Almost at the end of May already. How could that have happened?
In February I attended the SCBWI Conference in Sydney. SCBWI is the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is an international organisation with chapters in countries around the world. Writers and illustrators spend a lot of time on our own, doing our work and when we get together, all I can say is we raised the roof.
At the beginning of April was the Creative Kids’ Tales Festival in Sutherland and at the end of April was The Flash Fiction Festival in Canberra, also fantastic!
All the above were industry events for writers, rather than readers.
There’s no doubt that a lot of fun was had catching up with writing friends. But, attending these events is also all about the opportunity of creative association. The master craftspeople (the novelists, children’s writers, publishers, editors and agents) share their knowledge, skills and experience with the apprentices, those of us who are newly emerging as writers, those who are further along the path, but are not yet masters, and those who aspire. I’m not sure there is such a thing as definitive mastery in the creative arts, because — wonderfully — there is always more to learn and discover. These events provide a forum for the sharing of ideas and processes, enthusiasm and encouragement and it blows my mind how generously and humbly the Masters share.