Events – Page 4 – Dianne Wolfer

The Importance of Festivals and Retreats

Festivals: Summer in WA (and probably elsewhere) is the time of festivals. Warm evenings and writer gatherings under the stars make for a lovely combination. Perth Writers Festival and its Albany offshoot are both a whirl of inspiration; hearing other authors talk, catching up with friends, exchanging ideas and the nervous energy of presenting sessions. This year was even more exciting for me because of my link to The Giants (see previous posts).

Elaine Forrestal and Cate Sutherland helping me with a presentation at Perth Writers Festival

After the Perth and Albany festivals, I presented at the All Saints writers Festival with WA peers as well as Jessica Watson, Isobelle Carmody and Felice Arena. It was a great mix of people – large enough to provide plenty of interesting sessions but small enough to be friendly. Staying in the heart of Fremantle at The Esplanade was also inspiring.

Some of the presenters at All Saints 2015

Before these WA based festivals, I was fortunate to be on the program of the inaugural Book an Adventure Festival on Tasmania’s Bruny Island. Fellow WA creators, Norm Jorgensen and James Foley were the headline act and the festival had a Viking theme tied to their wonderful Last Viking books. There’s something very special about a festival devoted solely to Children’s Literature and the wild beauty (and weather) of Bruny Island made this an exciting few days. A highlight was meeting Tasmanian and east coast authors whose books I’d read, but who I hadn’t met.

Retreats: For me Easter signals the change of season. The air has a different feel and days are shorter. Circadian rhythms shift and after the busy and inspirational summer season of festivals it seems a natural time to retreat.

I’m fortunate to have access to a beach shack with no Internet or phone range. It’s an ideal place to write and walk and think… So, with a self-inflicted deadline looming, it was time to leave town…

The retreat worked. I was able to think through and implement a major shift in my WW2 ‘dog’ novel, as well as add several thousand words (hurrah) to the manuscript.

I was also deeply inspired by the forest drive to get to our shack. A couple of months after the terrifying Northcliffe fires, the tree regeneration is so beautiful, it’s worth a drive south just for that. Here are some of the images:

More Retreating: Not long also until my favourite retreat; the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) annual Rottnest Island Retreat. This getaway has inspired rich collaborations between illustrators and authors and is a time to combine the inspiration of a festival (catching up with peers, exchanging ideas, sharing a red wine) with the free time and space needed to create.

Festivals and Retreats – I love them both

700 member book group!

Each year Moss Vale High School runs a wonderful literacy project called Kick Start Reading. With funds from a generous and supportive P & C as well as Federal grant money, the school gives every student and staff member a book. This year English teacher and program facilitator Adelle Morris chose Light Horse Boy. Everyone in the school reads the same book making this a huge book group that links the entire school.

Principal, Peter Macbeth, Adelle and other staff members had spent weeks preparing the students. I arrived in Moss Vale on Monday morning for 3 days of workshops and received a rock star welcome.

Day One: My first session was speaking with the Special Needs students. They introduced themselves, shared their work and had so many questions. They made me feel right at home.

Next, a full school assembly with special guests; RSL Vice President Eric Campbell and Rob Berman who wore full Light Horse uniform in honour of his family’s Light Horse connections. The Performing Arts students showcased their talents with a music, drama, dance performance inspired by Light Horse Boy. Their use of plain black clothing, dance and quiet gestures was powerful and I had to pinch myself to stop being teary.

My final Monday session was with articulate Year 11 Extension English students, discussing ‘inspiration’ and many other topics. By the end of Day One I was impressed by how teachers across different subjects had woven aspects of my story into the curriculum.

Day Two: I was in more familiar territory with Year 7 students, sharing my favourite Postcard Writing activity with links to Lighthouse Girl and Light Horse Boy. We ran out of time, but the drafts look very promising. Year 9 History students’ focus was ‘Symbols and Commemoration’. There were clear links to Light Horse Boy as there was with the Year 12 Extension history students’ focus of studying research techniques. I was so impressed by the Year 12’s ability to explain their diverse focus study topics, reporting on different aspects of approach. Their teacher James McGill was understandably very proud.

