Chris Miles's Blog

You might recall that a couple of years ago I had a short story published in a Black Dog Books anthology called Short: a collection of interesting short stories and other stuff from some surprising and intelligent people, edited by Lili Wilkinson. (You don't? Hmm, maybe you're too young to remember. Maybe you hadn't actually been born yet. In which case, how on earth are you reading this?)

Well, Black Dog Books have released another new anthology, publishing well-known authors alongside not-so-well-known authors, with all profits going to youth charities. It's called Short and story: a whole lot of creepy stories and other chilling stuff, and it's edited by the wonderful Karen Tayleur. What's more, inside its doom-laden, slime-mottled and mould-edged pages, you'll find a short piece of mine entitled 'Double-you, double-you, double-you'.

Short and scary, a new anthology published by Black Dog Books. Isn't it amazing how IT'S YOUR DOOR ON THE FRONT COVER?

Lili Wilkinson assembled a stellar list of contributors for Short, and the talent in Short and scary is just as incredible. It's pretty amazing to be published alongside people like Carole Wilkinson, Shaun Tan, James Roy, Andy Griffiths, James Moloney and Sally Rippin, among many, many others.

You should be able to find Short and scary in all good bookshops. If it's not there, maybe you could ask for it. Remember, it's for a good cause!

Just got back from a week away in Mornington to find copies of the latest Countdown: The School Magazine in my letterbox — and inside, a reprint of my story 'Snail Mail'!

The October 2009 edition of Countdown: The School Magazine featuring my story 'Snail Mail' (note: my story has nothing to do with dragons)

Countdown is published by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training. I was thrilled to see that the story was illustrated by Stephen Axelsen, who wrote and illustrated what was one of my favourite books when I was growing up: The Oath of Bad Brown Bill.

The Oath of Bad Brown Bill by Stephen Axelsen

I don't know what happened to my original copy of The Oath of Bad Brown Bill, but I was amazed to find a second-hand copy in pretty good condition in Phillip Island several years ago. Unfortunately I couldn't find much about the book online (except for this LibraryThing entry), but it's about a bushranger and his waggish steed Mudpie (their crimes include stealing the entire Queensland Mint!) and their encounter with the ghoulish Pale Jackeroo…

Now that I look back at it I can see a lot in Bad Brown Bill that probably influenced my imagination and interests: the vividly imagined historical Australian setting, the creepy monsters, and a horse that suddenly acquires the power of speech (though that last one will only make sense if my currently unpublished novel The Genie in the Dunnycan ever becomes non-unpublished).

'Snail Mail' was originally published in the Short anthology published by Black Dog Books early last year.

Short: a collection of interesting short stories and other stuff from some surprising and intelligent people edited by Lili Wilkinson

Black Dog are doing a similar anthology early next year, and I'm pleased to report that I have a short piece in that one too…

I received an email from a fellow author yesterday congratulating me on Who's on the Money? being one of 19 titles to be listed as a notable book in this year's Children's Book Council of Australia awards.

I rushed to the website to check that this wasn't an elaborate April Fool's Day joke.

Staggeringly, it wasn't.

This came as quite a surprise — though it shouldn't have, because quite clearly my book is brilliant. Ahem.

Now that I'm all puffed up, I'm hoping for a shortlisting and gold sticker next year for my second book, Stuck on History.