Katapult - Edition 11 - March, 2019

Welcome to Katapult!

Are you surprised to see me in March? Me too. I thought I’d jump in early this month and give you a quick update because lots of things are happening behind the scenes and I’ll lose track otherwise.

Are you strapped in? Good. Let’s go …

What's Up?

1) Up To Something Update:

Kirrili and I are planning our launch as you read this. Here’s the flyer:

You're the first to see this. It will be appearing on our social media next week. I didn’t share it this week as I started adverting my other book launch and I didn’t want to confuse people. Gosh, I’m confused enough for all of us – two launches just over a week apart - no need to share that confusion with you but I’m battling at this end J

This is a free event as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival Family Takeover Event so everyone is welcome. Here’s a link to the entire Family Takeover schedule.

I’ll let you know as soon as I have a hard copy of this book in my hands. Should be very soon. Book trailer is coming too (I’m still building it actually). World exclusive premier will be at the launch.

2) No Baths Week Update:

The launch-planning is underway. Newcastle Region Library, The Polite Puppy Academy and I have teamed up to present a community dog picnic where anyone and everyone can come together to celebrate reading with our pets. During the picnic, I’ll be launching No Baths Week, doing storytime and signing books. Thanks to Newcastle Region Libraries for designing this very official poster. I believe there are bookmarks too.

To support this community dog picnic, there will be a range of local business and organisations offering a huge range of fun activities. They include:

Newcastle Region Library - craft

The Polite Puppy Academy – paw printing and photography

The council rangers – information about ways you and your dog can have fun and be safe in and around Newcastle

A dog bakery – yum!

A dog wash – bathtime!

A coffee cart – essential, I know!

MacLean’s Booksellers, Hamilton – books will be on sale

And much more! (We're still planning these - more announcements coming.)

We’ll be hosting dog competitions at regular intervals with prizes to be won.

I will also be launching ‘The RUFF Challenge’ (Reading in Unlimited Fun for the whole Family – including pets). I have started a Facebook page where people can get ideas about how pets can assist with building reading confidence. The whole family can get on board and no specialised dog training is needed. 

I’m also running ‘The RUFF Challenge’ Instagram photo competition. Please enter and help me promote reading in an exciting new way. Winners will be announced at the launch. Here are the details:

3) SCBWI Conference (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators):

Wow – what a conference! I spent three days chatting, meeting new people, absorbing information, buying books (see below) and enjoying time mingling with everyone and anyone associated with the children’s literature community. I had manuscript assessments, chaired a panel of publishers, and listened to wonderful advice about all sorts of things. 

My picture book based on Ivy was very well received during assessment too. Can’t say much more at the moment but a rewrite is underway as I have some interest, which is great news J

I chaired a panel of publishers on the topic, Let's Talk Vision! Are your story elements all working together?. I had great feedback from those who listened so hopefully everyone got to take home some advice relevant to them as I had a mixture of very experienced and beginning authors in the room.

I also had the honour of reading No Baths Week for the first time in public to an audience of librarians at the State Library of NSW. That was very nerve-wracking as this was like receiving the first book review - but live!

During the evening of the third day, I attended the CBCA NSW Branch Night of the Notables announcement. Matt Cosgrove (Macca the Alpaca author and illustrator) was a very entertaining speaker. Congratulations to everyone on this CBCA Book Week Awards longlist known as the 'notables'. The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday, 26^thMarch.

4) Website Upgrade:

My website has had a major upgrade. It has a new appearance, new pages (one for each book) and new links to fresh resources. I still need to add teaching notes and trailers for the new books but everything else is ready to go. Take a peek here.

Thanks to Alison Matthews who spent hours doing this massive task ready for my new books to jump into the word in a few weeks.

5) Puppy Update:

My beautiful Ivy turned one on the 28th February. Her chewing has progressed to digging! Grrr ...

 Upcoming Events

Grey-glasses-itis (by Lynn Jenkins and Kirrili Lonergan) Book Launch – 16^thMarch

CBCA NSW Branch Newcastle Sub-branch meeting – 20^thMarch

CBC CBCA NSW AAA event – 26^thMarch

Newcastle Writers Festival - presenting two writing workshops – 5^thApril

Up To Something Book Launch – 7^thApril

Newcastle Writers Festival Family Takeover Event – 7^thMarch

CBCA NSW High Tea with the Stars event – 13^thApril

No Baths Week book launch and dog picnic in Lambton Park - bring your dog! – 16^thApril

Gresford Billy Cart Derby - presenting storytime – 20^thApril

Crown St PS Lights Off Torches On event – 17^thMay

Kitlitvic Conference – Melbourne – 25^thMay

CBCA National Conference – 31 May – 2 June

CYA Conference - presenting a 90-minute workshop on how to write picture books – 6 July

More events to be confirmed ...

Publishing Update

I have two more picture books coming in 2020. This year my publishers will be working with the illustrators to storyboard these books – my story is broken into 32 pages – and then the entire story is illustrated. Towards the end of the year, I get to jump back in and make sure the text is still working and see if any more edits need to be made. 

