Summer 2009
Gigs
In November, I was invited to read my poems from the recent Fellowship of Australian Writers (Tas) anthology, A Net of Hands, Ed. Megan Schaffner at Vaucluse Gardens retirement village.
In December I read at the Tasmanian Writer's Centre's end of year get-together at The Lark Distillery in Hobart and at third promotion of A Net of Hands at the Magnolia Cafe in Macquarie St, South Hobart.
Spring 2009
Launch of A Reckless Descent from Eternity
Publication in Island magazine
Children's Book Week activities
A Net of Hands poetry anthology
Launch of A Reckless Descent from Eternity
My first full-length poetry collection, A Reckless Descent from Eternity, has just been published by Ginninderra Press, Port Adelaide. This collection will be launched by Kathryn Lomer at Hobart Bookshop, 22 Salamanca Square, Hobart, at 5.30pm, 19 November. All welcome to attend.
Kathryn Lomer writes of A Reckless Descent from Eternity,
'What is impressive is the ambit of this collection, the way Morgan explores with equal authority he natural world, history, mythology, the vagaries of humankind, and grief. A finely-tuned intelligence shines through these poems, which are lexically rich and jam-packed with precise imagery. Her poems marry the down-to-earth to the numinous; they make evident the breadth of Morgan's engagement with life and with language, and her passion for fusing the two.'
Publication in Island magazine
A section of my PhD novel, The Headless Angel of Chance, has been published in the spring edition of the literary journal, Island. Entitled 'Aurora', this story was one of the prizewinners in the latest Wildcare Tasmania nature writing award.
I am currently rewriting the novel for submission to publishers later this year.
Children's Book Week activiities
Captain Clawbeak and went on a rollicking safari during the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book Week. The old cracker and I visited the following schools in southern Tasmania,
Bothwell District High School
Goodwood Primary School
Brighton Primary School
Campbell St Primary School.
Thanks to students and teachers for your eager participation, and for making my visits so enjoyable.
A Net of Hands
The Fellowship of Australian Writers Tasmania, has produced an outstanding poetry anthology in A Net of Hands. Edited by Megan Schaffner, this collection contains some outstanding work from many of Tasmania's leading poets, and shows the depth of emerging talent in Tasmania. I am delighted to have had three poems published in A Net of Hands, 'Bellerive's Old Fort', 'Cascades in a War Threat' and 'Through Paradise, running on empty'.
Winter 2009
A hectic winter so far. Between 5 June until 3 July I resided in 'The Burrow' on Osmond Terrace, Norwood, courtesy of the South Australian Branch of the May Gibbs Children's Literature Trust Support Group.
As guest of honour at a lunch at Feathers Hotel on 19 June, I gave a talk, Cooking the Magic Magpie Goose: writing Australian mythologies for children. This talk provoked much discussion amongst the assembled children's writers about the tension between 'people like us' who want to represent Australia as a land occupied for many millennia before the arrival of Britain's tall ships, and the expressed desire of many leading indigenous Australians that we steer clear of writing indigenous characters and indigenous themes.
During my residency, I was delighted to be involved in a Young Author's evening at St Peter's College, Adelaide. Well done to the young South Australian authors and to the SA Writers Centre for organising this impressive event.
I was also pleased to be invited to a meeting of EKINDNAs, the SA network of children's writers, and to the launch of Lorraine Marwood's brilliant and tender new verse novel for children, Star Jumps, published by Walker Books Australia. Lorraine worked on the manuscript on a May Gibbs fellowship in Adelaide a couple of years ago.
I also had a very enjoyable gig with the mini pirates at St John the Baptist's Primary School, Plympton. Thanks for the opportunity to introduce Clawbeak to your class, Harry! And to the teachers and parents for joining in the fun.
I was also able to visit Stephen Matthews of Ginninderra Press, Port Adelaide. Stephen will publish my first full-length poetry collection, A Reckless Descent from Eternity in October this year.
While at the May Gibbs residency, I worked on a draft of my Arts Tas-funded junior novel, Under the Double Rainbow, and completed a 5,500 word children's story for my new Sassie Ragwort series. All in all, it was a very productive residency.
A highlight of my visit was a trip to Warrawong nature sanctuary in the Adelaide hills accompanied by my fellow highly commended writer in the 2009 Wildcare Tasmania nature writing awards, Elizabeth Hutchins.
My heartfelt thanks to Nan Halliday, Jo and Richard Vabolis, Elizabeth Hutchins, Ian and Mary Wilson.
I'm presently enjoying a tropical holiday in Cairns. My condolences to fellow Tasmanians.
I'll be home on 22 July. Then it will be back to work, completing the rewrite on my novel, The Headless Angel of Chance, editing proofs of my poetry collection and preparing a paper for the National conference of the Oral History Association of Australia conference in September. I also hope to complete my junior novel, Under the Double Rainbow by the end of the year.
