Farewell to fourteen

1. It's hard to think of a word to adequately describe this year: let's settle for hectic. But I have managed, in spite of everything, to write in the margins (ha! see what I did there?).

First, the indomitable Patricia McMahon and I have finished a draft and (almost) a redraft of Lark (can't sing) Jaz, or whatever the title will be of our joint endeavour. I have also redrafted the still-untitled (though I have some great contenders!) gymnastics novel, which will be published in June 2015 by Penguin. And my current project has just been supported by the Department of Culture and the Arts for 2015, and its panel of peers, for which I am immensely, indeed staggeringly, grateful.

This one is going to matter.

I am also beyond grateful for the Department of Culture and the Arts and the Copyright Agency for supporting my upcoming residency at Kindling Words East in the US, a residency specifically for professional writers, artists and editors - more of which in the New Year.

2. This is my summer reading list:

One of these things is not like the other

3. My old comedy buddy Jude Bridge won the Scarlet Stiletto Award this year: see here. Judy is a writer of quirky, funny, heartfelt short fiction: she's been published all over the place in recent years, and I hope to see a collection of hers on shelves near you sometime soon. You won't read anything like her anywhere. She's the one with the sausage in her mouth, from back in the day:

The wonders of latex

4. This is a blog about writing, but I have to acknowledge the hideous events of the past week, and shake my head in horror, along with the rest of the world. For my money, the best piece about one of the hideous events is Randa Abdel-Fattah: if you haven't read it, it's here.

5. A special thank you to The Literature Centre and its staff for its support of me this year, and to Writing WA. We writers and illustrators are so lucky to have such vibrant agencies supporting us in Western Australia. And, while I'm at it, thanks to all the SCBWI crew - you know why.

6. May 2015 bring peace to you all, joy if you can find it, lots of good books, good friends, good conversations. And time to breathe, reflect, and appreciate the life you have.