Jennifer Scoullar's Blog, page 25
July 14, 2012
Equitana 2012
Now the excitement of the release of Brumby’s Run is settling down, I think it’s important to return to some more important issues – horses! More particularly, Equitana 2012. Equitana is the most anticipated annual equine event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere attracting over 50,000 visitors. The next event will be held at the Melbourne Showgrounds from 15th to 18th November 2012. It will be four days of everything to do with horses, and will feature Olympic gold medallists, world renowned educators, aussie cowboys, an elite equine competition program and over 300 exhibitors making up the largest horsey shopping spree in Australia!
AUSTRALIAN STOCK HORSE STATE OF ORIGIN TIME TRIAL CHALLENGE
Sunday 18th November 3.15pm – 4.30pm, TuffRock Arena
This year there is a thrilling new addition to their outdoor competition program – the Australian Stockhorse State of Origin Challenge. Ten top horses and riders, from different states will complete a tight and demanding time trial course. This challenge is a high action competition against the clock, with a strong component of crowd interaction and excitement. Obstacles will be set in Australian bush fashion, with loads of surprises for competitors. It will involve lots of fast paced, precision riding and I can’t wait to see the best of the best competing!
There will be teams of two riders from five states, representing Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. Both state rider’s points will be added together, to obtain the winning score and determine who will gain the title of “Challenge Master” of the Equitana State of Origin competition. I’ll be barracking firmly for Victoria of course! Perhaps I’ll see you there …
For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.equitana.com.au
July 9, 2012
Foster’s Little Bookshop
Our independent bookstores are national, cultural treasures! I’m doing a series featuring some of these gems. What better way to start than with Foster’s Little Bookshop, the brainchild of Jan and Bob Bull. They hosted the regional launch of Brumby’s Run last Friday as part of their Twilight Talks. There’s a stellar line up of authors still to come – Helene Young, Margareta Osborn and Sydney Smith. Foster’s Little Bookshop is widely considered to be South Gippsland’s premiere book store, and is a vibrant contributor to local community life. And now, it’s over to Jan!
Jan and myself at the launch
We opened on Saturday 22nd July 2006 to much amusement and bewilderment from the locals. Family and people who knew us well said, great idea, you’ll do well, go for it!! Folk who didn’t know us said “what? a bookshop?” Other traders said we’d need to rely on visitors during the holiday season. We didn’t agree, believing the local community was our major market and that’s where we put our emphasis. Becoming involved in the community meant spending more of our time than our money, and developing not just good customers, but good friends. These are the people who’ve continued to support us over these six years.
Signing books!
We’ve developed a following from Melbourne requesting books for when next they visit. People from interstate and overseas, with families in this area, make purchases for birthdays and at Christmas via our website. We hold events each month for both children and adults. Our customers are encouraged to write reviews on any proof copy books we get from publishers, and these are submitted to the ‘book review’ page on our website. We’re involved with book club members from the local College and are invited to primary schools to participate in events.
Our radio program on the local community station 3MFM has been going for over three years and we have a load of fun each Sunday morning. We write a regular piece (The Book Nook) in one of the lifestyle magazines that cover South Gippsland, and provide the local paper, The Mirror, with a monthly column and many articles.
The last six years have been hard work and fun work and we are both pleased that we took (what the locals saw as) the chance to build this business. Our little bookshop is becoming well known in some unexpected places!
Do you have a favourite independent bookshop? Tell me what makes your store special and it might feature here in the future. And congratulations to Shirley Forrest and Carol Toogood who are the lucky winners of the Brumby’s Run giveaway! I’ll be in touch very soon. (JindivickWildlifeShelter – you’re the winner of the giveaway on Cathryn Hein’s blog)
Foster’s Little Bookshop, 4 Station Street Foster, Victoria 3960
Ph: (03) 5682 2089
Email flb@virtual.net.au
Website http://www.fosterslittlebookshop.com.au/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/FostersLittleBookshop
July 1, 2012
Brumby’s Run Giveaway!
To celebrate the release of Brumby’s Run I’m giving away two signed copies!
