Scribblers Festival has been and gone, but I’m still raving about it!
What a fantastic week, celebrating engagement with children’s literature! Not only was there a whole five days of school programming, where kids of any school age could be inspired, awed and entertained by creators from all over Australia. There was also the Family Weekend, where a huge amount of simultaneous events took place in the Subiaco Arts Centre area, for the whole family to enjoy.
I was lucky enough to participate in both, and was kept busy with panels, podcasts, talks, demonstrations and a bunch of workshops. In addition, along with A.J. Betts, I got to create a YA writing journal, full of tips and ideas on how to generate and make stories, both: with words and images! I was even asked to make a video promoting this part of the festival. The fun never stops!
But not only was it an absolute joy to be part of this creative energy and bask in the crowds that turned up hungry for stories and books. Being able to see other children’s creators perform was also a rare opportunity to observe and learn from the best! Crowd pullers such as George Ivanoff, Matt Stanton and Oliver Phommavanh gave me lots to think about in my own presentation approaches. I realised that it is actually very rare for me to see my peers ‘do their thing’, as most of my work happens inside of school environments. Scribblers offered plenty of such opportunities, as well as a wonderful smorgasbord of local, WA talent, and a great chance for us all to catch up in the green-room over delicious pastries. Ah – the high-life!
So I extend a big thank you to the ‘small but mighty’ Scribblers team, so much of which is comprised from amazing volunteers, as well as the teen-team who curated and ran my YA events. It was a pleasure to be a part of this year’s programming, at a diverse, energetic and well ran event that is the beating heart of Perth’s children literature calendar year!
