Just added a new page for poems written for NaPoWriMo. (Challenge – to write a poem a day during April.) Since I usually take several months, if not years, to come up with a poem I’m happy with, I’m approaching this with a large dose of apprehension!

I’m three-quarters of the way through a novel-writing boot camp – a course run by  Writers Victoria in Melbourne. The tutor is Shane Maloney, who is excellent at keeping us focused and giving us lots of useful insights. We’re a mixed bunch of pupils, some in the early stages of plotting a novel, some much further down the track. The subject matter we cover between us is very varied, but the basic principles of knocking a book into shape are relevant to all of us, and I think everyone is finding the course useful and inspiring. Three Wednesday afternoons down, one to go. I’m working on resurrecting a crime novel set in the Channel Islands that I came close to getting published in the UK years ago, with a view to trying again now I’m in Australia. I’ve posted a sample from it on the new extracts page I’ve just started.

After a couple of months of not writing very much at all, I suddenly find myself working on a crime novel, polishing some new poems, and plotting a new idea for a short story – much like the weather, which has now broken after a long dry spell. Extended metaphor there, I think, about long-awaited rains bringing forth blossom and fruit – but I’ll leave someone else to turn it into a corny poem!

I found out this week that I’m still getting royalties from a short story first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002! I knew it had had several repeats, but apparently it’s been retransmitted in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and used for educational recording in the UK. Huge respect to the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society for keeping track of these things on behalf of the writers.

As we stagger into the festive season, allow me to suggest that a copy of my poetry collection would make a great Christmas stocking-filler! Details on the ‘Lines Dancing’ page above.

I’ve been on the committee putting together the 2012 anthology for the Mornington Peninsula Branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers. The book is now in the process of being printed and bound, so will soon be available. It contains a mixture of short stories, poems, essays and memoirs (including my short story ‘Vengeance’) from writers throughout the Mornington Peninsula.

The anthology is being launched by Les Murray on Saturday October 20th at Mornington Library.

UPDATE: The launch was a fantastic success and the first print run completely sold out on the day – there is now a second.

“Lines Dancing” is now available on Amazon, though not yet as a downloadable e-book. The direct link is

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0987307401/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

or you can search for ‘Lines Dancing’ and ignore the books about line dancing!

Just back from a fantastic month-long visit to the UK, taking in London, Devon and the Channel Islands. We revisited old haunts, caught up with a lot of old friends and rekindled a lot of memories. Magic! Now back to Australia and reality, but the magic continues – the 50th Anniversary Concert for The Tudor Choristers was an amazing and joyful occasion. It included a specially commissioned work by composer Andrew Aronowicz; a choral setting of the words of my poem ‘In Places Where They Sing’.

While I’ve been away, my poem ‘Grumpy Old Poet’ has appeared in Pearl Magazine.

‘Lines Dancing’ is now available on Amazon.

Broke a front tooth yethterday and had to have an extracthion. Until the gum ith healed enough to have a new tooth fitted, I thound like thith!

My sonnet ‘Creation’ has just been accepted for publication next year in the anthology ‘The Poet’s Search for God’, published in the UK by Eyewear Publishing

‘LINES DANCING’ is now available to download as an e-book.

Check it out on my Lulu Author Spotlight page here