So it's Grand Final eve...

No one here but us cats.

 

Now THIS, this is how a biscuit barrel ought to look

I'm Still Awake, Still - still!

A story can be told a million ways.

You can sing it.

You can write it

You can read it aloud.

You can paint it.

You can play it.

You can use puppets and pianos and actors and musicians.

Here is Elizabeth Honey telling the story of taking I'm Still Awake, Still! from song, to page to stage, in gorgeous pictures...

Still Awake, Still!

Fairfax Studio, The Arts Centre

28 September - 2 October

Take the kids.

Take the grandparents.

Take the neighbours.

Take the neighbours' kids and grandparents.

Take everyone!*

* Probably not the dog though. Leave the dog at home, lest it get overexcited by all the joyous rumbustification.

I'm Still Awake, Still

In a cream-coloured house

with an upstairs 

and a downstairs

lived Rosalind the Publisher 

and her bunch of Onions.

Rosalind was tall and busy and thoughtful. 

When she heard an editor singing 

in the kitchen one day, she said,

'Time for a choir now, don't you think, Onions?'

'Good idea,' said Sue the Editor. 

Sue the Singer thought so too.

'But I need some lyrics,' she said.

'Who'll write me some words for drifting and dreaming?'

So Elizabeth, the Artist and Author 

dreamed up something wonderous 

and sang about it in her head.

And Rosalind and Elizabeth and Sue-times-two 

danced the songs 

and the words and the pictures 

around and around 

until they become a beautiful book and CD.

'I'm still inspired, still,' called the creators to each other.

So they scooped up their ideas 

and waltzed them all the way 

to the Melbourne Arts Centre.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Jump Leads 

presents

the absolutely gorgeous

totally unmissable

world premiere performance of

Still Awake, Still!

Just in time for the school holidays!

 Where:  Fairfax Studio, the Arts Centre

 When:  28 September to 2 October,  
11am  & 1.30 pm each day 

You can book here: www.theartscentre.com.au/kids

Stay tuned tomorrow for some of the behind-the-scenes story* 

of how this idea was developed from song, to page, to stage.

* Told with some never-before-seen Liz Honey artwork - aww yeah, that's right, we give you the good stuff!

Touching the Void

We have been without the internet for seven working days. Seven whole days!

It has been HARD. We were almost BROKEN. But we are back now. And we are stronger for it - and we can look back on that time and see it for what it was, and what it did to us.

In the netherworld of internetlessness, we became disconnected, isolated; the walls of the House were closing in on us. It was as though we had been transported back to the early nineties.* 

We lost sight of who we were, and what we were here for.

Through this time of extreme deprivation we turned for comfort to the tradition of oral storytelling. We lit a fire in an old washing machine tub that someone dragged in from the street. We stoked it with whatever we had to hand.**

We sat around and told stories about what it was like in the old days - BI.  Before Internet...

----------------------------------------------------

Smoke curls up to the high ceiling. Flickering light reflects off the grizzled faces of FOUR EDITORS gathered around the burning brazier.

EDITOR ONE sharpens a pencil straight into the flames.

EDITOR TWO wears fingerless gloves and cradles a cup of tea in both hands.

EDITOR THREE: When I were a student, there weren't no access to the university library from home. You had to stir your stumps and trudge in to campus to check source or citation. We learned right quick to keep careful notes for bibilography. IF we knew what were good for us.

EDITOR TWO: Right you are, Three. I remember when I were just a wee editor. Only dictionary was hardcopy. By my life, but that thing was 'eavy. And no searchable text, if you please. Lord alone knows how we got anything done.

EDITOR ONE: Sharpening pencil down to the nub. Mumbles softly to herself. No Wikipedia. No Macquarie online.*** No Google maps. No Google. No Google. No Google. Nowt. Nowt. Nowt. Nowt.

EDITOR THREE: Hands EDITOR ONE a slice of cake.

EDITOR ONE: Stuffs cake in her mouth - cutting off her stream of words.

EDITOR FOUR: I heard tell of summat called a CD ROM. Can anyone tell me what manner of thing that might be?

EDITOR TWO: Wisht! We don't speak of the Fell Beast Encarta in these parts. You'll hold your tongue if you know what's good for you.

EDITOR FOUR: Well I know for sure and certain, tweren't no way to watch a bulldog ride a skateboard  from the comfort of your own 'umble desk, now was there? Not with all the goodwill in the world.

ALL EDITORS: Mumbled agreement.

EDITOR THREE: Say if I wanted to check how long it would take to walk from Central Park to Bleecker Street, but I were on tother side of world. What would I have done then? I'll tell you what. I would have got on a plane and flown all th' way to New York and walked it myself, that's what. We knew what it meant to edit in those days.

