Sydney Writers' Centre blog

New series for kids by Tristan Bancks

Tristan Bancks has featured on our podcast series, and since we interviewed him about his Mac Slater, Cool Hunter series he has secured an American publishing deal and has released two more books for kids.

Nit Boy is his new series (in a genre he's calling Nit Lit) and the first two books, Lift Off and Bug Out have just been released. Tristan describes the books as being:

“...about two ‘blood brothers’ – Lewis, a kid with the worst case of nits in world history, and Ned, a nit that lives on his head. They feature very cool illustrations by Heath McKenzie and they’re a chance for kids and families to laugh about the eternal battle against these blood-sucking mini-beasts.”

To help promo the books there’s a 3D animated trailer on YouTube and you can order the books online from the 'Store' page on Tristan's site: www.tristanbancks.com.

Imagination Creation Competition for Young Writers

At the Sydney Writers’ Centre we get many queries from parents who are looking for a writing course for their school aged children. Unfortunately, there seem to be very few opportunities for primary and high-school children who want to write. Most creative writing courses are designed for adults and are rarely appropriate for younger writers.

So it’s great to hear about Imagination Creation, a writers’ group based in Victoria and dedicated to younger writers. The group was established in 1994 by Western Union Writers. Since then they have held an exhibition, In Black and White, and published three books, Passport to Wonder, A Drop of Imagination and Door to Imagination.

Members meet at the Werribee Local Library on the outskirts of Melbourne. They go on regular writing excursions aimed at inspiring poems and stories for their publications. For young writers in and around Werribee, Imagination Creation is a rare opportunity to learn more about writing and publishing.

For those not local to Werribee, Imagination Creation also holds an annual national competition for writers up to the age of 18. There are three age categories – 10 and under, 11-14 and 15-18 years old – and prizes are awarded in each category for the best poem and short story. There are a number of cash prizes of up to $80. Entries close Tuesday 30 June. If you’d like more information and an entry form contact Margaret Campbell at margaret_c@optusnet.com.au.

Book Rant

The Return to Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 written by Paul Krugman is the perfect layman’s guide to economics and the crises that have led us to our latest recession.

Paul Krugman is a Nobel Prize winner in Economics and Professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University. In 2008 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his academic work on trade partners, but he is far more well-known for his books and columns (particularly in the New York Times) written for a broader public audience – or people like me who simply don’t get economics.

Using the analogy of a babysitting co-op in Washington, Paul Krugman has made economics and our current crisis easier to understand. I now know what a currency crisis is and what causes it (and why it can be so devastating), why Japan’s liquidity problems led to their long recession, what led to the housing bubble of the mid-2000s, and why we’re in the mess we’re in now.

This book really is essential reading if you want a better understanding of the world economy and how it works – it’s so easy to read. Even though I found myself re-reading some chapters (some of the concepts can be tricky to get first time round), I was honestly surprised at how much I learnt from reading The Return to Depression Economics.

I guess the only question remaining after reading this book is why do we keep letting it happen? Maybe Krugman’s next book will explain this.

Book Giveaway

Oh joy! More free books! Well, more free books for our subscribers. This week we’re giving away 10   copies of Debra Adelaide’s first novel The Hotel Albatross. First published in 1995, Pan Macmillan is re-releasing the book on the back of the huge success of Debra’s 2007 book, The Household Guide to Dying.

Here’s a little more info on The Hotel Albatross.

The Captain and his wife accidentally find themselves managing the Hotel Albatross. The Captain floats between the hotel’s various bars: chatting to and chatting up customers, breaking up fights, and dealing calmly with the simmering tensions of a small town. His wife has her hands full with the day-to-day running of the hotel: mediating between family members fighting over wedding decorations, appeasing disgruntled staff members and dealing with the horror of what lies in room 101. She dreams of getting out…

If you would like to win a copy of this book tell us about your most bizarre hotel experience.

Send your answers to courses@spindriftmedia.com.au and please remember to include your name and postal address. Entries close 5pm Friday 22 May. 

You can also catch Debra Adelaide at the Sydney Writer’s Festival, which is fast approaching. She’ll be at one session, Sweet Sorrow: Writing and Mortality on 19 May in Katoomba, and will also be leading a revision workshop called Murder Your Darlings at the State Library of NSW on 21 and 22 May. 

Publishing success for our newest Creative Writing teacher

Our newest creative writing teachers, Kate Forsyth, has just released her latest book The Puzzle Ring. Described by John Lloyd on thebookbag.co.uk as a ‘blaze-through-it-one-sitting fantasy’, it is the story of 12 year old Hannah who has just discovered her family’s rather strange past and a curse that has blighted them for generations.

Hannah lives in Australia with her mum Roz until a letter from Scotland prompts a move to Wintersloe Castle near Loch Lomond. From this point on Hannah’s life is changed forever – she discovers a past full of secrets and a future full of magic!

Click here for more information on The Puzzle Ring.

Kate’s latest offering is for young readers but she has also written a number of fantasy books for adults, including the 'Witches of Eileanan' series and 'Rhiannon’s Ride' series and Full Fathom Five. She’s also a popular and experienced Creative Writing teacher and we’re really looking forward to having her teach here at the Centre. We'll be listing new dates soon for Creative Writing so keep an eye on our website!