Brumby’s Run, was inspired by an iconic Banjo Paterson poem of the same name, first published in The Bulletin, December 1895. I’ve always loved this poem, and the story behind it. The term Brumby was just entering the language. There are various explanations for where the word came from. I believe it was based on the Aboriginal word, baroomby which means wild. At a trial in the N.S.W. Supreme Court around the time this poem was written, the Judge, hearing of Brumby horses, asked: “Who is this Brumby, and where is his Run?” Banjo Paterson was so amused by the misunderstanding, he wrote his poem. So add Banjo’s poem, to my childhood love of the Silver Brumby books by Elyne Mitchell, and Brumby’s Run was the result.
For your chance to win one of two signed copies, leave a comment. Competition closes 7.00 pm Sunday 8th July
(Aust and NZ residents only - Sorry!)
Release of Brumby’s Run
With the release of Brumby’s Run just a few hours away, I’ve decided to give this blog over to some shameless self-promotion. For those of you in south-east Victoria, the regional launch of Brumby’s Run will be at the Stockyard Gallery in Foster on Friday 6th July, courtesy of Foster’s Little Bookshop. The launch will be held as part of the Twilight Author Talks series, and I’m in fine company! The other three authors in July are Helene Young (popular romantic suspense author), Margareta Osborn (fellow rural author) and Sydney Smith (well-known writing mentor and debut author of a fine memoir)
July 6th - Jennifer Scoullar’s first novel ‘Wasp Season’ had its regional launch at one of the first Twilight Author talks we ran. It is with very great pleasure that we also launch Jennifer’s second book ‘Brumby’s Run’. Jennifer is an author of rural and environmental fiction. She lives on a property overlooking the Bunyip State Forest in West Gippsland and has always harboured a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. Her first novel ‘Wasp Season’, an environmental thriller was officially launched at the Melbourne Writer’s Festival in 2008. In May of this year she was writer-in-residence at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland. ‘Brumby’s Run’, her second novel will be released by Penguin July 2nd.
Bookings can be made at Foster’s Little Bookshop by phone 5682 2089 or by email flb@virtual.net.au . Cost is $22 per head which includes a glass of wine and finger food. The Twilight Talk sessions are held at the Stockyard Gallery from 5.30pm to 7.00pm each Friday evening in July. Numbers will be limited so book early
Brumby’s Run will also receive a grand metropolitan christening.
Acclaimed novelist Andrea Goldsmith will launch Brumby’s Run at the . The venue is The Cube at 2.30 pm Saturday 25th August. All welcome!
I have received some lovely early reviews. Here are the links!
http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/brumbys-run
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/343262394
Related articles
FRIDAY FEAST with Jennifer Scoullar (cathrynhein.wordpress.com)
June 24, 2012
A Tribute to Australian Rural Authors
With only a week or so to go before the release of Brumby’s Run, I’m dedicating this post to the other authors in the Australian rural lit genre. I’m new on the rural block, and with the exception of my friend Margareta Osborn (we’re in the same writing group known as the Little Lonsdale Group) I only knew the other authors by reading their books. My first, tentative tweets about Brumby’s Run were met by an avalanche of supportive responses from members of this rather unique literary club. I almost used the word exclusive instead of unique, but that would have been quite wrong. This warm-hearted bunch of talented writers made every possible effort to include me, right from the start.Thank you. It meant a lot guys!
There were immediate invitations to do guest blog spots, even though I couldn’t usefully return the favour, with my book’s release still months off. Rachael Johns offered me a Theory on Thursday spot and will do a post for me 29th July. Fellow Penguin author Mandy Magro immediately asked me to take part in her Awesome Aussie Authors series. Fleur Mcdonald wrote a beautifully timed post on editing when I needed it most. Cathryn Hein (another Penguin) wrote, and continues to write me, encouraging messages and offers phone chats, particularly when the whole publishing process has seemed a bit overwhelming. I am visiting her Friday Feast this coming Friday. Cathryn will graciously guest post for me on 22nd July, in a series called What’s Important to Me.