Between History groups, one of the students showed me his Braille version of Light Horse Boy. That was amazing. Thank you, Harrison.

On Tuesday I was also fortunate to have a sneak peek of the Aboriginal Ed students’ ‘8 ways’ project. Students are compiling artwork and stories based on traditional Gundungarra values into a book. We brainstormed ways to include a central character to link the 8 separate paths and I showed a title from the Wirlomin Noongar Language Project, Mamang. Thank you to the students and teacher Felicity for the signed copy of their first book. Day Two ended with an informal dinner with teachers, exchanging ‘six degrees of separation’ stories linking to my old Albury High School days…

Day Three: During roll call I joined the excited students poring over Paul Martin’s WW1 treasures. Paul of Australian Military History takes military artefacts to schools, sharing his passion and knowledge with the next generation. Paul has some amazing stuff. I still can’t believe I held a bugle from Beersheba.

Day Three: My first school sessions focusing on anthropomorphism. The Year 8 Ag Science students and I explored links to the WW1Walers and mascots taken to war. This was followed by a thought-provoking conversation with some very mature Year 10 girls. We discussed anthropomorphism as a literary technique and other aspects of writing.

Then I worked with primary students from different schools, focusing on the background to Light Horse Boy and partner title Lighthouse Girl. After saying goodbye to my new friends it was into the car and back to Canberra to catch an evening flight home to Western Australia.

I left feeling honoured that Moss Vale High School chose my book as their focus title for 2015. A highlight for me, besides meeting so many interesting people and being in this historic part of Australia as the autumn leaves were starting to turn, was seeing how the Kick Start program gives every member of a diverse school something in common. Each teacher helped his/her students explore an aspect of Light Horse Boy which linked to their subject area.

The Kick Start Reading project celebrates things in common rather than difference. What a wonderful opportunity for the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you Moss Vale 🙂

Inspiring Giants – Final Day

Thousands packed the city on Sunday morning to see the Giants wake up (approximately 1.4 million people). The Lilliputians received a rousing welcome as they arrived at Langley Park on a double-decker bus.

The program began with a ceremony commemorating the Anzac Centenary. After waking to the sound of a didgeridoo, our large guests watched Don Watson, the son of Fay, Breaksea Island lighthouse keeper’s daughter, lay a wreath with his son and daughter.

Wreaths were also laid by Graham Edwards for RSLWA and by Premier Barnett.

My parents were keen to attend the commemoration and were ready to sit on the grass inside the fenced area, but at the last moment my sister found a bench beneath a shady tree; a perfect place to view the passing of the Giants and somewhere for my family and Don Watson’s to meet after the service. Peg and her daughters gave us handcrafted poppies which will be worn proudly on April 25th in Albany, Jindabyne and Albury.

After lighting the eternal flame and a minute’s silence, horses and riders of 10th Light Horse led the Giants on a final lap of Langley Park. After the kerfuffle of banning horses from marching in Albany last November it was wonderful to see the Light Horse riders in pride of place.

hhorse

The Diver’s big footsteps passed so close to us and we had a wonderful view of the Little Giant’s dance. I loved her bilum dilly bag. To make the Giants move, their Lilliputians fling themselves into the air like mediaeval bell ringers.

After their final walk, Don’s daughter, Denise, my sister and I crowd-surfed trying to get another glimpse of the Giants before they sailed away. With so many people, all we could see was a speck of smoke as the Giants’ barge reached The Narrows.

We farewelled Fay’s descendants and my daughter Sophie, then drove to Fremantle for a swim and coffee. As we crossed the old Freo bridge I happened to glance left. More magic… a giant-sized barge was docking at East Street Jetty and sitting proudly on top were the Giants, watching a flotilla of small craft and well-wishers sailing beside them.

The odds of crossing the bridge at that exact time and glancing left must surely be slim. We made a quick turn, stopped and had a perfect final view of the Little Girl and her Diver uncle. I love synchronicity and there have been many ‘spooky moments’ during the ten years since I first read about Fay signalling to the departing troops. The ‘luck’ of seeing the Little Girl Giant one last time, reminds me of Roald Dahl‘s words: “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

It was an inspiring and overwhelming weekend. A time of chatting with strangers in the street, of celebrating special moments with loved ones from nearby and from afar. A time of a big, brash city sharing a sense of community. The Giants touched the hearts of people of all ages. Thank you to the sponsors and organisers. I was honoured to be part of it.

