Last night, SCBWI NSW kept the good folk of Woollhara awake long past their respectable bedtimes. The glorious Hughenden was filled with authors, illustrators and publishers, who were in their turn full of fine wine, delicious food, and far too much cake.
The Masters of Ceremonies were the Three Wise Writers, Wendy Blaxland, Nathan Luff, and Deb Abela, who awed us all with their Dignity and Gravitas and general Aura of Wisdom. They organised a bunch of fantastic theatre-sports games, and didn't even have to bully us into joining in!
Deb Abela telling Nathan Luff off for skinning an endangered animal to make something as frivolous as a hat.
Wendy Blaxland, clearly up to no good...
There were even door prizes (no prizes for guessing they were all books!) The response of one publisher-who-shall-remain-nameless on opening her present:
“I don’t want THAT!
I published the damn thing!””
Everyone had a children's book character stuck to their backs (no-one had a "kick-me!" sign - I checked...) and had to guess who they were, which was a great ice-breaker. Such illustrious names as Miss Trunchbull, Ebenezeer Scrooge, Stuart Little, Rumplestiltskin, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Pippi Longstocking and the Lorax were spotted, and look who was Little Miss Naughty!
Mark Thomason AKA Little Miss Naughty
