I’m so pleased that the beautiful homestead, Dromkeen, at Riddell’s Creek in Victoria, is about to host it’s first ever Literary Festival and urge you to buy tickets!

Visit the site for more information.

www.dromkeen.com.au/litfest

My new YA Novel due for publication by Allen & Unwin 1st Feb 2016

The shortlist for the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards was announced today…and guess who was listed for the  Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature?

Hurrah for Peterboy!

Stephen Michael King and I are very happy to have our book shortlisted in the Picture Book category of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year awards.

Congratulations to all the other illustrators and authors on the shortlist and also those on the notables list.

It’s heartening to know that the ‘The Naming of Tishkin Silk’ is still being published, read and appreciated….here’s the link to a wonderful review from the UK.

http://www.playingbythebook.net/2015/02/27/the-naming-of-tishkin-silk-a-book-to-reshape-your-heart/

Please follow this link for a peek.

http://www.playingbythebook.net/2015/01/19/the-duck-and-the-darklings-can-my-reading-year-get-better-than-this/

Perry Angel’s Suitcase is on the longlist for 2015 United Kingdom LIteracy Association (UKLA) awards

http://neelysnews.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/marvelous-new-picture-book-mondays-once-a-shepherd/

at this year’s CBCA national conference in Canberra.

Thank you to all you kind people who asked me to post it on Facebook.

This is to explain why I haven’t.

It is my great pleasure to tell you that the poem is now going to be a picturebook illustrated by  the wonderful Mr Stephen Michael King!

Not until 2016, though.

My newest picture book. Due out in October.

Phil Lesnie is the illustrator and this is his first picture book.

‘Children with a language impairment are 6 times more likely to have a reading problem than children without.’ Speech Pathology Australia

This is why, during the International Communication Project 2014, I am supporting Australia in becoming a Nation for Communication. 

I have signed the International Communication Pledge to raise awareness of communication disorders around the world.

You can do so too at www.communication2014.com

For more information go to www.nationforcommunication.org

I’m so excited that at least one reader likes The Duck and the Darklings – on the shelves now!

Follow this link to a wonderful review:

http://blog.boomerangbooks.com.au/review-the-duck-and-the-darklings/2014/04

is this:

The Naming of Tishkin Silk, the first of the Kingdom of Silk series, published in the UK by Phoenix Yard Books, has now progressed from the longlist to the shortlist in the UKLA awards.

You may follow this link if you’d like to see the other five lovely books on the shortlist.

‘Lightning Jack’ has been shortlisted in the Children’s Literature category of the 2014 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. 

The publishers say….‘The Duck and the Darklings’ is a triumphant story for children and adults, about the coming of hope in dark days, the warmth of friendship and the splendour of a new dawn.’

And I say…..‘This is a story I wrote especially for Stephen Michael King. You won’t believe how extraordinay his illustrations are.  Thank you Stephen!’

This beautiful representation of Isabella’s Garden, which hangs in the library of the Greythorn Primary School, was created using felt by the prep students.  With many thanks to Librarian, Cheryl Williams and also to Art Teacher, Michelle Freeland Small.

The Rainbow Girls are growing up and I will soon begin to write the first of three novels about them.

These books will be for teenagers and will be published in  2015, 2016 and 2017.

Happily, it seems that people in far away places are also enjoying the Silk Books. ‘The Naming of Tishkin Silk ‘ has been longlisted in Britain for the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) awards. 

Sunday 16th June 2013

I had the great pleasure of hosting a day about picture books with the lovely and talented Rebecca Cool who was visiting from Margaret River.

Rebecca and I dicussed the making of picturebooks from the initial idea, through the technical aspects and editiorial process to the finished product.

Participants were also able to view original artworks from a number of illustrators, including Rebecca. Here are a few happy snaps taken on the day.

If you would like to know when the next event will take place at Girrahween, don’t forget to contact me.

happened to day; the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards shortlist was announced and

‘The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk’ is listed for the Patricia Wrightson award.

Yesterday the Children’s Book Council of Australia announced the short lists for Book of the Year

and I was lucky enough to have books shortlisted in two categories

‘Lightning Jack’

in the Picture Book section

and in the Younger Readers section

‘The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk ‘

A big thank you to

Stephen Michael King and Patricia Mullins for their beautiful illustrations

Congratulations to authors and illustrators of all the shortlisted and noteable books.

No it isn’t winter yet, but I couldn’t resist a quote from the 7th and final book in the Kingdom of Silk series. It should be in the shops any day now. Here’s a preview of Stephen Michael King’s beautiful cover.

USSBY, the American chapter of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) has listed Isabella’s Garden on the 2013 list of Outstanding International Books!

Follow the link for a peek.

 http://www.slj.com/2013/02/collective-book-list/the-literary-equation-usbbys-outstanding-international-books-connect-kids-worldwide/ 

I know its been a while…so to encourage myself to get writing again, I’ve been thinking about some little-but-lovely things I can share with you. For instance, small furry donkeys and a big one, too, who came to the launch of  my picture book, ‘For All Creatures’. See how smiley I am!

And the lovely purple ladies who also attended the launch are, to the left Sally Hoyle, the Civil Celebrant who performed the blessing of the animals, and to the right Margaret Hamilton AM, who launched the book.

