2013 has been a fun and really exciting year.

In May I participated in the English Teachers’ Association of WA (ETAWA) all-day event, ‘A Day at the Museum’, at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle, meeting loads of high school students and their teachers and having some very funny conversations about what makes a bogan.

In June I had a stimulating and busy week as writer-in residence at the Warnbro Community High School Library. Librarians Kate and Bev made my job look easy and the students gave our creative writing workshops their all, producing some excellent original writing. Thank you all!
July was busy, with my beloved annual trek down to Balingup for the Telling Tales Festival, followed by a flight north to Kununurra, where I had the pleasure of participating in the Kimberley Writers Festival. It was as far north—and east—I’ve ever travelled in WA, and the landscapes and people were magnificent. We were treated to a spectacular boat trip up the Ord River, which firmed my resolve to go back to this beautiful part of the country with my family. The writers had a ball being shown around and guided through the program by the staff of the Kununurra Community Library, and the Kununurra District High School, making lots of new friends. Thank you Jo Roach and your team!

During Children’s Book Week in August 2013 I was delighted to meet students, teachers and library staff at: Murray Public Library in Pinjarra (where I met a student whose name is Spencer Gray—I kid you not!), Bentley Library, Coolbinia Primary School, Subiaco Library, Duncraig SHS and Whitford Library. Then I flew across to Kalgoorlie where I spent the week meeting kids from the many schools in the beautiful Goldfields. Thank you Carolina and all the staff at the William Grundt Library in Kal! The month of August was capped off by presenting award-winners with their prizes at the annual Newspapers in Education (NIE) Young Writers’ Contest 2013. The quality of the entries was phenomenal, and it was a real honour to be able to congratulate the winning students and meet their teachers and parents. Here’s a photo of me and Sylvester Andrysiak, courtesy of Newspapers in Education and Claire Miller of Fremantle Press.

Deb presenting an award to Sylvester Andrysiak from Inglewood Primary School at the Newspapers in Education (NIE) Young Writers’ Contest 2013.
• My new book, The Amazing Spencer Gray, is set to be released on 1 May 2013! It’s an adventure story for kids aged 9 to 12.
• The Amazing Spencer Gray will be serialised in The West Australian’s Ed! section every Tuesday in Term 2 of 2013. Watch out for the weekly instalments and ask your teachers to get a copy of the paper to share with the class!
• I’ll be attending this year’s All Saint’s College ‘Litfest’, from 20 to 22 March, along with lots of other exciting and entertaining Australian writers. Hope to see you there!
• I’ll also be at the annual Balingup writers and readers festival, ‘Telling Tales’, in the July school holidays, along with a few of my friends. Come down for the weekend and bring your mum and dad – we’d love to meet you.