Of the wheelbarrow-load of roles creators within the children’s literary industry assume, perhaps one of the most important and fulfilling ones is to sow a sense of wonder and joy that generates a vigorous love of story. The benefits of this cultivation of creativity are many, not least of which is a love of reading that perpetuates for life.
As we enter a new exciting season of children’s writing and illustration, it’s also time to whip on our creative gloves and make ready for the next SCBWI Australia East NZ Conference due to kick off in Sydney next February.
It’s my extreme joy to be asked back as ‘chief gardener’ for our SCBWI Roving Reporters team again. In this role, I’ll endeavour to introduce you to our 100% organically grown reporters from across Australia, inserting as many garden-based puns as my green-thumbs can along the way. Why? Because like SCBWI, nurturing new talent, sustaining perennial favourites and ensuring the growth of our fabulous industry is not only vital but a beautiful pastime to boot – garden boot of course!
The key to success of any new planting (and creative project) is preparation. Over the next few months, we’ll be aerating our collective garden beds, gathering our seeds of talent and watering in our intentions with Meet our Gardeners introductory type posts.