Anzac Day

It's become a family tradition for us to spend Anzac Day at the MCG with dear friends. As much as I love the game,  the most important part of the day for me is the pre-match ceremony. The servicemen and women's lap of honour, the last post and minute's silence are truly moving. There is nothing like a capacity MCG crowd standing in silence, nor the roar that fills the ground after the national anthem.
I'm fortunate to have been to about 20 grand finals, but nothing, not even a Collingwood win (well...) compares to the atmosphere at the G on Anzac Day.
Before the game, as the servicemen and women past our seats, my 20-year-old friend turned to me and said, 'I just can't imagine what they have been through.'
The respect and admiration woven through each word is what Anzac Day is all about.
And a Collingwood win ;)
 

My Writing Space

 This week I've ventured across to the lovely Gabrielle Wang's website to talk about my writing space.

http://www.gabriellewang.com/archives/how-writers-work-sue-lawson-guest-post/#more-3993

Gut instinct...

I'm ensconced in my office writing, sunshine pouring through the window. Ideal, right? Not quite. Above me three workman clunk and hammer on the roof rectifying a very, very ordinary job that was done a few years ago.

The original repair guy made me VERY uneasy, but rather than act on my gut instinct, I let it slide.
Why don't we pay more attention to those feelings of unease?
Each hammer and clunk reminds me I need to trust my instincts more.

Anzac Day - a card regarding Finding Darcy...

Last week a letter, re-addressed by my publishers, Black Dog Books, arrived containing a card from a lady who'd recently read Finding Darcy.
(Finding Darcy is based on a real incident, the sinking of Japanese Prisoner of War ship, the Montevideo Maru . My grandfather, Bill McLennan is listed as one of the 1056 Australians who died. The loss of the Montevideo Maru is Australia's greatest maritime disaster.)
The card, which brought tears to my eyes, started with the line 'Thank you for writing my family story...' and was written by the daughter of  another soldier listed as being on the Montevideo Maru. She outlined her family's pain and distress and how her father's death had a continuing profound effect on them, just as it had on my family and so many others.
When I wrote Finding Darcy, I was acutely aware of the need to honour these men and their families, while also recognising the pain and the impact of silence and secrets.
 I'm grateful to Helen for taking to the time to write to me, and so humbled as it seems I've been able to tell an important, painful incident in a way that is true to the men and the families. Someone who lived the story like Helen would spot a fake! Like my mum who was three when Bill died, Helen was 4 when her father died. My grandfather Bill and Helen's father were both in C Company. I wonder if they knew each other?

My grandparents and my mother, Trawool Camp. 1941

A favourite...

A recent visit from my niece and nephew had me rummaging through my 17 year-old's bulging bookshelf for a book to read to them. Wedged between Alison Lester and Mem Fox was The Grumpalump.
The sight of it filled me with memories.
Before  my daughter started school, this was her favourite book. She insisted we read and read and re-read it night after night, to the point my husband I could, and probably still can, recite it. Even now we use  'the bear stared' ( a repeated line throughout the story) as part of our family's vocabulary.
 So it was like visiting an old friend when I read it to my niece and nephew. I  was thrilled to discover I still loved reading it as much as I did all those years ago, and even better, the kids enjoyed it too.

A few days later, I saw a quiz or question, possibly on Facebook - 'What is your favourite book to read aloud?'
For me, it's The Grumpalump, hands down. ...And the gnu flew...
What is your favourite book to read aloud?

Congratulations - better late than never!

Apparently I missed two huge pieces of news... so prepare for the trumpet blast...

A huge congratulations to fellow Black Dog Book authors Carole Wilkinson and Ananda Braxton-Smith.

Carole's fantastic Sugar Sugar has been listed as a 2011 White Raven and Ananda Braxton-Smith's superb book, Merrow is on the Arealias Awards shortlist. 

Way to go Carole, Ananda and Black Dog team.

If you haven't read either book yet...what are you waiting for??