Summer and Autumn 2009
I've recently returned to Hobart after graduating with a PhD in Writing from Edith Cowan University AND, to my surprise, receiving the Faculty of Eduation and the Arts research medal for an outstanding thesis.
I also received a highly commended award in the international 2009 WILDCARE Tasmania Nature Writing Award, as well as a highly commended in the FAW Victoria's Di Cranston and White Light Awards for Cockroaches 'R' Us, a script for a children's feature film.
With the help of children from New Town Primary School, I am now busy judging the national FAW Nairda Lyne award for a story suitable for children aged 8-12.
Spring 2008
Well, the best news in a long time is that I have finally passed my PhD 'O frajous day, calloo, callay, she chortled in her joy' (misquoted from Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky).
And last night I went to hear four very eloquent Young Adult authors, James Roy, Penni Russon, Kirsty Murray and Lili Wilkinson speaking at the Rosny Library. They were representing the Melbourne-based Centre for Youth Literature, which promotes literature for young people aged around 10-18 http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/about/centreforyouthliterature/youthlit.html. You can also check out their marvellous 'inside a dog' website: http://www.insideadog.com.au.
'Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog it's too dark to read' (Groucho Marx).
Winter 2008
In May I picked up a 3 day a week job working on the Australianplays website, which will sell Australian play scripts to the world. I'm working from the Australian Script Centre in the Salamanca Arts Centre Hobart.
Clawbeak only went out of winter hibernation once for a school visit: this was Ms Carol Bristow's grade 4 at New Town Primary School. Clawbeak and I had a cracker of a time, and the kids seemed to enjoy it as well.
Autumn 2008
Happy birthday to Clawbeak fan, Bella Zetlin-Swires, (Friday 23 May) from me and the old cracker.
And congratulations to my friend, Kathryn Lomer, for winning the NSW Premier's Award with her second poetry collection, Two Kinds of Silence.
I returned to Hobart in March for my father, Joe Morgan's 89th birthday. Sadly Dad died on 17 April. He's sorely missed by Claire (my mum), and his tribe of chidren, grandchildren and in-laws.
I'm settling back into Tassie after nearly four years in WA, living part-time at my beach house in Little Swanport and part-time in Hobart. At times I feel like a stranger in my home state. The good thing about that is that I am seeing the natural beauties of this island afresh. I'm also enjoying catching up with friends I'd left behind. Hopefully iI'll be back in WA for a visit in late September.
I'm about to start a new job as project officer for the Australian Script Centre and look forward to the challenge of showcasing Australian playscripts to the world.
This summer
The old cracker and I have four gigs lined up over summer. Well be going to Tassie just before Christmas and spending a month there before returning to WA on 22 Jan.
At the moment it looks as if we'll be doing storytelling sessions at the Orford Library on 15 January and the Hobart Library on 16th January.
Then we'll be back in WA for the Premier's Reading Challenge.
Check out this wonderful site and, if you're in primary school, take part in the challenge!
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/events/readingchallenge/
We'll be at :
Library: Fremantle Library Town Hall Cnt, 8 William St, Fremantle
Date: Wednesday 23rd January
Time: 2 - 3pm
Book: Captain Clawbeak and the Ghostly Galleon
and
Book: Captain Clawbeak and the Ghostly Galleon
Kensington Primary
13 December 2008
Yesterday Clawbeak and I met two shiploads of very enthusiastic grades 3 pirates at Kennsington Primary School. We enjoyed dancing the Pirates Hornpipe and performing 'the Tale of the Nancy Lee'. The kids then showed me the game 'Captain's Coming'.
Poetry at All Saints College
15 November 2007: today, in the company of some great WA poets and rappers, I visited All Saints College at Bull Creek, WA. This gig was an initiative of WritingWA's great Poets in Schools and Libraries project.
This was the second time I have been invited to All Saints, for Clawbeak and I were guests at the spectacular All Saints Literary festival earlier this year .
I had to leave the old cracker at home today because Ihe can be so embarrassing. Clawbeak learned to recite poetry aboard pirate ships you see and, well, pirate poetry isn't to be repeated in polite company.
The Grade 5s and I talked about the elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water and we read some poems that portrayed these elements. The kids then decided whether they were Earth, Air, Fire or Water people. They selected pieces of coloured paper that reflected the mood of their poems and wrote their own poems. Once they had read their poem aloud, they blue-tacked it to the whiteboard, so that we had an earth, air, fire and water patchwork.
We finished with a discussion and reading of nonsense poetry, and I hope the kids will now come up with some great nonsense verse of their own. Who knows? Maybe some of their nonsense words will pass ,like 'chortle' and 'galumph', into the English language.
