Dim's Write Stuff

Talking about At The End of Holyrood Lane with Uni the Unicorn. Photo courtesy of Peter Allert When ABC Radio Gold Coast's , Josie Sargent invited me to join her on her Once Upon A Time segment to chat about writing books and their impact on social issues within our communities, how could I say no. Armed with my trusty copy of At The End of Holyrood Lane , I headed to one of my favourite beachside suburbs on the Gold Coast, Mermaid Beach and enjoyed a relaxed morning of book sharing and story telling. Not every story I write has an issue I want to hammer home. Quite the contrary. I believe children's stories must cause their readers to 'move and shake' first and foremost. Move either physically with laughter, joy or some other emotion relevant to the story. Shake with amazement, awe, acknowledgement, and fun! If these reactions are the result of recognising a fundamental underlying message or theme secreted within the story, all the better. Ultimately, we...

May is Domestic Violence Prevention Month here in Queensland. It heralds the annual event designed 'to raise community awareness of the social and personal impacts of domestic and family violence and the support available to those affected .' I hope, picture books, like At The End of Holyrood Lane are able to contribute to this heighten level of awareness and encourage us all to 'do something', take heart, find the courage to speak up and ultimately foster change. I wrote this article last year whilst reflecting on some of the fears I harboured as a child and how they coloured my emotional makeup.   Some forty odd years ago, I was the new kid in a new school in a new state having relocated from Queensland to South Australia. I could barely understand the strange southern dialect and mentality and felt more bewildered than excited.   I was also the sort of child whose closest friends dwelt in books. Stories offered a solace I actively sought. Storybook...

Two BIG days occur in the month of November: White Ribbon Day 23 November and the United Nations UNiTE to End Violence against Women: 25 November . Both aim to create societies where women and children can live in safety free from fear and abuse.  AT THE END OF HOLYROOD LANE is a picture book that dares to address this fear and provide acknowledgement and hope for suffers in abusive situations.  With its soft, supportive illustrations that encapsulate and extend the sensitive, subtle text superbly, and endorsed by a number of agencies concerned about the children caught in the middle of domestic violence such as Act for Kids , RizeUp , Paradise Kids , and Think Equal , this is a conversation starter that may bring a lot of comfort, help and hope to the children in our care.  Barabara Braxton , ReadPlus & The Bottom Shelf   I wrote this picture book because of a plea to create meaningful stories accessible to children suffering or witnessi...

The last month or more has been a flurry of Facebook posts, well intended emails and quite a bit of self-trumpeting all with the soul purpose of making Flick's introduction into the world of children's stories as smooth, memorable and meaningful as possible. Who is Flick you ask? She is the little girl who ' lives beneath the beech woods at the end of Holyrood Lan e', and the life and soul of my latest picture book with Nicky Johnston, At The End of Holyrood Lane - in case you live a fabulously social media free life and missed everything. Photo courtesy of Sandy Pages Noosa Bookshop In the publishing world, one has very limited time to spin hay into gold, so whilst the sun shone, Flick and I took our story to the road. Signing books for adoring book lovers (granted some had no choice but to come in out of the filthy weather - thank you Mother Nature) made me realise though, that no number of endorsements or promises to instill hope could match real life stories....

From the second I heard Founder and President of Think Equal , Leslee Unwin utter the words of Socrates, ' education of the head without education of the heart is no education at all ' I knew this lady was so much more than just an advocate for change.   Helming the mighty force that is Think Equal , Leslee truly believes that through the process of narration, young people have the opportunity to develop their empathetic abilities - through stories, reading, conversations and experimental learning, change is made. We share a similar conviction, that books and story mediate empathy and create emotionally intelligent, sympathetic human beings who become critical thinkers able to self-regulate. It is why I embrace picture books with difficult subject matter. It is why Leslee supports the intent behind At The End of Holyrood Lane . Today I thank Leslee for her generous words of endorsement and applaud her and all that she does to empower communities across the globe...

All children are entitled to an abuse-free, safe and happy childhood. No one believes this more fiercely than Act for Kids , an Australian charity providing free therapy and support services to children and families who have experienced, or are at risk of child abuse and neglect. Registered psychologist and SE Queensland Regional Director of Act of Kids , Gary Poole not only embraces At The End of Holyrood Lane and its intent, but acknowledges the importance of books like this in initiating understanding, awareness and action among those who are primary victims and also those who are not directly affected by abuse. Thank you Gary et al at Act for Kids for endeavouring to make children's worlds better more beautiful places to grow in.   In subtle ways, children’s books have long had a powerful impact in helping generations understand and make sense of the sometimes baffling and frightening aspects of life experienced in growing up. Themes of being lost in a dark ...

'RizeUp Australia is a community-driven organisation of passionate men and women, dedicated to supporting the many families affected by domestic and family violence.' Rizeup Founder and CEO, Nicolle Edwards works tirelessly to re-home, re-educate and assist those affected by abuse with special emphasis on the children involved in home violence and the associated upheaval. She actively seeks news ways to reach out and touch victims hoping to connect with them and support them in positive ways. I am gratified beyond measure that she regards my picture book, At The End of Holyrood Lane a useful way of reaching out to those in need. Thank you Nicolle and RizeUp for your unqualified support and selfless work. Here is what she has to say. At The End of Holyrood Lane illustrations by Nicky Johnston ' At The End of Holyrood Lane is a beautiful story about a little girl who is terrified by the storm that chases and scares her but when Flick reaches o...