EDITOR ONE: Mumbling again. No Google. No Google. No Google. No Google.

EDITOR THREE: Speaking over EDITOR ONE's mumbling. And what would I do if I needed to check how an author was getting along with revising her manuscript? Well I wouldn't visit her blog, anyhow. And no more would I read her Twitter stream or her Facebook page. No, I would have rung her on the telephone, as God intended. So I would.

EDITOR TWO: I've got a poser for you. Does anyone know how I might have gone about checking the copyright status of a short poem by a little-known Chilean poet? Riddle me that.

ALL EDITORS remain silent. EDITOR FOUR throws another book on the fire. The silence deepens.

EDITOR ONE: Whispers very quietly. No Google. No Google. No Google. No Google.

The smoke from the fire thickens and obscures the faces of the EDITORS.

Fade to black.

----------------------------------------------------

Dear Internet,

Never leave again.

Much much much love,

Onions







* The horror! The horror!
** Don't worry _insert name here_, we certainly didn't burn any copies of YOUR book.
*** Oh  www.macquariedictionary.com.au, we missed you especially. *smooches* *smooches again*

Everybody in the House...

... come on and let me hear you say OH HO!

OH HO!

Barry Jonsberg's Being Here won the Queensland Premier's Young Adult Book Award!

From the judges report: This is an intriguing psychological drama about a girl whose childhood is blighted... there is a gripping contemporary framing narrative where the girl, now an elderly resident of a nursing home, is visited by 16 year old Carly. These sections are beautifully crafted, Mrs Cartwright's acerbic comments to Carly are often very humorous, and the relationship which develops between them is warm and moving. This is a most impressive novel which stays with, and haunts the reader long after it concludes.

Everybody in the House,

 come on and let me hear you say HO HO

HO HO!

Kirsty Murray's India Dark won the NSW Premier's Young People's History Award!

From the judges report: Through its two narrators, 15-year-old Tilly Sweetrick and 13-year-old Poesy Swift, this excellent historical novel for teenagers, tells the extraordinary story of a troupe of child performers aged seven to 18 years, touring with Percival's Lilliputian Opera Company through South East Asia and India in the first decade after Federation.

Everybody in the House,

 come on and let me hear you say OH HO

OH HO

Kate De Goldi's The 10pm Question won the Corine International Book Prize, Young Readers Award!

From the judges report: A book to give people new heart - a book to prove that you are only alone with your problems if you don't talk about them.

Everybody in the House,

 come on and let me hear you say HO HO HO

HO HO HO

I'm a take this groove and slam

flip it how we want it flipped

from da back to the front when I drops me the manuscript

cuz I got da moves and I'm always done ma flow

wid da crazy crazy grooves

so tell mecan ya feel da mad skills comin' 

wid da fever, fever, FEVER!

Fabulous work, Barry, Kirsty and Kate!!!

Voices in the vibrating air...

history // (say 'histree), // (say 'histuhree)
1. the branch of knowledge dealing with past events.
2. the record of past events, especially in connection with humankind.
3. a continuous, systematic written narrative, in order of time, of past events as relating to a particular people, country, period, person, etc.
4. the aggregate of past events.
5. a past worthy of record or out of the ordinary:

Definition courtesy of our ever-helpful friends at Macquarie Online.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah, History at high school, I remember you. I remember struggling  from Mesopotamia, through the Vikings to early Australia and world wars and sinking ships. I remember making timelines and drawing maps, trying valiantly to find interest in the social, economical and political aspects of long dead lives, learning facts that oddly lodged forever in my memory - of King John signing the Magna Carta in a meadow in 1215, and the importance of the angles when the arrows were aimed in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

But, History, do not be fooled. We were not friends in high school. And the first chance I had, I dumped you unceremoniously to pursue other more alluring interests. Never again, said I. Which I concede, in hindsight, may have been a little hasty.*

I wish I had stumbled onto a love of history a little earlier. I wish I had been able to to see it not as dry and dull facts and figures and timelines punctuated by an occasionally exciting angle of arrows, but, as Ruby Murray so eloquently writes, as: 'stories, the sound of the voices already dead but caught in the vibrating air..'

Ruby's wonderful post was inspired by her reading of India Dark by Kirsty Murray.**

Ruby says:

It's set in turn of the century India, and follows the lives of a group of child performers as they make their way across the dusty continent, dancing and singing over the clapped out stages of a crumbling colonial world. It's a brave book, with no sugar coating. But it's also a book that reminded me of the importance of writing history where it happens, outside of the normal tread and grind and cliche of historical record.