I met Fiona Palmer (another Penguin) at the RWA Conference last year just before I pitched my manuscript, and she has had her fingers firmly crossed for me ever since. The great Nicole Alexander has asked me to write about my passion for the environment on her blog. Romantic suspense author Helene Young (yet another Penguin!) will visit here on the 12th August and has asked me to guest post about my trip to Ireland. The support and friendship offered to me has been amazing. I feel like I’m part of a family, a real rural community bursting with country hospitality. A big thank you to everybody for showing me how it’s done!
June 17, 2012
Back in Oz!
I’m back in Australia after a fantastic six week overseas trip spanning Ireland, Scotland and England – a month writing at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, a trip to the Isle of Skye, Edinburgh, Stonehenge, Bath and London. But I must admit that I’m so happy to be back. It is true what they say … home is where the heart is. I missed the family a lot. My son T turned seventeen while I was away, and I had a serious attack of the guilts over that. Everybody rallied around however, and gave him a terrific birthday, with a home made Nigella Lawson, double-chocolate birthday cake.
But if anything, I’m ashamed to admit that I was more homesick for my animals than my family. I almost kidnapped a dog from outside a shop! It is wonderful to go around Pilyara, reintroducing myself to the dogs, the cats, the cows, the sheep, the horses and the ponies. Even the chooks seemed pleased to see me! My special dog, Teddy (yes, I do have a favourite) can’t stop smiling and is back on his blanket beside my bed as I write this. Of all the beautiful places I’ve seen overseas, nothing surpassed the beauty found in my own backyard.
The advance copies of Brumby’s Run arrived while I was overseas, so I was the last in the family to hold one. It was funny and frustrating having people send me photos of my own book! The official release date of July 2nd is fast approaching, and Penguin have sent me a daunting list of pre-publicity events, starting tomorrow with an interview for Stock and Land. I’m pretty nervous, but all my writer friends assure me this sort of thing is fun. I hope they’re right!
June 9, 2012
A Temple to Nature
I’m in London now. On Monday I fly back to Australia. A wonderful trip, but it’s time to go home. After six weeks away, I’m missing my family and animals more than I expected to. Now I can’t wait to return and enjoy the release of Brumby’s Run in a few weeks time. Advance copies are waiting at home, and I haven’t even seen them yet!
I’ve been to all sorts of amazing places since leaving the Tyrone Guthrie Centre: Dublin, Edinburgh, Loch Ness, the Isle of Skye, Stonehenge, Bath and the historic village of Lacock, entirely owned by the National Trust. Lacock is the place where Harry Potter was largely filmed. I even had the dubious experience of being robbed on the Tube. But my blog tour of Ireland and the United Kingdom wouldn’t be complete without a visit to London’s 125 year old Natural History Museum.
The museum was purpose-built (I love that!) and is one of the finest Victorian buildings in England. Behind its magnificent Romanesque facade lies perhaps the world’s most important natural history collection. In the grand space of the Central Hall stands a full size replica of a 150-million-year-old Diplodocus skeleton. It has stood there since 1905 and is a full 26 metres long. Each exhibition is more amazing than the last: plants, birds, mammals, fossils, the earth hall, the wildlife garden, the Darwin centre … they’re all fascinating.
My favourite display was the exhibit of marine fossils. It features the first ichthyosaur ever found, discovered by blaze-trailing fossil finder, Mary Anning. There are also two skeletons of pregnant ichthyosaurs: in one case, three little foetus skeletons are visible between the mother’s ribs and in the second, the baby is forever frozen in the birthing process, with its tiny tail protruding from its mother’s body. Only a small fraction of the museum’s collection is on display. Behind the scenes, lie kilometre after kilometre of stored specimens. It makes me smile just to think such places exist in our world.
June 3, 2012
Cairngorms National Park
On my way to the Isle of Skye yesterday, I passed through Cairngorms National park. It contains Britain’s highest and most massive mountain range, and its biggest native forests. Everywhere you look, there are spectacular rivers and lochs, heather-covered moorlands and dramatic peaks. The park is a stronghold for wildlife.
