Dim's Write Stuff

A memorable part of being involved in this year's Asian Festival of Children's Content was being asked to moderate a number of sessions for other presenters in addition to presenting my own. This was an opportunity I whole heartily embraced for it suggested a much more involved, hands on chance to become more intimately acquainted not only with some erstwhile unknown movers and shakers in the Kids' Lit stratosphere but also the topics they chose to discuss. I discovered, this in turn enhanced my own presentation for I was able to draw comparisons and find connections for delegates attending my session, thus providing a lovely continuity of content discussion. Whilst session moderating here in Oz suggests enthusiastic time keeping, in Singapore it took on a deeper responsibility involving pre-conference hook ups with the session presenters, research of their topic (and books), compilation of topics for Q & A, on site note swapping and general session support. At on...

'Books have a powerful way of triggering the imagination of children and building their understanding of the world.' CEO  Elaine Ng of the National Library Board, Singapore This was a sentiment echoed not only in my own seminar at this year's Asian Festival for Children's Content 2017 (AFCC) but in many other sessions I attended and moderated for as well.  The official AFCC 2017 program, which ran from 17 - 21 May 2017, is nearly 90 pages long bursting with over 120 conference sessions and book-related events for delegates and the general public. That's a lot of talking, work-shopping, pitching and exchanging. I was delighted to be in the thick of it having been invited to present and launch my latest picture book there. I can but hope to reproduce the animated vibe and sense of camaraderie I experienced wondering up and down the multi-floored, air-conditioned halls of the mighty National Library, but I'm going to try... Leslee Udwin punchin...

The race to Christmas felt more frenetic than a skyful of reindeer on a gingerbread sugar rush so in an extreme effort to replace the usual SE Queensland Christmas glitter and heat, I headed overseas to the only equatorial city on earth that could celebrate Christmas with even more glitter and heat, Singapore. Not as bad a choice as you may think. There were sites a plenty to keep us goggling well into the fairy-light encrusted evenings, cheap local delights to banish every sensation of hunger, and enough chilled department stores pumping out Michale Buble carols to remind us what time of year it was. But 'dreams and schemes and holidays must always have an end' and as another summer of  magnificent holidays melts into a new school term and a new full year, I pause for thought. There's a heck of a lot about to happen and a lot that has already happened in Dim's world of words. Here are some of the more 'wow factor' ones that it's about time I made a b...