'How Can We Help' my new play at ETC

News

If you head on down to the Essendon Theatre Company (Bradshaw Street, Essendon) tonight you will see my short play being presented on stage by some very talented and very funny actors.

'How Can We Help?' is a short play I wrote for Essendon Theatre Company's second season for 2013, Whatever Comes Along. It is set in the waiting room of a doctor's surgery and follows the dramas and quirks of the five patients waiting to see a doctor, and of course the harried receptionist. It was heaps of fun to write and is even funnier to watch (although I did feel like a bit of a loser laughing at my own jokes!) Directors Rosalin Shafik-Eid and Rhiannon Dhummet have done a great job, and it is really fulfilling to see my words (and also some of my own waiting room experiences) turned into a story on stage.

The show season runs from tonight, 13th June, to Saturday 29th June. All details can be found on the ETC website (www.essendontheatrecompany.com). There are also two other short plays being presented on the night.

Younger Sun Bookshop

Event

http://youngersun.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/meet-author.html

I will be at the amazing Younger Sun Bookshop tomorrow, to talk with kids about What the Raven Saw. Raven was their February book club pick. Can't wait to hear all their thoughts and answer questions. There will a signing at the store afterwards if you'd like to stop by. Pics to follow.

Raven Launch tomorrow

What the Raven Saw is being launched at my bookstore, Book Bonding in Niddrie, 6pm tomorrow. All welcome. Above is the front window dedicated to ... me. And the raven, of course.

Raven Links

Latest Raven links full of awesome Raveny goodness:

Lovely review at Readings: What the Raven Saw

An article and pic on me that I did with the local Moonee Valley paper: here. The books as a background look superb; can't say it's the most flattering pic of me though. Ah well, what can you do. Wouldn't want to show the raven up, after all.

Some fascinating posts by the designer of Raven's cover, Astrid Hicks, on the full process of designing the book as you see it today: here.

Enjoy XX

'What the Raven Saw' launch

What the Raven Saw will be in bookstores, Australia-wide (and also Target, Big W, etc) TOMORROW. That is awesome. There will be a launch Friday 8th February. Pretty casual affair but will be heaps of fun, everyone is welcome. I will be happy to have a chat and sign books.

Literary Birds

What the Raven Saw's official release date is just over a week away and the book will most likely be going into bookstores this week. It will be so wonderful to see my cranky Raven out there, and to celebrate I thought I would shine a light on some of my favourite avian characters from literature. The raven likes to know he is in good company, after all.

1. The Raven, narrator of Marcus Sedgwick's The Raven Mysteries series. I read a couple of these after I had written What the Raven Saw, because I was interested to see another fictitious raven in action. I guess ravens are rather cranky by nature, because this one, too, is a ball of sly, sarcastic and outraged fun. Maybe they are cousins?

2. Tawny Owl in The Animals of Farthing Wood. Pompous and snobby, but also fiercely loyal. I enjoyed the characterisation in the television series, too (the show was pretty much the highlight of my television week, when I was a kid).

3. Kehaar in Watership Down. Great character, who is memorable far beyond just being the only bird in a tribe full of rabbits. I love his loyalty to Bigwig, his crankiness, his scorn, his idiosyncratic and funny way of speaking, but also his courage and loyalty to the rabbits.

4. The Raven in Peter S. Beagle's A Fine and Private Place. There must be something in the air in raven land, because this one too is a bundle of one-liners and sarcasm. He is a bit of a fan favourite, and adds some much-needed humour to this lovely, wistful and sad book. I remember laughing out loud reading some of his lines.

5. The White Pigeon in upcoming The Last Wild by Piers Torday. This book isn't out yet (I have a proof), but the silly white pigeon is a delight, and was quick to become my favourite.

Merry Christmas from the Raven

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON

About this time next month What the Raven Saw will be making its way into stores all around Australia. This is very cool and I can't wait to hear what people think of the Raven and his delicious attitude (the Raven hates Christmas but he can't pass up the opportunity for people to admire him as a Christmas Greeting, so he consented to his image being used).

The latest news on What the Raven Saw:

* It has a new cover. I loved the old one but I think the new one is very striking and I love the focus on the Raven (he likes it, too).

* ASO, amongst others, have already put in an order. The publishers and I spent some of December doing up the teaching notes for What the Raven Saw. I am really happy with them and hope that they enable kids to have lots of cool discussion. There can never be too much talk about the Raven (in his opinion)

Link here: What the Raven Saw teaching notes

* The first review has been published. I came across it by accident but it is from a lovely children's literature reviewer and I absolutely love everything she has to say, because she seems to have got everything I was trying to do with the book. Read it here: 1st Raven review

Promo material for Raven

Had a visit at my bookstore today from the Random House sales rep. He is officially selling What the Raven Saw into bookstores this month, and I got to have a look at some of the promo materials. They are looking absolutely gorgeous, and every time I see the beautiful cover work or indeed even the title of my book, I cannot describe how amazing it is.

