About Me

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Hi, welcome to my blog. I'm a writer of poetry, prose and plays but my best known work is children's fiction. My most popular books are the Selby series and the Emily Eyefinger series. This blog is intended as an entertaining collection of thoughts and pictures from here in Australia and from my travels in other parts of the world. I hope you enjoy it. (For more information have a look at my website.)

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Margaret Throsby interview

On July 12th I was interviewed on Margaret Throsby's ABC Classic FM "Mornings" interview show. This was a great thrill for me having listened to Margaret on the radio ever since I moved to Australia thirty seven years ago. It gave me the opportunity to talk about my life and to play some of my favourite music. I confess that I was nervous ahead of time but, in the event, it couldn't have been easier. Margaret such a great interviewer which made it a real delight. And of course she's as gorgeous as ever.



The main focus for me was Monkey Baa's play, "Emily Eyefinger", which has been playing at the Seymour Centre in Sydney. It's now touring New South Wales, starting this week in Wagga Wagga and Griffith and finally ending up in Melbourne. The play has been great fun, and I didn't have to do anything---well, apart from writing the Emily Eyefinger books. The success of the play, and it's almost sold out everywhere, is all down to the very clever people at Monkey Baa.

If you'd like to hear the ABC interview click here. And you'll get to hear the third (rondeau)movement of Francois Boieldieu's Concert for Harp and Strings in C into the bargain. How often does that happen? (Apparently this piece is one of Margaret's favourites too.)

Click here to see "Emily Eyefinger's" complete schedule. "Emily Eyefinger" be back in Sydney---Parramatta and Penrith---for a short season.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The play is on! Full marks to the Monkeys!

The Monkey Baa Theatre Company's play "Emily Eyefinger" is now on at the Seymour Centre in Sydney. It's an amazing piece of kids' theatre based on my Emily Eyefinger books but all credit goes to Monkey Baa for writing the script and producing this wonderful play.

Dannielle Jackson is the ever-adventurous Emily Eyefinger.

Christopher Childs-Maidment plays her timid friend Malcolm Mousefinder.

Sandra Eldridge is the intrepid archeologist-adventurer, Aunt Olympia.

Douglas Hansell plays the evil Arthur Crim who is out to get Emily.

Tim McGarry is the wonderfully eccentric Professor Mousefinder and Arthur Crim's hapless criminal side-kick Doug.





Here we are cutting the very special Eyefinger cake on opening night.

The play will be at the Seymour Centre till Saturday July 16th.
Bookings: 9351 7940

After that Emily Eyefinger tours to these venues:

Wagga Civic Theatre 26 - 27 July
Griffith Regional Theatre 28- 29 July
Riverside Theatres Parramatta 2-5 Aug
Joan Sutherland PAC Penrith 6-9 Aug
Orange Civic Theatre 11-12 Aug
Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre
15-16 Aug
Jetty Memorial Theatre Coffs Harbour 18-19 Aug
Arts Centre Melbourne 23-27 Aug

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Photographs by Heldrun Lohar and Patrick Boland.