History
July 27, 2021
I was recently chatting to a teacher whose class is studying Black Snake: The daring of Ned Kelly by Carole Wilkinson. One of the students’ tasks is to write a recount of an event in the book from the perspective of an individual character. Hearing about the class researching Ned Kelly through Carole Wilkinson’s book […]
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November 2, 2020
Have you ever considered how history might be seen through the eyes of children? I’m currently part way through a writing residency at Samson House, a National Trust building in Fremantle. It is fabulous to have time where I have to focus on my writing rather than be sidetracked by the rest of my to-do […]
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August 25, 2020
This year I’ve been teaching creative writing and academic writing at Sheridan College, a small, not-for-profit, tertiary institution in Perth. Recently, I was chatting to my students about COVID-19 and the idea that we are living through an historical time. And I asked them what they would like researchers in the future to know about […]
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July 23, 2019
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 […]
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May 21, 2019
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 […]
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February 19, 2019
Writers in Exile #1: Victor Hugo
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For the past 20 years, my overseas travel has had a distinct cycling flavour, on account of my husband’s Italian heritage, and his obsession with bikes. One day I’ll design a literary tour instead, and visit not only the homes of famous authors, but also the settings of my favourite stories. That trip will have […]
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