On second thoughts – this event was more than a scrap of loveliness, it was an entire sky full! In December 2012 a Day of Cake and Thankfulness was held to celebrate the 2nd birthday of Pinerolo, Margaret Hamilton’s Children’s Book Cottage in the Blue Mountains. The talented Stephen Michael King, who has illustrated many of my books, and I were the guests of honour. Other guests were invited to dress as a character from the Kingdom of Silk books. This is the Blanch family, who all dressed in character. Emily even made an Armenian Love Cake to share!   

the book ‘For All Creatures’  – words by me and pictures by the lovely Rebecca Cool, has been shortlisted in the New South Wales Premier’s Awards for the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s LIterature.

Congratulations to all other shortlisted authors and illustrators

Book #7 of the Kingdom of Silk Series will be published in April 2013!

In this book you will find out lots of things about Nell Silk that you didn’t already know.

Last Friday, Sarah Mayor-Cox, lecturer in Literacy Education, Children’s and Young Adult Literature at Latrobe University coaxed me to take part in her regular session on our local ABC radio.  There was an ulterior motive – Sarah presented me with a beautiful certificate from IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) for my book  ‘A Small Free Kiss in the Dark’. You can hear the interview at the following link:

http://blogs.abc.net.au/victoria/2012/10/congratulations-glenda-millard.html?site=westernvic&program=western_victoria_mornings

You can also see a picture of Sarah looking quite pleased that she got me into the studio and me looking relieved, slightly lopsided and very shifty!

No I didn’t spell busyness wrong – it is going to be a very busy month for me!

I’m off to St Mary’s War Memorial School at West Wyalong to be writer in residence from the 11th to the 14th and we’re going to talk BIG-TIME about the Kingdom of Silk books!

Then on the 22nd Maggie Catterall and twenty students from St Monica’s School, Footscray are coming to Girrahween for a workshop. It isn’t the first time Maggie has brought children to Girrahween and I am so looking forward to this visit as St Monica’s staff and students have a special place in my heart.  (I hope there will be no bees in the chimney this time!)

And then, to finish the month I’m off to NSW again – this time to join the quiet genius, Stephen Michael King, as a guest of  the Northern Sydney sub-branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. As usual Stephen will enchant everyone with his drawings and I will do the words.

Whilst in Sydney I will also visit two schools in the Fairflied area as part of the ALOUD program.

The grand finale of my visit will be a day of Cake and Thankfulness to celebrate the second birthday of Pinerolo, Margaret Hamilton’s children’s book cottage in the Blue Mountains. Please drop by the Pinerolo website for further details. www.pinerolo.com.au

I’m trying to be really organised – planning for 2013 already!

The fabulously talented Rebecca Cool;

illustrator of ‘Isabella’s Garden’ and ‘For All Creatures”

 is coming all the way from WA to Girrahween, my studio in Maldon, Victoria, in June of next year.

We are planning a joint workshop for adults who would love to know more about creating picture books.

 I’ll be sending out a flyer very soon.  There will be limited places available, so if you want to be on the list, please leave your email address.

Check out the ‘Girrahween’ tab for more about my studio and Australia’s first noteable town,  Maldon.

It’s finished! I’m sad and happy at the same time.

One Response to “Book #7 of the Kingdom of Silk Series”

1. Janette Meulen says:

   April 24, 2014 at 7:04 am

   Glenda, when I’d finished reading Book #7 of the Kingdom of Silk Series, I CRIED! I did not want this beautiful experience to end, because I had grown very attached to the Silk Family. After reading “The Naming of Tishkin Silk” I was completely hooked…(I sobbed in that book too!)…so I hungrily devoured the next 5 books. Admittedly, I read the final book as slowly as I could, knowing this was the end of the road…I was VERY reluctant to say goodbye to this family I’d grown to love.

   I have recommended the series to so many students, teachers and friends in my school community (where I am the Library Teacher)…You now have a massive Fan Club here in Brisbane!

   Next week, I am beginning an ‘author study’ on YOU…my new FAVOURITE author. We’re kicking it off with “Heart of the Tiger” (because we’ve just finished reading loads of stories about TREES, so it’ll be interesting to imagine a world without them…(how horrible!).

   Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how excited I am right now to read on your website that you intend to write three books about the Rainbow Girls who are all growing up…I can hardly wait for 2015, to read the first of these!!! Thank you so very much for continuing that story.

   I have more I want to thank you for, but it will be the subject of my next message to you…right now I must run!

   Warmest, heartfelt thanks to you Glenda, from one of your many fans.

   Janette Meulen x

   Reply

I had the honour of being one of this year’s two judges for the Dorothea MacKellar Poetry Awards. The other judge was Sally Murphy. Between us we read around 10,000 entries!  The ceremony took place last week at Gunnedah and Sally and I enjoyed the wonderful local hospitality. Congratulations to all the volunteers who make this wonderful event possible.

I’m happy to say that a UK publisher has made an offer for the rights to publish all 7 of my Kingdom of Silk Books! (Even though the 7th one has yet to be published in Australia!) Here’s a link if you would like to have a look at the publisher’s site. www.phoenixyardbooks.com