‘Two Giants’ by Eden May.

Inspiring Giants – a tender meeting and ‘that moment’

The best Arts events inspire controversy . But who would have thought in this age of religious tension, detention and blue ties that a little girl’s toilet break could inspire impassioned letters to the editor? It seems that public urination is a hot topic not just in Paris and Perth but also in Oklahoma . And my parents and husband were close enough to almost feel the splash! They’d perched at a table with a reserved sign amidst people they discovered were from Down South, but the table was actually reserved for Jean-Luc. By the time Karen and I arrived, the controversial moment was over, the asphalt was drying and everyone was enjoying a second drink…

The meeting of The Diver and the Little Girl a few hours later occurred against the impressive backdrop of The Swan River and included Noongar smoke cleansing for purity and cleansing and face painting.

The respectful ceremony was followed by the Little Girl Giant’s joyful airborne dance. This was a highlight of the weekend. I have a beautiful clip of the dance, but I’m still trying to work out how to load it (!) In the meantime, here are some other evocative images:

After the reunion, the Giants settled down for the night. The record player came out again and soon the Little Girl and her uncle were snoring. At last the hardworking and probably very hot Lilliputians were able to loosen their coats and relax before the final day…

Inspiring Giants – Day Two

Day Two, Saturday: Mum and Lionel were up early to reclaim their bench.

Meanwhile the rest of the family went to watch The Diver wake up. While waiting near the overpass we noticed people in the multi-storey carpark. We joined them and had a brilliant view of The Diver’s leap, accompanied by a stirring James Bond soundtrack.

The Diver even peered at us as he passed.

We gave him a wave, then raced through the crowd trying to get ahead of the parade so we could take up the amazing offer of being in ‘The Bubble’; a taped off area walking through the street just ahead of Diver. What a great opportunity. We took so many photos…

We followed The Diver to the park where he had his afternoon nap. The Lilliputians helped Diver remove his helmet then wheeled out a record player and put on a record to help him sleep. At least half the audience had no idea what the strange scratchy pre-disk music was. More ancient magic.

I loved the way both Giants snored.

We also needed a rest. By late afternoon everyone was ready to continue the journey. The Diver travelled through the city towards Langley Place.

Meanwhile the Little Girl Giant was looking for her uncle, The Diver. Where was he….

One of the things I loved most on Saturday was seeing people crowding city balconies and workers rushing from Royal Perth Hospital in their scrubs to catch a glimpse of The Giants. Babies in the crowd waved to them and even the blokes controlling the crowds felt the magic.

And then when the Giants found each other, things became even more special…

Inspiring Giants – Day One

Watching Royal de Luxe’s Giants walk through Perth was unforgettable especially with the knowledge that Lighthouse Girl provided inspiration for the Little Girl Giant’s story. It’s taken a week to catch my breath and sort through dozens of wonderful Giant photos, many taken by my photographer sister, Karen Davidson. Like many others, I followed the Little Girl Giant and The Diver through the streets of Perth for three days. Here is Day One…

After flying to Perth on Thursday I was met by my parents who’d driven across the Nullarbor from Albury. My sister and daughter also flew in to join the fun. For three days we became Giant Groupies. Our first sighting was Thursday evening when Karen and I saw Jean-Luc and his team making preparations at Langley Park. We stopped for a quick chat.

Friday: Mum and Lionel found the perfect bench outside their hotel.

Once they were settled Karen and I hotfooted to Langley Park to see the Little Giant wake up, have a shower and begin her search for The Diver. People of all ages were in the crowd. This sense of community and excitement is what I’ll remember most about the weekend.

The Little Girl Giant made her way through the city towards Wellington Square where hundreds of excited school children were waiting for her to arrive. Amongst the crowd were students from Kingsway Christian College. Their teacher Jo Pulsford is one of those unsung heroes who do everything they can to foster a love of literacy in children. Jo had arranged an interview with me, her students and The West Australian before a school visit the following week. We watched the Little Giant read a book made by children from WA schools before her afternoon nap.