Chasing Rainbows will be illustrated by Cheri Hughes and published by Big Sky Publishing (same illustrator and publisher as No Baths Week). Sketches will start to pop in my inbox around May. I’m looking forward to seeing those.

Isla’s Family Tree will be illustrated by Prue Pittock and published by EK Books (same publisher as Dandelions and Up To Something). I look forward to working with Prue – we haven’t even met yet! I have seen a few early sketches and I’m an extremely happy and grateful author. This book will look very different to the other four and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Recent Book Purchases:

It's extremely hard not to buy books when you're at a children's literature conference (which is where I bought this pile). I thought I was very restrained. I personally know either the author, illustrator or both here so I'm not going to pick a favourite :)

  

Where can you find me on social media?

I’ve made it easy. Just click on the live links below to like or follow me.

Website

Blog 

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

My YouTube channel

Feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email: author@katrinamckelvey.com

I’d love to hear from you!

I can't promise I'll be back on my blog in April. I’ll be flat out. But come visit me in my social media spaces as things appear there more regularly.

As a reward for reading to the end of this blog, here's a peek inside No Baths Week. Meet Ben and Bandit.

And here's the latest destruction thanks to Ivy - sorry Sue Whiting :)

Either, I have a dog who can read and she didn't like chapters 14-17.

Or I have a very naughty dog!

Book Launch, SCBWI Event and the Williamtown Child Care Centre Open Day

Gosh, is this really my first blog post for 2017? I can't believe how time flies. March already!

So much has been happening at my end that I've neglected my blog. Let's catch you up.

Book Launch

Firstly, Lara and I went to the launch of Deb Kelly's new book, 'Ruby Wishfingers: Hide-and-Seek', the third in the Ruby Wishfingers series in January. Deb's launch attracted lots of Ruby fans to this Newcastle Library event. Deb read from Book 1 so not to give too much of the third book away. Then the kids enjoyed yummy treats and craft activities. Congratulations, Deb!

SCBWI Event 

(Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)

I attended 'The Art of Picture Books' event at The Hughenden, in Sydney in January. We had the privilege of meeting and listening to Scholiastic publisher, Clare Hallifax and illustrator, Nina Rycroft. What an inspirational pair of ladies!

I was very lucky to secure a manuscript assessment with Clare as part of this event. She offered great advice and feedback on one of my favourite stories. Watch this space.

Photo of my friend, Carly and I

Williamtown Child Care Centre Open Day

Kirrili Lonergan and I spent a very hot Saturday (I think is was nearly 45 degrees) in February helping the Williamtown Child Care Centre launch it's new location off the RAAF base and into Raymond Terrace. We had lots of fun entertaining children, reading stories and drawing.

  

Phew! More updates coming. I'm renovating at the moment so things are a little chaotic here. Hope your 2017 started well.

SCBWI Conference, 2016

What a time was had by all participants of the SCBWI Conference over the last two days!

Roving Reporters have captured every session across the 2-day conference and will upload their reports over the next few days so I will not give loads of details here. You can find the official SCBWI Conference blog here. And the first report is about the EK Books panel featuring Anouska Jones, Kirrili Lonergan, Gwynneth Jones and Belinda Landsberry, chaired by me.

I also took photos of almost all sessions and posted them on Twitter. 

Feel free to use the hashtag #scbwisyd to find out all the gossip, or visit my twitter feed.

This was my first SCBWI Conference and lucky me got to chair the first panel of the first day of the first conference I attended. Talk about pressure!

This was the second time I had chaired a panel and I had so much fun. But I have to admit I had a flurry of butterflies hiding in my tummy, arms, legs, and ear lobes beforehand. Once the conversation started, they fluttered away thank goodness.

I loved being able to help highlight the recent achievements of EK Books while sharing my personal journey with them. I didn't mind throwing in a few jokes here and there either.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to chair. To continue to develop my chairing skills is a personal goal for me. I would love to chair many more festival and conference panels in the future.

Our EK Books panel about to start
Photo: Penny Morrison

EK Books panel in action
Photo: Georgie Donaghey (Creative Kids Tales)

Anouska, Belinda, Kirrili, Katrina, Gwynne
Photo: Lynn Jenkins

A conference is always so much better when experienced with friends. Thanks Kirrili, Lynn, Gwynne, Jenni, Liz, Anouska, and all my extended literary family members who helped make this conference a roaring success. My literary family expands across Australia now and an event like this just reminds me of how lucky I am to be part of such a warm, supportive and caring community.

Jenni, Katrina, Lynn, Kirrili, Gwynne

We missed our local and interstate friends who could not be with us this time, but we can't wait to cross over with you soon. You just never know when or where.

Good luck to everyone with future submissions and book deals.
It's conferences like these that give hope and inspiration to everyone.

Thanks to the SCBWI committee (Susanne, Deb, Sarah and Marjorie) and the extended team (it is huge!) for all the hard work to bring such a magnificent experience to so many people. The educational benefits are priceless and the social benefits are forever remembered in our hearts.

See you at the next SCBWI Conference in 2018!