Six Degrees of Separation is a literary meme hosted by Kate from booksaremyfavouriteandbest. Each month, Kate provides a starting book title, and then participants link that to six other books in whatever random way the mind decides to make connections. My links are usually in the form of either reading recommendations or books on my […]
When author Judith Kerr passed away on 22 May 2019, there was an outpouring of accolades, obituaries and memories in print, online and across social media. I confess that while her picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and her semi-autobiographical novel, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, were vaguely familiar to me, I’d never […]
I’ve recently been running a series of workshops on writing memoir and family history at the City of Vincent Library and Local History Centre. In our first session, I led participants through a series of activities to help them stare down the blank page and start writing. It was fabulous to see just how many […]
Numerous tributes flowing in for Bob Hawke have recalled his response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. As Prime Minister, he allowed Chinese students to stay in Australia, rather than force them back to suffer the consequences of a Chinese government crackdown. I wonder how many lives Hawke’s decision saved, how many young men and […]
Welcome back to Six Degrees of Separation. In case you’d like to play along, participants start with the same book, as nominated by Kate from booksaremyfavouriteandbest. Link it to six other titles in any random way your brain decides to make connections. I try to link it to books I’ve either read and would recommend, […]
Imagine you’re the new girl in town on your first day of high school. After travelling around Australia for a year, you’re feeling positive about settling in one place and making friends. Imagine your delight when the first girl you meet invites you to sit with her friends at recess. Imagine that by lunchtime, your […]