Belmont Library
Clawbeak and I will be reading and talking to children aged 6-12 at the Belmont Library from 9.45 - 10.45 on Saturday 20 October. We might even be doing the Pirates' Hornpipe indeed, wiv any luck!
Then in the afternoon from 1-3, we'll be on a panel at the Alexander Library from the Spring Poetry Festival, talking about the business of poetry, and what poets have in common with pirates.
http://www.thewordisout.net.au/
Miranda's birthday
Yesterday was the nineteenth birthday of my beautiful daughter, Miranda, who died last year in a car accident in October last year. I have created a Miranda Memorial in cyberspace, for anyone who would like to add their thoughts and memories of this wonderful girl.
Spring Poetry Festival
I'll be on a panel with Samuel Wagan Watson, Nandi Chinna and Shane McCauley, and we'll be discussing 'The Business of Poetry'.
Business, what business? Dammed rotten pay an' conditions, no sickleave, super or holiday pay, no workers' compensation - just like pirates. So why why are pirates pirates? Because they Arrrgh! And why are poets poets? Because they Ahhhh!
Chaired by Vivienne Glance,
1-3 pm, Sat 20 October, Great Southern Room, 4th floor, Alexander Library, Perth.
Lunchlines 5 October 2007
Clawbeak's very proud of himself because on Friday 5 October 2007, he'll be the first pirate bird ever to go to university, even if it is just for a day. So lock up your lunchboxes, Clawbeak's coming to Lunchlines!
Anne and Clawbeak will be giving a talk and squark, followed by Bronwyne Thomason, at the Mt Lawley campus of Edith Cowan University:
12.30 pm, rm 123, building 17.
Writers on the Road
Anne and Clawbeak have now returned after having a wonderful time on the road meeting the children and teachers of Beverley, Quairading, Bruce Rock, Narambeen and Corrigin schools.
Writers on the Road wassponsored by Healthway (Go for 2 and 5) and Country Arts WA.
Captain Clawbeak and the Red Herring is an Excellent Book!
Captain Clawbeak and the Red Herring has made the School Magazine's "Bookshelf" 40 Excellent Books list for 2007. It is third on the list in the Blast Off category which has a reading interest age of 9–10 years. Read more...
WOW!
On Monday 3 September, I was one of the poets who read at Walking on Water (WOW) to celebrate National Poetry Week.
WOW happens on the first Monday of every month, first floor, The Laneway, off Murray St, Perth City. Cost $3 unwaged, $5 unwaged, coffee and biscuits provided.
BOOKWEEK 2007
As guests of the Kwinana Library on Monday 20 August , Anne and Clawbeak visited Medina, Bertram, St Vincent's and North Parmelia primary schools.
We stayed that night at Safety Bay with friend, Fran Graham, and the next morning we dropped in to visit Rockingham Beach Primary, where Fran's grandson, Tom, goes to school.
Tom welcomed us to his school in full pirate gear.
Thanks for organising our visit, Tom.
On Thursay 23 August, Clawbeak and I were guests of another friend, this time, Mrs Kate Byrne, who invited us to spend a day at Queens Park Primary School. Clawbeak had so much fun that day, you'd think he'd crash landed in a bucket of Pirates Treasure birdseed.
Captain Clawbeak and the Red Herring is now a talking book!
Produced by Bolinda Audio, Stephen Phillips is the narrator. And there are more Clawbeak talking books to come!!! Read more...
Launch of Captain Clawbeak and the Ghostly Galleon
We launched Captain Clawbeak and the Ghostly Galleon at the HeARTlines festival of children’s book illustration and writing at the Mundaring Arts Centre, WA, on 11 June 2007, ably assisted by some ferocious young pirates from Mrs Jenny Webster’s class at Gidgegannup School.
The Gidgie pirates provided a wonderful show and tell about how they had used the Clawbeak books in their classroom and performed the song, The Wreck of the Nancy Lee.
Heavily disguised as the Flying Dutchman, WA children’s author, Mike Lefroy had us all screaming with his dramatic entrance. He then made the astonishing claim that his name was not Captain Van Den Decker but Captain Van Den Docker, and pulled a Fremantle Dockers’ scarf from a bag and wrapped it around his neck. He then launched a model ghostly galleon made by the Gidgie pirates, into a tub of water.
Anne’s mother, Claire Morgan, made a trip from Tasmania especially for the launch, and enjoyed the occasion immensely, and even managed to catch up with her WA relatives, Ron, Kath and Susan Travers at the launch. Thanks also to Louise Schofield, curator of HeARTlines, Jenny Webster from Gidgegannup School, to the Gidgie pirates and their parents, to Jenny Haines and Clare Stroud from the Mundaring Arts Centre, to Random House Australia and Bolinda Audio, and to everyone else who made the launch of the Ghostly Galleon an unforgettable occasion.