Hear! Hear! We concur. This is indeed something to celebrate. And celebrations for India Dark  are exactly what's in order. Delighted we are that it is a finalist in the NSW Premier's History Award Finalist for the Young People's History Prize.

Congratulations, Kirsty.  Here's to history in all its liveliness. Here's to wishing I had your books to read when I was in high school. Here's to bringing to life those voices already dead but caught in the vibrating air.

* Ahem. Hello, Bachelor of Arts in History & English.
** A hugely talented family all round, the Murrays!

Friday Stuff and Items

1) Everyone likes to make a good first impression, don't they? Of course they do! And we all know not to judge a book by its cover, don't we? Except, of course, when it comes to, you know, actually judging books. So in the spirit of satisfying all your cover judging needs, we are delighted to introduce you to First Impressions - a tumblr to tickle the fancy of cover-coveters across the land.

Be sure to check out the interview with the wonderful Zoe Sadokierski who is once again making us look good with her cover designs for The Wilful Eye and The Wicked Wood.


2) Everyone likes a writer's festival, don't they? The MWF successfully launched itself into a literary love-fest last night with a keynote by Jonathan Franzen and continues until 4 September. So get thee to an event to hear all those clever and charming authors saying all those interesting, enlightening, inspiring things, all those moments for mingling, all those wonderful books to be bought and signed by your favourite author, all those opportunities to call for an end to that silly talk about the death of the book...


3) Everyone loves Shaun Tan. No really, everyone in the universe seems to love Shaun Tan. Clever everyone. The Hugo Awards are the latest people to appreciate his talents. They gave him the Best Professional Artist award!

You can share the Shaun-love at the 'amazing live "sonic-scape"' of the Arrival. That's tonight, people. Tonight! And there are still some tickets available. Quick sticks!


4) And everyone loves a shortlisting. Yes, yes, they do. We particularly love the shortlisting of The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky and Being Here by Barry Jonsberg in the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards. Most excellent news. Hurrahs for Ursula and Barry!


5) And everyone loves warm sunny days in Melbourne in August.*

via http://www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/weather_page.htm

* Well, perhaps not quite everyone, but we suspect that even those strange people who adore the wintry Melbourne weather have found a way to feel the weather-love this week, but never fear, winter-o-philes, the grey skies are back just in time for the weekend. Sigh.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

... to bring you a special tribute.

Today, Cameron Mooney announced that he will be retiring from the Geelong Football Club at the end of this season.

We knew it was coming - but hearing him say it is different matter. There were sniffles in the House of Onion.*

Mooooooooney

Moondog

Moo

The Big Hairy Cat

He goes by a lot of names. He was suspended for a lot of matches.

He grew a lot of hair and kicked a lot of goals.

He brought energy and passion and toughness to the club.

And he brought the love; Mooney always brought the love.

Here he is sharing the love with Gary.

Here he is sharing the love with Steve.



Here he is sharing the love with Matthew.

Here he is sharing the love with Wojo, Jimmy and a Big Hairy Seal.

Here he is sharing the love with Alan Didak.

Here he is sharing the love with Brenton after Geelong lost That Horrible 2005 Semi-final when Horrible Nick Davis kicked all those Horrible Goals.**

And here he is sharing the love with his son after winning the 2009 Grand Final.

Oh Mooney - we'll miss you! Thank you for everything.

* To be strictly honest, most denizens of the House were sniffle free. Most Onions don't even know who Cameron Mooney is - but the two who do care enough for everyone. (And if denizens of the House don't like it we'll jumper-punch you a few times, then hug you after the game.)

** It's okay Moons - only two years until you win a flag. We are Geelong.

O, speak of that; that do I long to hear

All the way back in April we were holding our breath and hoping in the lead up to the announcement of the CBCA announcements for 2011. And we were delighted to see a whole host of Onion books on the shortlists and the notables lists.

And today, what ho! we have a winner!

We are thrilled that Nicki Greenberg's Hamlet has been announced joint winner, along with Jeannie Baker's Mirror, as the Picture Books of the Year. Yes, thrilled we are!

Hooray for Hamlet!

From the Judges report:

Nicki Greenberg has created an extraordinary and colourful graphic novel as the reader becomes a participant in a sumptuous interpretation of Shakespeare's enigmatic play 'staged on the page'.

But wait, there's more.

Honour book: Early Childhood Book of the Year 2011

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies by Tom Niland Champion, Kilmeny Niland & Deborah Niland

From the judges report:

A delightful mix of silliness and cleverness characterises this charming and amusing picture book, which is both a counting book and absurd fantasy. Exuberant, yet deceptively simple illustrations are full of colour & verve.

