I’m writing this from my parent’s house in Sydney.
I’m down for a few days to attend the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival at the State Library of NSW—which I’ll tell you about below—and am heading home after today’s sessions.
Anyways, we have a lot to get through, so make yourself a cuppa and settle in.
Whales
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you will have been inundated with pictures from last weekend’s whale-watching adventure in Hervey Bay.
While you can see whales up the east coast during their migration to and from Antarctica, Hervey Bay is different - it’s like a stopover, a place where they spend a few days, perhaps a week, doing whatever it is whales do for R&R. Mums teach bubs (especially at this time of the year) how to be whales; young adults flex their whaley muscles; and males make last-ditch attempts to mate before everyone heads back to colder waters. It’s why Hervey Bay is one of the best places in the world to watch whales and has been given world heritage status.
It’s also, along with Mooloolaba, the inspiration for Whale Bay in my Clementine Carter series.
Cleanups
After arriving on Tuesday, I spent an afternoon helping my mother clean out some of the stuff that had accumulated in the various rooms of this house over the past 40 years. There’s a looooooooooong way to go, but we’ve chucked a lot out and have a sizeable pile of things to take to the op shop.
It was also a trip down memory lane. There were clothes I remember from family photos, a crepe paper rooster costume Mum had made my younger sister (she’d even fully lined it!) to wear for book week almost 50 years ago (that year, my brother was dressed as an oil heater), lace up boots Mum wore with hot pants, a dress she’d made with silk Dad had brought back from a work trip to Japan in the early 70’s.
She’d even kept the annual reports from North Sydney Referees Association for the three years I was an active referee - 1985-1987. Yes, I was a Rugby League Referee - arguably the first woman referee.
I’d only done it because I wanted to be a sports writer, and Dad had told me they wouldn’t let a woman officiate matches. When (after a test that took twice as long as those of the men who preceded me) they (reluctantly) gave me my ticket, the association's president wished me luck finding an association to take me on - in that patronising way men do when they know no one will. But North Sydney did, and for the next three football seasons, I ran between 5-7 games a weekend. (Let’s not talk about the haircut or the shorts in the pics below.)
Flowers
I used to love visiting the David Jones Spring Flower Show when I lived in Sydney, so I couldn’t resist popping in on Wednesday afternoon. It was, as always, a lovely display.
BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival
So far I’ve attended the following sessions:
A four-hour masterclass with bestselling author Candice Fox, “How to Craft a Page Turner.’ As someone who has collaborated with James Patterson and had TV series made from her books, she knows. While this was pegged at aspiring authors seeking traditional publishing contracts (and writing not-so-cosy crime), I got SO much out of it that I can immediately implement in my work.
A panel discussion about why Australian authors set their books overseas with Candice Fox, Michael Robotham, Michael Brissenden and Roger Simpson.
You find a dead body, what now? Former crime reporter and novelist Michael Duffy interrogated Michael Willing, former Deputy Police Commissioner and the longest serving Head of Homicide in NSW and forensic anthropologist, writer and podcaster Xanthé Mallett to discover what really happens. Soooo interesting and, spoiler alert, different to how it is on Midsomer Murders. Who would have thought?
I have one more session to go to this afternoon before flying out, but I will put this festival on my calendar for next year.
I’ve also loved checking out the State Library.
Writing
None to speak of - I’ve been too engrossed in learning about it!
Reading
With so much time spent on planes, trains and buses this week (not to mention waiting around for said planes, trains, and buses or for sessions to start) I’ve devoured the first four books in Jessica Redland’s Hedgehog Hollow series. Thanks, Sue
, for the tip.Recipe of the Week
Sorry, no recipe this week …
The Writers Festival sounds fascinating. And, rounding out your time with whales, flowers, and libraries... it can't get much better than that. (Notice that I didn't mention decluttering... I know how hard that can be.)
Wow! Refereeing must have been tough! Love your whale photos - I must book my annual trip soon before they all go home.
The crime festival sounds brilliant and the State library is gorgeous. I might check out the Queensland one.