported into a new landscape? I had a wonderful time airing two of my Australian Tellable Tales from a set of stories that rarely get to breathe.

Pic: Front L-R: Belida Calderone, Dr Danielle Wood. Centre: Roslyn Quin, Jackie Kerin, Louisa John-Krol Suzann Sandow. Back: Toby Eccles, Anna McCormack

Learn more about Monash Fairy Tale salon HERE