Honour Book: Early Childhood Book of the Year 2011

Look See, Look at Me! by Leonie Norrington & Dee Huxley

From the judges report:

Fluid, assured illustrations, reflecting the vastness and beauty of the Outback, enhance and complement Norrington's affectionate text. The brisk pace of the rhythmic text is matched by the energy and glowing colour of the illustrations.

Honour Book: Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Drawn from the Heart by Ron Brooks

From the judges report:

Ron Brooks, one of Australia's most highly regarded picture-book makers, has produced a superb memoir. His detailed and sometimes highly personal accounts further enhance our appreciation of the wonderful books he has written and illustrated.

So hoorays and hurrahs for Nicki, Tom, Kilmeny, Deborah, Leonie, Dee and Ron.
HOORAYS and HURRAHS!

Congratulations to all the other winners and honour books - and to all the creators whose books are on the shortlists and notables lists. Many congratulations.

Summer days, drifting away...

It has come to our attention that while we are enduring the final weeks of the winter months, a goodly number of people on the other side of the world are celebrating summer - and the joys of the long summer holiday.

Thoughts of summer are particularly appealing at the end of August in the antipodes. This Onion turned twelve in the summer between primary school and secondary school. What a wonderful time of freedom it was. A few weeks at the beach where all the kids in the caravan park were allowed to disappear together for hours at a time, swimming, rockpooling, playing in the tea-tree thickets of the butterfly wood, expeditioning to the top shop for ice-creams, sneaking off to the back beach with the older kids when we thought no one would ever find out...

Then the end of January brought my twelfth birthday and the last long, lazy summer days - spent at the pool, or sunbaking on top of the old train engine that had found it's final resting place in the local public playground, or riding bikes at speed down the pool hill, or long-into-the-evening barbeques on the shores of the lake out of town with a companionable clutch of local families.

That summer had a special quality to it. A sense of ending, and a sense of beginning. Those primary school days were done. It would be six years until I was one of the 'big kids' in a school ground again.* Who knew what the move to secondary school would mean? All I knew for sure was that I had a longer ride on the bus, and that, like my brother, my house colours would be yellow. Not much to go on really.

The final week before school started was a frenzy of getting fitted for a new uniform, trying to wear-in stiff new school shoes after six weeks of summer feet, buying new school supplies and carefully covering in collage and contact the brand new folders, putting the brand new pens and pencils and sharpeners and erasers in a brand new pencil case, peppering my brother with questions about what high school was like.**

But one of the best things about that summer was what a lot of time there was for reading whatever I liked: on the beach with sand between my toes (and between every page of the book), in the cool shade of the tea-tree forest, on the well-watered green lawns by the pool, on layers of towels to protect me from the scalding heat of the sun-baked metal on the top of the train engine, in the fading light by the lake, speed-reading to finish a book before the sun finally set. And then the following day, scouring the bookcases for the next book to read.

So in the spirit of the summer of turning twelve, here are twelve books, in no particular order, that would have been on my reading list had I turned twelve in a much more recent summer:

1: Only Ever Always by Penni Russon

2: Sunny Side Up by Marion Roberts

3: Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver

4: Cicada Summer by Kate Constable

5: Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

6: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

7: Diamond Spirit by Karen Wood

8: Once by Morris Gleitzman

9: All the titles in the Girlfriend Fiction series

9 3/4: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling***

10: Emily of New Moon by LM Montgomery***
11: Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park***
12: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

* Clearly this was wishful thinking. As the future unfolded it became clear that height was not my strong suit, and I was, in fact, never to be a big kid in a school ground again. Sigh.

** Clearly another case of wishful thinking. Everybody knows Year 9 boys speak a different language to the rest of the species. And barely speak at all to their younger sisters.

*** Clearly these three titles have been available for many summers now, but if we were twelve now and we hadn't read them, they should definitely be on the list. (Also, let it be known that the Onion helping out with this list suggests Emily not Anne in deference to her colleague's well-documented anti-Anne stance.)

Spotted in the House

A whole host of brand-spanking-new advances!

One of these books is a funny, thought-provoking fable.

One of these books HAS A PUFFY COVER!*

One of these books is a collaboration between an amazing artist and one of our very own (very talented) Onions!

One of these books is a compelling time-slip tale that is made of pure, pure awesome.

One of these books is the fourth in a much-loved, fabulously charming series.

One of these books is a cake.**

* It's also a funny, cheerful, perfect read-aloud picture book for the very young, but, you know, PUFFY COVER.

**A sesame chiffon cake, if you please.