When this introvert has to extrovert
The perks and downsides of being an author/editor who mainly works at home
This introverted author/editor/illustrator who’s used to spending the majority of her time staring at screens and sometimes even working from bed was ecstatic to attend the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards night.
It’s the biggest literary prize in Australia, mind you. Very prestigious, indeed! And there’s little old me, a nobody who grew up in government housing, had little to no confidence growing up (a forever work-in-progress), rubbing shoulders with so many incredibly talented creatives and professionals in the publishing industry.
It’s mind-blowing, and I feel like I’m always blabbing on about how lucky I am and how grateful, but that’s because I am, and I don’t want to ever forget where I’ve come from, or take anything for granted, or ever forget that there are many who can’t and won’t get similar opportunities. I am SO LUCKY.
The awards night and the judging process in general truly was a huge perk of all that I do – like, getting to read books, judge them, discuss them with fellow children’s literature lovers, and decide on the winners – what even is this life??
And the best part … seeing the winners announced and knowing what an impact such a huge win will have on their lives and their work.
And the winner is …
The winner in the children’s category is a stunning masterpiece of work called Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country (pronounced more like ‘DAH-mah-rrah). At first glance it’s a book about termites on Country, but it’s so much more than that.
It’s a story of culture, family, Country and community that was created by over 30 contributors. Tamarra is told in three different languages and includes a QR code to scan and listen to the story told in two of the languages. It’s incredible, should be shared in every school around Australia, plus shared internationally to showcase this special part of Australia, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop recommending it.
To see the winners in the other categories, view the livestream, and find out more about all the shortlisted entries, head to the Creative Australia website.
The below picture isn’t the best, but the only one I’ve got and with many thanks to Shirley (far right) for sharing it because I didn’t get one on my phone. What was the absolute best was meeting these incredible authors of Tamarra. It was a joy to meet them and chat with them about the book and the process and all the extra information they shared with us. I’m desperate to get out to Gurindji Country and reunite with them all.
The next pic is another with many thanks to Shirley (if you don’t know of Shirley’s books, you have to check them out – they’re brilliant, award-winning children’s titles and Shirley herself is an incredible person).
There I am surrounded by three of the most generous, fabulous humans – our children’s category judging team. It was such an honour to work with Kirrin, Shirley and Fiona, and I look forward to staying in touch with them all. I know I’ve already said it, but I’m incredibly lucky (just ignore my face in the pic, sometimes I can’t do face very well).
Back into my shell
Returning home after a trip is like being caught unexpectedly in a huge downpour. You don’t know whether to laugh or cry and you’re (quietly) afraid your devices will be harmed and need replacing.
The kids are screaming and jumping up and down, the dogs are barking and crying, and my husband is shushing them all while trying to welcome me home with a smile that could also pass as a grimace.
Once things have calmed down, though, I welcome my usual routines and the comfort of my own bed.
While I’d love to be able to dive straight back into regular life, I end up hit with exhaustion and needing time to process all that’s happened. This has worked out well this time because I have a couple of weeks before my next editing project, so I’ve had a couple of days where I’ve napped and caught up on some sleep in between slowly returning to life.
It’s incredibly frustrating for me that I crash like this at times, but I’m doing my best to treat myself with kindness and let it be. I’m slowly emerging and that’s okay.
Book news
I recently received a cover and some sample pages of my debut picture book that will be out in March next year!
My jaw dropped to the floor at seeing these things – in huge part because the illustrations are STUNNING (while I can’t share the cover with you just yet, you can check out the illustrator’s website here) and also because it’s surreal seeing my words come to life and become a REAL book. I’ll be a mess of human when I actually receive a physical copy.
Support without pressure
If you’ve made it this far, THANK YOU!
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And big thanks to
for this idea!Before I say goodbye, there are paid monthly, yearly and founding member subscription options that include a free piece of my art. If you can’t upgrade to a paid subscription, no worries. My posts are still free and I appreciate you being here and reading or listening as I navigate my way through life and publishing and all the rest.
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This is number 6 of 24 essays/posts I’ll be sharing as part of the challenge created by Claire Venus over at Sparkle on Substack. Okay, so at this point it’s unlikely I’ll reach the 24 essays, but I’ll keep trying anyway.
You can read more about the challenge here.
I acknowledge the Darkinjung people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I am writing from today. I walk, talk, write, and create with respect on this land, and I acknowledge the enduring connection the Darkinjung people have with this Country; I thank them for their care of this Country, and I pay respects to the Elders past and present, and extend that respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here reading or listening.
Awesome sauce to all of this, Melissa-Jane!
What a stunning cover on Tamarra! I hope it does get published internationally. Looking forward to hearing more about your own book too!