I love the raven and his story, of course, but when I hear about others getting excited too and all the positive feedback, I just cannot wait until the raven is in stores inflicting his bad temper on everyone.

Got to know a few of the things I will be doing to support the book as well, and it is all just brilliant. I'm really looking forward to have the opportunity to talk to kids not only about my book but also about my love of children's books in general and how important reading is! I will update of course closer to the date of these things happening.

Any questions about the book please shoot me an email. We are getting some fabulous kid's books in store this month, in the lead up to Christmas, and I will be writing about those soon too.

Happy reading!

What the Raven Saw cover

My children's novel What the Raven Saw now has its own page at my publisher, Random House. Link below. Lots of exciting stuff happening with the book which I will update on in the future. In the meantime I am still trying to frantically steal minutes here and there to get my second manuscript to a presentable state. This one is set in the 1890s and the research to get everything accurate, while totally fun and engaging, is big on the time consumption!

What the Raven Saw at Random House

Random House Bologna Children's Rights Guide 2012

Random House Bologna Book Fair Catalogue

The link is to a copy of the Random House Bologna Children's Rights Guide for 2012. I and my little book What the Raven Saw are featured on page 16. I love the Bologna Children's Book Fair and would love to one day attend, and so it's very exciting to be in the catalogue. Also featured are many other fantastic children's and YA authors, some of who I have met and can confirm that they are as awesome as their stories!!

What the Raven Saw cover

I apologise for my slackness in posting. I have just spent a very busy month doing writing and theatre-ish things and also moving house and now, at the moment, doing the final edits for my own children's novel What the Raven Saw.

I will be writing a lot more about What the Raven Saw soon, as it gets closer to publication on February next year.

But in the meantime just now I came across these lovely and exciting posts from Tony Flowers, who is doing the illustrations for the cover of my book. He has been making paper bird models which will then be integrated into the cover. I feel so honoured when I see all the work that has been going just into the cover of my book, and it makes me very excited for it to finally be out. I can't wait to have What the Raven Saw out into the world.

Here are links to the posts of his work so far - he is such a lovely and talented guy and I hope you enjoy.

Post 01: The Paper Raven

Post 02: The Pigeon

Post 03: Making a Paper Bird

What the Raven Saw

I've been massively busy lately with my 'day-job' editing work, so hence the lack of regular posts. But the last lot of it (for the time being anyway!) is due this week, and I am so looking forward to posting more and catching up on some of the ARC's for my bookselling job, as well as reviewing some more of my favourite children's classics.

But the other big news is that I am going to have my own book published early next year by Random House. It is a children's novel, aimed at 8-12 year olds (but for everyone, of course!), called What the Raven Saw. I am so delighted and pleased and grateful and of course I can't wait to move further into the process of getting my own book published.

It is about a cranky, snooty (but really just very lonely) old raven and all the wacky characters he meets in 'his' graveyard, and all the adventures they have. Currently he is being represented by both my Aussie publisher and my US agent at the Bologna Book Fair. I really couldn't be happier for his grumpy old self.

Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards

This year I have been looking into arts grants, fellowships, mentorships, opportunities and all the rest, to help my own work and give myself the best possible chance to really move forward with my writing.

I recently entered the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards (SOYA) - an initiative that has "been the leading grants program for emerging creative talent for over seven years ... SOYA is a creative melting pot spanning 11 key creative disciplines including interactive gaming, music, writing, film-making, fashion, architecture and more."

You can read more about the SOYA awards here: website

And for those interested, you can read my submission, including examples of my work, here: Samantha-Ellen.

Regardless of the outcome, it's been really great to have that supportive platform and creative environment for my own work.


SOYA is a great initiative - if you're an emerging, practicing artist, do apply.

Sleepers Almanac No 7 Reviews

Some great reviews are coming in for Sleepers Almanac No 7, the collection of short stories in which one of mine, 'Rough Weather Expected', is published. I have been reading a story here and there myself and there is some beautiful writing happening in this collection and lots of engaging sentiment and observation without any of the melodrama. I love short stories, I really do, and when I read a good one it just reminds me of how much power they can have.