When I went to buy a t-shirt from the merchandise tent I found that books had already sold out. More arrived later.

While the Little Giant slept, Karen and I walked into the city to look for The Diver. He was asleep near the train station and Lilliputian helpers were hosing his Dive suit to keep him cool. We were able to stand next to The Diver Giant and peer into his helmet. The features of his face were so real.

Somehow The Diver’s character has infused the wood. It reminds me of the way a violin develops a unique voice. When it’s played frequently and well, its sound becomes richer. The violin is wood, yet finds its own unique voice. The giants share this magic. Each has its own character. Stories are the same. For Don Watson and his family, Fay Catherine Howe is remembered as a mother and grandmother. For me, Fay has come alive in my imagination, a similar but separate person. I will always see her as a young woman standing on windy Breaksea Island waving to departing troopships.

Stay tuned for Saturday…

Don, son of Fay and his lovely wife Peg

For readers wanting to know more about the real Fay Catherine Howe, you might be interested in the article on page 14 of today’s West Australian newspaper. Don Watson, the son of Lighthouse Girl, Fay tells about his mother’s childhood; how waves would sometimes break over the lighthouse and how Fay would go out with a rifle to shoot mutton birds when the monthly supply boat was unable to get out to the island.

The article also features a photo of Don with his wife, Peg with some of the hundreds of scarlet poppies which Peg has crocheted to bind into a wreath for the Little Girl Giant. The links to Fay and the final moment when The Giants sail into the Swan River will be unforgettable for all of us.

The Giants are Coming…

On Friday 13th February The Giants will begin their journey through the streets of Perth. It feels like ages ago that I met Jean-Luc Courcoult and members of Royal de Luxe in a cafe’ in Albany. Thanks to everyone who has helped since then to ensure that these amazing Giants can be here. I’m honoured that Lighthouse Girl has been part inspiration for this exciting event. I’ll be in Perth all weekend watching their progress, so expect plenty of photos soon!

I’ve included an extract from the story, but please click on the link below to read it all.

The Story

One day, one of the community’s children brought her an old book full of drawings. It was dog-eared, crumpled, aged. It told the story of a little girl in a lighthouse full of love and sorrow, who watched soldiers leaving Australia on ships, carrying hope into lost battles. It was 1915 on the beaches of Gallipoli where the sand, reddened by the blood of men, frightened the moon. Through the book, the Little Girl Giant, as she looked at the sky, saw the past, the present and even the future.

Cocos 100 Commemoration of HMAS Sydney and SMS Emden

I was fortunate to attend the 100 year Commemoration of Australia’s first naval victory at the Cocos Islands. There were dignitaries and descendants of both German and Australian sailors. The battle between the Emden and Sydney is featured in my book Light Horse Boy, so this was a special occasion for me to visit the island and find out more. The main commemoration ceremony was marked by the ringing of the new friendship bells on November 9th 2014.

Between events I gave presentations and workshops to students at both Home and West Island campuses of Cocos Islands District High School. The younger children loved Granny Grommet and Me while the older students and I spoke about historical fiction. The students knew so much about their own history and so it was fun to show photos of the ships and Albany events linked to the convoy that passed their islands 100 years ago.

The staff and students of CIDHS were so welcoming, especially English and Library teacher Lee Hegarty, who organised my sessions, hosted me, took me sightseeing in her character-filled car, Roxy and introduced me to her friends and the friendly locals. Cocos is a horseshoe shaped atoll with amazing wildlife. Snorkelling with dolphins in clear turquoise water was wonderful.

The school’s motto ‘Kerja Sama dan Kejayaan’, means cooperation and achievement in Cocos/Malay and you can feel that spirit everywhere in the school. The students gave a respectful re-enactment of the Sydney-Emden battle as part of a Remembrance Day assembly. This was very moving for all who watched, particularly the visiting descendants.

Thank you to the Literature Centre and Coco Islands School for sponsoring this very special visit.