The Cairngorms National Park is in north-east Scotland and was established in 2003. It covers an area of 4,528 km². The Highland Wildlife Park, within Cairngorms’ boundaries, looked like the only chance I might get to see some of Scotland’s most interesting animals. Like Ireland, Scotland has a formidable history of extinctions. Only a tiny fraction of original native forest cover remains. Eurasian Lynx lived here until 1,500 years ago. Brown bears became extinct in the 9th or 10th century and elk survived until about 1300. Wild boar and wild ox (Urus) died out by the the 15th century. Auroch, huge cattle with sweeping horns which once roamed the forests of Europe and Scotland, have not been seen for nearly 400 year. The last known wolf was shot in Invernessshire in 1743.
Attempts at rewilding are being made. Scottish Natural Heritage have re-introduced the European Beaver using Norwegian stock. The species was found in the Highlands until the 15th century. Wild Boar have come back to a large fenced area of the Dundreggan Estate in Glenmoriston. Apparently the owner of the Alladale estate north of Inverness wants to add wolves to a wilderness reserve, the first of its kind in Britain. For now I’ll have to settle for the wonderful animals on show at the Highland Wildlife Park. Rare species like Wildcats, Pine Martens and Capercaillies. Will wild individuals even exist in a few decade’s time? Scottish conservationists are doing their best. I take my hat off to them.
May 29, 2012
Farewell to Annaghmakerrig
My month-long writing retreat at the beautiful Tyrone Guthrie Centre has come to an end. This morning I boarded a bus, along with fellow Australian, Ross Donlon,(an amazing poet by the way!) and took a bus to Dublin. I’m writing this post in the shadow of Christchurch Cathedral, one of Dublin’s greatest landmarks, built after the arrival of Christianity in the 13th century
It’s hard to put into words the effect of my stay at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. On the writing front, I added 25,000 words to my manuscript. Not a huge jump in word count, but the dedicated time available to just mull, has set the novel on firm foundations. I know where I’m heading. The rest will be easy. What was more remarkable, and heartwarming, was the way the people of Annaghmakerrig embraced me, and I them. There was a kind of unbridled joy and enthusiasm about the place – a daily celebration of the creative human spirit. It was paradise, and I’ve made friendships that I hope might last a lifetime. There’s nothing wrong with listening to Irish accents all day either!
But it was time to leave my Shangri-la. Time to leave Tyrone Guthrie, that mystical, harmonious artist retreat isolated from the outside world. I hope one day I’ll be back. Here are two photos of the same magnificent oak tree that stood outside my window.
One photo was taken on my arrival, and the other today. The tree is a metaphor for my time there, my imagination unfurling along with the leaves.
May 28, 2012
Tell Me About Yourself Award!
My dear fellow blogger, acflory from Meeka’s Mind, has most graciously nominated me for the ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ blog award. Thank you acflory! Now, according to the rules of these awards, I must first display the award logo on my blog. Check. Then I must write seven things about myself that I haven’t revealed before. Hmm … okay. Then I have to nominate seven other bloggers for the same award. That bit will be easy. So without further ado, here are my seven things.
1. I always thought I was fat when I was young. Now I look back on photos of me and I wonder what I was worried about.
2. I applied to enter the zoo-keeper internship program at the Melbourne Zoo when I was eighteen, and was devastated when I missed out. I would have made a fabulous zoo-keeper!
3. I love old-fashioned, patterned wall paper.
4. I’m not generally obsessive compulsive, but ever since I was a child, I thought bears would get me if I sat in the bath until the water ran out. I still think that.
5. I’m more of a mountain person than a coast person.
6. Right now is the happiest time of my life.
7. I can trigger myself into conscious dreaming, but don’t do it anymore, because I don’t like the person I turn into when I enter a world of no consequences.
Okay … now for the nominated blogs. Drum roll please!
1.Notes From Olvar Wood. A blog by inspiring writer Inga Simpson, and my absolute favourite nature writing blog
2.The Truth be Told By Kate Rizzetti – A lover of truth and fiction
3. storie by Diane Simonelli – a talented writer and Meanland blogger
4. Sue Healy – craft tips for writers (my only non-Australian. Sorry!)
5. Fleur McDonald – voice of the Australian outback
6. Cathryn Hein – writer, gourmand and horse lover. What’s not to like?
7. Call my Agent – a helpful and anonymous Sydney literary agent. Will she reveal herself?
I’ve had to leave out so many of my favourite blogs. Please forgive me.