Here are some snippets from a few reviews:


"The baseline is some version of realism, colloquial and unpurple, as might be expected from writers who want to get the walking bit right before trying to fly, but there is a lot of skill and finish here: Samantha-Ellen Bound’s ‘Rough Weather Expected’ and Kate Ryan’s ‘The Leaves’ are quietly observant. Rosanna Stevens’ ‘The Silences’, on the other hand, handles its lyricism without strain."
- published in the Age, Dec 3 2011


"What's so thrilling about this collection is the level of
craft they bring to their work and the quiet, unfussy
insights they offer into birth, death and everything in
between. If there is one metaphor that sums up this
collection, it's that of gentle, still waters that run very,
very deep."
-published in the Canberra Times, Dec 17 2011




"Everyday triumphs and tragedies are briefly illuminated, the secret places of relationships laid bare. Melancholy or mischievous, elegant or experimental - together these tales showcase the variety and vibrancy of the modern short story."
-published in The West Australian, Jan 17 2012




"These works are guided by a mortal urgency, themes of mortality and efforts to remain vital ... Each possesses a voice you’ve never encountered before, an almost wilful evasion of the tropes and postures expected. There are names here to note for future reference."
-published in Onya Magazine, Jan 23 2012




Once again, here are the links if you want to find out more about Sleepers Almanac No 7, including places to buy it: Sleepers website

Sleepers Almanac No 7

I am running around living the cliched 'too much to do in December' life at the moment, and so am not getting to read or blog as much as I'd like. That being said, there are so many kids books out right now that look so absolutely amazing and I'm dying to read - Christmas sure knows how to bring them out. Every time I come to work at my bookstore my eyes boggle and fill up with greed and I want them all. The (Australian) Independent Booksellers Summer Reading Guide is full of great stuff - you should stop by your local indie and check it out.

But I did get time last night to attend the launch of the latest Sleepers Almanac - up to number seven now, and still the same eclectic and talented mix of new and established authors totally killing it with this collection of short fiction. One of my stories is in it as well, so you should definitely go and pick up a copy and see what makes Sleepers one of the best short fiction collections in Australia ;)

It was also fairly nice to once again see my name and work in print (in an actual book - alright!) That feeling certainly never gets old.

Some places you can buy Sleepers are here:
http://www.readings.com.au/product/9781742702995/

http://sleeperspublishing.com/catalogue/

And of course you can buy and order from most bookstores.

Yay!

 

And a selection of some of my fav/recent books, perfect for Christmas presents:

 

WILDWOOD by Colin Meloy

 

 THE APOCOTHERY by Maile Meloy

WICKED WOOD (Tales from the Tower Volume 2)

edited by Isobelle Carmody and Nan McNab

 

It's all about ME

Whooooooo I just signed a very wonderful piece of paper called an Agency Agreement ... which means I now have a lovely Literary Agent to call my own.

Nothing to get excited about yet, but a very much appreciated, sought after, and magical little bit of news nevertheless.

But ohhhhhh I am well aware the hard work has just begun ...... I'll let you know when I get that $1,000,000 advance ;)

[untitled] Issue 4

 I attended the Launch of [untitled] Issue 4 last night, and it was an absolutely lovely evening and allowed me an insight into all the fabulous work (most often unpaid) that goes into the literary journals. [untitled] is relatively new to my radar, and I really only discovered it because I entered the short story competiton they ran at the start of the year. It is a journal, published twice a year (and in an awesome paperback book format) that exclusively publishes short stories.

In the coming few weeks you will be able to find it in bookstores (go to their website to see where it is stocked) and also directly from Busybird Publishing and Design (details also on website). I encourage everyone to go and buy it and support these authors and their stories. There is some exciting, amazing stuff, a sentiment that was echoed by judge Arnold Zable on the night. And I would also like to repeat something that was said on the night - if we want to be writers, we have to support other writing, we have to buy and read Australian books. I agree whole-heartedly, which is one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.

(Admittedly, I also have a vested interest - the picture on the right - see a familiar name? Actually you probably can't, it's pretty bad quality. Anyway, it's my name. You can find out about that on the 'My Writing' page.)

Happy Easter

HAPPY EASTER TO ONE AND ALL


Regardless of whether you celebrate it or not, I wish everyone a lovely day.


And briefly, I am reading this wonderful collection over the Easter break, The Wilful Eye (Tales from the Tower), a beautiful volume of classic fairytales retold and reinterpreted by six Australian authors. I knew I had to have this as soon as I heard about it - what a great idea and am really enjoying it so far. Can't wait for the second volume. Will be writing a review shortly.


I have also added a new page to my blog, which basically concerns my own writing. I will be updating it with anything to do with my own writing. You can access it by the tab at the top of the page.


And R.I.P to my grandmother, who died today. Much love always XXX