Category: A Novel Adventure

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Here she is! Our new home – Barcoola

On the outer Barcoo where the churches are few,

And men of religion are scanty,

On a road never cross’d ‘cept by folk that are lost,

One Michael Magee had a shanty.

From: ‘A bush christening’ by A B ‘Banjo’ Paterson (1893)

In their brochure, the designers of our new home (Southern Cross Caravans) called this 4WD edition “The Barcoo” so when I Googled the word I found the Macquarie Dictionary has three references featuring Barcoo:

Here she is… Barcoola.
Here she is… Barcoola.
  1. ‘Barcoo Rot’ a scurvy-like ailment from poor diet resulting in skin lesions, sometimes described as ‘outback scurvy’ and the scourge of explorers, stockmen and drovers.
  2. ‘Barcoo Salute’ meaning the ‘waving about of hands to keep flies away from your face’
  3. and the ominous ‘Barcoo Spews’ which is vomiting caused by extreme heat.

 

Okay, so not a great start to our big adventure!

Thomas Ingham “Barcoo Rot Ointment” potlid, c. 1890’s. IMage and reference source John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
I then discovered the word ‘Barcoola’ is an Aboriginal word and the Barcoo River divides country belonging to two tribes, suggesting the Barcoo River serves as a boundary between two groups in the region [Yandjibara and Dharawala in the Blackall Region which is the headwaters of the Barcoo River].
THEN… I discovered that in these tribal languages ‘Barcoola’ is given as the word for ‘two’.
So, here we are – “two in a Barcoo” – writing in and under the southern cross –  no scurvy, spews or rot in sight!! (But I do hope theBarcoo Hotel still welcomes country pub dwellers.)

Mail Coach at the Barcoo Hotel Blackall, 1897 Photo courtesy of John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
Come August 21, 2014, we will be grey nomads, wandering writers and “of no fixed address” – time period unknown. I hope you will join us here (or as my friend/follower on Facebook) as we hit the road.
My thanks to John Oxley Library, State Library of QLD. For more reading:  http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2012/05/22/the-meaning-of-barcoo/
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Those darn sweeping plains!

Helene Young, Wendy James and me

We all love our sunburnt country, but those darn sweeping plains can be a source of frustration for readers and authors, reducing contact with each other to online platforms such as Facebook. So when three authors get together in a regional centre like Newcastle, you can bet a great roll up, fun times, and great cake.

Jess Never Ending Bookshelf

 

Connecting with readers is a bit like cake – there is no such thing as too much – which is why we LOVE reader events and book-signings.

For authors in isolated or regional areas, the opportunity to meet with other writers face-to-face is like icing – the sweet, creamy frosting type, WITH sprinkles!

Newcastle Helene, Wendy and meLast month Helene Young (Safe Harbour), Wendy James (The Lost Girls) and me – Jenn J McLeod (Simmering Season) had our cake, with icing (and we ate it too) when staff from the lovely new Cardiff Library invited us to chat about our writing journeys.  I had not met Wendy before and what I discovered is we grew up in the same neighbourhood and attended the same high school (Manly Girls). 10302345_10203237158241725_8296600293022106980_nWendy could even remember the school song! Her latest novel, The Lost Girls is even set in the Sydney northern beaches suburb where we grew up (Curl Curl). Helene Young kept the panel in line with probing questions and ensured there was no fighting over the microphone – even though Wendy and I had both confessed to wanting to be a Broadway stars when we were young.

With thanks to organiser extraordinare – Allison Roberts and the Cardiff Library team. And to  Maclean’s Booksellers for toting all those books!

Special thanks to Brenda Telford.

PS If you are from Manly Girls High School, let me know. There is a great Facebook group.Yes, they also know the words to the school song!

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I. AM. HERE

SWF 2014May 23, 2014.

I. AM. HERE.

Sydney Writers Festival and the Australian Book Industry Awards gala event.

Okay, so, I was there as an observer, rather than being celebrated for some great literary achievement. But I was there and my book was there — on the book wall along with every book from 2013. The weekend was still an amazing experience and a career highlight (although perhaps the best thing for me was having the head of Tony Abbott’s personal security team at our table and talking to his wrist!)The book wall

Some 24 hours later, after being whisked down and whisked back again (thank you Simon &Schuster for treating me like a winner anyway) the sparkly outfit is back on the hanger and I am back to being ordinary me and blogging. But there was a particular moment from the awards night I wanted to share.

There I was in the room at Friday night’s book industry awards when at the end of all the awards, ‘someone’ at the mic said “Congratulations to all those in the room who received an award this year.”

I quietly raised my glass, looked across the table at author friend, Anna Romer, and whispered to her: “Congratulations to any author who managed to get published this year!”

The same sentiment can be applied to any author who managed to type the words THE END, as well as any author who managed to put those first few words of their dream novel on a page.  We are doing what we love, no matter what stage in the journey, so well done and celebrate every step along the way. We can’t all win awards, just as we can’t please all readers/reviewers. As I say these days: “I can’t be every reader’s favourite author. I can only be the best author I can be.”

My book awards experience was an extraordinary moment for this very ordinary girl and I am extremely grateful to the lovely people at S&S.

Keep writing and reading, friends.