Katrina McKelvey's Blog: Newcastle Region Library

Friday, 8 March 2019

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.

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!

Thursday, 5 April 2018

Katapult - Edition 3 - April, 2018

Welcome to Katapult!

Here’s the April edition of my newsletter, Katapult. So what has been happening at my desk since the last time we had a chat? Heaps!

Don’t forget: I’m not apologising for any typos.

What’s Up?

CBCA NSW AGM Guest Speaker: I was very honoured to be the guest speaker at the CBCA NSW AGM on Saturday, 17th March. I may have shown a few sneak peeks of upcoming books but you had to be there to know what they were. All will be revealed in time. I know, it's a slow business :)

I broke my toe! Yes I did - I am a clumsy monkey. It has slowed me down but it’s more of an inconvenience than anything - thank goodness I can still drive! So how did I do it? A mixture of losing my balance and trying not to land head first on sharp-cornered furniture. SNAP! I have a pretty photo of my bone and three hours wasted in ER thanks to my efforts.

I attended the AWC Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 year olds course with Lesley Gibbes. I’ve been thinking about and planning an early chapter book series for a few years now. I keep hearing some of the big publishers are keen for new voices in this area. So after completing Lesley’s course, I now feel I have the tools to seriously jump in. Watch this space!

CBCA NSW AAA Event - Shortlist of Book Week Awards: I boarded a 5:27am train to attend this very exciting event. It was a long day (didn’t get home until 8pm) but it was worth the effort. Not only did we have engaging speakers try to predict which titles would be shortlisted in each of the categories, we heard amazing authors and illustrators talk about their books and how they match the new Geography syllabus. They included Jackie French, Bruce Whatley, Tim Harris and Susanne Gervay.

~ I have some photos but Blogger won't let me load them. Grrr! ~

CBCA NSW Branch Inc Newcastle Meeting: Exhibition - The Art of Anne Spudvilas: Our lastest local CBCA meeting was held at Newcastle Region Library. As part of that meeting, we had a tour of the recently renovated library space as well as a look at the Anne Spudvilas exhibition. This exhibition was breathtaking!

It will be on Monday 26 February to Saturday 14 April so be quick if you want to catch it.

From the Newcastle Region Library website:

25 years of illustration - The art of Anne Spudvilas.

A visually stunning exhibition of illustrations from the multi-award-winning artist and children’s book illustrator Anne Spudvilas. This striking exhibition includes works from picture books by well-known Australian authors such as Isobelle Carmody, Margaret Wild, Bryce Courtney and Gary Crew.

From sketchbooks, dummy books, storyboards and background material viewers will be taken on a creative journey to discover some iconic Australian picture books. The exhibition includes original artworks from award-winning books The Race, Jenny Angel, Woolvs in the Sitee and The Peasant Prince. Beginning with the cover of Isobelle Carmody’s picture book The Gathering, the exhibition includes work from Li Cunxin’s popular story Mao’s Last Dancer in its picture book – The Peasant Prince.

The exhibition provides rich opportunities for students to explore the nature of visual texts and to participate in illustrator workshops.

More information can be found here.

Upcoming Events

1) In a special edition of Katapult next week, I’ll give a run down on how the Newcastle Writers Festival went. It started today with the Cessnock Schools Program. Tomorrow I’ll be at the Newcastle Library helping supervise the Newcastle Schools Program and then I’ll be attending the Jimmy Barnes Opening Night event at Civic Theatre. Over the weekend the main program will be in full swing. And the finale on Sunday will be the free Family Fun Day.

2) I’m looking forward to the upcoming school holidays. I dare say we’ll get up to some literary fun.

3) I have submitted my interview for the Just Write For Kids blog visit. It will be broken into three parts. I think the first part will be released tomorrow. I’ll share the link on my social media platforms.

Publishing Update

We've been working hard on edits for the cover of No Baths Week. It’s not ready to reveal yet but it’s looking great.

Kirrili has started mapping out the spreads for Up To Something and preparing the paper for the final illustrations. We’ve also been chatting about a few design features. This is the magical stage - where stories come to life thanks to illustrations.

Anything to Share?

If you're keen to attend the next Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 year olds with Lesley Gibbes on 16th May in Sydney, the link is here.

Recent Book Purchase/s?