When I was studying graphic design at RMIT, I majored in photographic design and one of my dreams at that time was to become a movie director. I even made a short film for one of my assignments which was centred around a chessboard. If it sounds familiar my heroes were Bergman, Fellini and my all time favourite Read the rest of this entry »

The Race for the Chinese Zodiac is very much a traditional tale. It begins ‘‘Long ago in Ancient China’’ and ends ‘‘And that is why, to this very day, cats have hated rats’’. It tells the tale of 13 animals who race across a river to decide which animals will become part of the Chinese Zodiac, which has only 12 categories. Gabrielle Wang’s text is beautifully articulated as she uses traditional folktale cadences to tell the story of how each animal approaches the task according to its nature – the tiger leaps, the rabbit jumps on a log, the horse plunges in, and the pig falls asleep in the mud. Read the rest of this entry »

I returned from the Sunshine Coast hinterland with a tick in the top of my head. Read the rest of this entry »

No dandelions growing around where I’m staying but Catsears are prolific and just as good to eat. Catsear and dandelions make great salads. In Chinese medicine dandelions are cooling and work to detox the body.

“But the Kelvar can flee or defend themselves, whereas the Olvar that grow cannot.

And among these I hold trees dear” (from Tolkein’s Silmarillion)

Spending a week in an elegant place within beautiful surroundings is the perfect medicine for writing. You can’t waste a moment, especially if you are paying for the privilege. Read the rest of this entry »

Thank you to everyone who commented and asked questions on The Age newspaper website blog about my chapter in the MS Readathon competition. Read the rest of this entry »