The Sydney Writers’ Festival 2014

My little family went on an amazing adventure to Sydney yesterday for the SWF2014 Family Day.

We started with some cut-out photography fun on our way to Cornelia Funke’s official ‘Family Day’ opening speech.

At story time, I revisited my childhood as I listened to Damon Young read his funny picture book, ‘My Nana is a Ninja’. Deb Kelly was a superstar as she shared ‘Jam for Nana’ and ‘The Bouncing Ball’ with excited festival munchkins. Deb also shared the chair with Gus Gordon, Jane Godwin, Grug, Ursula Dubosarsky and many more.

Following story time, we shared morning tea with some very well-known children’s authors. (Somehow we missed you Jacqueline Harvey – sorry!)

I was a little awestruck listening to Jane Godwin share an exclusive peek of her new picture book illustrated by Anna Walker titled ‘What Do You Wish For?’ due for release Christmas 2015. She promised us we were the first to see her ‘dummy book’.

Ursula Dubosarsky explained how she felt excited to have her picture book, ‘Too Many Elephants in this House’ chosen as the 2014 National Simultaneous Story Time book. On the day, she shared her book with an intimate audience at the State Library.

Funny man Oliver Phommavanh chaired the ‘greatest drawing showdown this side of the harbour’.  Eight children’s illustrators including Gus Gordon, Tony Flowers and the ‘The Bouncing Ball’ illustrator, Georgia Perry entertained us as Oliver picked random topics from the children in the audience. Very funny stuff! (Gus, Tony or Georgia didn’t win)

Tony Flowers drew this wonderful dragon on the footpath outside the ‘Big Top’ as part of his new picture book series, ‘Billy is a Dragon’. The 3D effect this 2D chalk drawing reflected was amazing!

My treasured ones then tried some illustration techniques guided by the very talented Dav Pilkey, creator of the unique children’s character, Captain Underpants. Their attempts were not too bad!

 

To finish off we hung around for Vivid Sydney. Words cannot explain how amazing this is. You must go to Sydney and experience it for yourself. Lights/projections/displays are turned on at 6pm and are turned off at midnight.

The SWF2014 Family Day was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the children’s book industry with my family. It was a very busy program but we all had a great time.