Read Alert

This Saturday in Melbourne sees the inaugural Thousand Words Festival of Children’s Stories.

In addition to a galaxy of authors including Martine Murray, Sally Rippin, Tony Wilson and CYL’s Lili Wilkinson on YA fantasy, you can also polish up your go-go moves!

Anna’s Go-Go Academy will be providing a free half-hour class to work on your watusi, your mashed potato and your stroll. So handy for the festive season! This is surely a first for a literary event and one the CYL would thoroughly endorses.

A Thousand Words is at the Abbotsford Convent, Abbotsford from 10am.

More information and bookings at the festival website.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

(and make sure you get all Creative Reading Prize entries in by the end of tomorrow)

My wife recently brought home this graphic novel, found in the travel section of a local bookshop.

French Milk is the story of a young twenty-something comic book artist and her mother on vacation in Paris. Yes, it’s a catalogue of all the cool things Paris has to offer, but also a cool and charming graphic novel in itself. The first-person diary format is ideally suited to the story it tells.  Knisley, a graduate of the Art Instute of Chicago and now at the Centre for Cartoon Studies, uses photographs to support her page-a-day illustrations as she gets to grips with her new surroundings and reflects on the world she has put on hold.

Enough to make you think about holidays, too, non?

Before the Bookgig today with Tristan Bancks, I was talking to Kathy from Readings about funny books. Why is it that some authors, who are massively popular in some territories can’t be given away elsewhere. She highly recommends Nanny Piggins by Australian writer RA Spratt. Kathy says they are for younger readers (middle to upper primary) and very funny indeed. So there is my homework. At this point in the year I could use a laugh or three.

Perhaps I will go back to Philip Ardargh, whose Grubtown Tales has won the Roald Dahl Funny Book Prize. The Bookwitch was there to see it.

Philip Ardagh is an author who remains pretty much under the radar here. His original, somewhat surreal turn of mind won’t appeal to everyone but he is a very astute and polished writer. Damn funny in the flesh too. Think Stephen Fry hiding behind the beard of Edward Lear.

And with that thought, a good weekend to all.Now where is that Nanny Piggins…

Is the e-book market being trashed by greed? As writers and retailers rush for market share are they devaluing their core product?. At present, 44 of the top 50 titles sold via Kindle are free. What is this doing for the perceived value of e-books? Will we really want to pay for e-book content?

See ireadreview blog for an informed look at an emerging issue in e-books.

Juliet O’Conor, the Children’s Literature Collection manager at the State Library of Victoria and auther of the pretty wonderful Bottersnikes and other lost things, is part of a summer school intensive focused on 250 years of illustrated children’s books.

The Changing Image in Children’s Books
A specific literature for children emerged in England in the mid-18th century. This course will trace developments in children’s books in England and Australia from the 18th to the 20th century, with special emphasis on illustration, printing and imaging techniques as well as on the Australian children’s book publishing field. Participants will have hands-on access to rare children’s books from the collections of the University of Melbourne and the State Library of Victoria.
Tutors: Merete Smith, former Curator of Rare Books, Special Collections, University of Melbourne; and Juliet O’Conor, Children’s Research Librarian, State Library of Victoria.

The fee for the course is $750. Full details and booking forms here.

Please join us for the 2009 INKY AWARDS

Featuring:
-author James Roy
-the Gold and Silver Inky winners
-Creative Reading Prize winners
-launch of new teen reading space at SLV
-launch of Keeping Young Australians Reading report
-CAKE!

School groups very welcome.

Thursday 26 November, 11am
Experimeda, State Library of Victoria

Please RSVP to bookings@slv.vic.gov.au or 8664 7555

I can’t name any names, but we currently have a THREE WAY TIE for the Golden Inky! Every vote counts right now, and yours could be the decider! So go and vote now!

In other news, comic books make your kids smarter.

One of the most frequently asked questions recently goes something like this.

“What’s going on the Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas?”

Well, now you can find out by receiving regular email updates.

So now you know.

What is the CBWI, I hear you ask? Find out here.

The truth is, Crocodile Tears, the latest Alex Rider novel, is out later this month. But you can win a copy now over at boys, blokes, books - where Tristan Bancks is in control.