Christmas Island

After the busy Anzac Commemoration weekend in Albany, The Literature Centre had organised for me to visit Cocos Island District School the following weekend to give presentations linked to the 100 year Commemoration of the battle between HMAS Sydney and SMS Emden (more of that and their link to the Anzac convoy in the next post). An exciting outcome for me, was that Christmas Island District School asked me to visit them on the way…

Teacher-Librarian Sharon Francis organised my visit (as well as early morning snorkelling, kayaking and red crab hunting!) and I was touched by the enthusiasm of staff and students who prepared for my visit by reading all my books and creating linked art works to decorate the school. There were posters everywhere.

The students know almost everything there is to know about sea creatures, so Granny Grommet and Me and Scuba Kid were especially popular.

The Pre-Primary class began with a scene from Granny Grommet and created a story of their own – somehow a lot of pirates became involved…

Between sessions I was excited to see the beginning of the red crab season (and the teachers shared another crustacean for morning tea). Thank you to The Literature Centre for organising my visit and to Principal, Ian Francis and his lovely staff for making me feel so welcome. I had a wonderful time at Christmas Island District High School.

Albany Anzac Weekend # 3

As part of the Anzac Albany Commemorations, Paperbark Merchants hired the Albany Entertainment Centre to hold an In Conversation event with songwriter, Ted Egan and authors; Ross Coulthart, Roland Perry, Peter Fitzsimons and myself. ABC’s Gillian O’Shaughnessy was the facilitator.

We had an almost full-house. A lively discussion covered topics as diverse as animals at war, the legacy of Monash, WW1 battles and then Ted inspired us all with his evocative songs. I enjoyed getting to know these writers who, like me, are drawn to conflict as a theme in their writing. Our books are all very different and yet we had much in common. And, in regards to the photo above, I would like to point out that my165 cm height is the average for Australian women.

Maybe they were standing on something…

Light Horse Boy sketches by Dardanup Primary students

Dardanup Primary students have been doing beautiful charcoal sketches of scenes from Light Horse Boy.

Mt Barker students learn about Light Horse Boy

The students at Mt Barker Community College have been doing amazing extension activities around Light Horse Boy.

Ms Klinac’s and Mrs Macmahon’s students are researching WW1 and creating beautiful charcoal sketchwork, Morse Code messages, military dioramas and much more.

Here’s a sneek peek of some of their creative work…

Geraldton Big Sky Writers Festival

A week or so late but I wanted to write a post about this wonderful writers festival in Geraldton. Big Sky is an intimate festival with an eclectic mix of presenters across genres. For anyone who remembers the early days of Albany’s SPRUNG Festival it’s like that – just warmer!

Here’s a link to the 2013 programme. A challenge at festivals is choosing which sessions to attend, but it’s a nice problem when there are good choices.

I couldn’t get to Deb Burrows; both her sessions clashed with my own presentations but it was lovely chatting to her between events and wonderful to get to know Ailsa Piper, Toni Jordan and writingWA Board Director Rosemary Sayer. How can you not like someone who hugs this well?

My panel session with Toni Jordan and Ian Reid covered a mix of topics with Geraldine Mellet doing a great job as Chair. Nice when festival organisers include children’s authors on panels… Brenton McKenna’s graphic novel workshop was another highlight and I loved playing in the sand pit with young readers on Saturday. What a fun way to celebrate Granny Grommet and Me. There were so many other thought-provoking sessions and did I mention the food, often accompanied by the amazing Mitch Becker on guitar. I came home with a suitcase bulging with books. Thank you Susan and team. You totally spoiled us.

Authors on Abrolhos before Big Sky Writers Festival

Authors fly to Abrolhos Islands

Semaphore and Reading Theatre fun at Iona College during Bookweek

Pre-Bookweek fun at Parklands Primary

Parklands Primary love books and reading! Here are Year 4 students; Azya and Phoenix showing fabulous artwork from their Year 2 Lighthouse Girl project with their teacher, Margaret Sefton. They researched lighthouses around the world, wrote imaginative stories and much more…

Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore

Meg McKinlay launching Light Horse Boy at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore 2013.
lighthorse-boy-AFCC-launch