“The School Magazine is Australia’s most-loved and longest-running literary publication for children. The four magazines under The School Magazine imprint have been introducing young readers to a world of words for more than a century. The secret of its enduring success is the quality literature which engages and inspires young readers.”
This month’s post will highlight the poems and poets that appear in November’s issues of the magazine.
And first up this month is little old me – Jackie Hosking
Jackie’s poem, Metamorphosis, appears in ORBIT and is one of the poems that can be heard on YouTube read by the lovely Geoffrey McSkimming.
I wrote this poem in Canberra during my May Gibbs Creative Time Fellowship and I wrote it in ‘Notes’ because I didn’t have office on my laptop. And when I look back ‘Notes’ informs me that I wrote it on 22nd April which is my oldest son’s birthday. I don’t think I realised that at the time but isn’t that beautiful – in a way I was the chrysalis for my baby. Anyhoo, I remember I was standing facing the bed, and maybe I needed a hug, and it just tumbled out, fully formed although I may have originally said, I wrapped myself around myself….but that’s not what I wrote down.
Any news?
So much news! I have two picture books coming out with Larrikin House, both illustrated by Leah Russack, one picture book coming out with Walker Books , not sure who the illustrator is yet and the other one, coming out with Scholastic Australia is being illustrated by Shane McG and fingers crossed I may have some more news soon. And of course I’m always looking forward to seeing my poems in the wonderful School Magazine!
BIO
Jackie is a children’s author and poet. Her most favourite thing to do is write in rhyme and metre and her second most favourite thing to do is to help others write in rhyme and metre. She puts together a kitlit ezine every Monday for anyone and everyone interested in the Children’s Book Industry. You can find out more about this ezine here PASS IT ON and she runs an editing service for writers of rhyme and metre. If you’d like to get in touch with Jackie you can email her at jackiehosking@bigpond.com – she’d love to hear from you.
Next, please welcome Anne Bell
Anne’s poem, Elsewhere, appears in ORBIT. She also has another poem, Daniel Dog Takes the Sun to Obedience School, in BLAST OFF.
“Elsewhere” fell into my mind when I’d spent a frustrating time trying to find someone to help with some repairs – everyone and everything seemed to be “elsewhere”. It was comforting to find the dog in situ when I returned home – and overjoyed to greet me. I wondered why everyone wanted to be somewhere else.
Any news?
Coming up(31st October -8th December) ART-WORD-PLACE at Tamworth Regional Gallery. A celebration of local landscapes of NSW, wherein artists interpret the written word of a literary partner. Maree Kelly and I worked together on this concept. This concept was conceived by Arts Northwest to display during their conference.
BIO
I’ve written poetry for yonks – publishing in The Bulletin while still at school (this makes me the original dinosaur). Published in numerous anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas. Chance meeting with Lilith Norman, then Editor of the School Magazine set me on another course. Fortunately the muse still sits on my shoulder and that happy association continues. Awards include twice winner Henry Lawson Award, shortlisted NSW Premiers Award, Notable Book CBA. Also as (Anne Knight) a Printmaker.
And next up we have Annaleise Byrd
Annaleise’s poem, Peg Leg Problems, appears in BLAST OFF and it can also be heard here on YouTube.
I wrote this poem for a competition on author Vivian Kirkfield’s blog in March 2019. The task was to write a story with a beginning, middle and end… using only 50 words (or less!). Peg Leg Problems didn’t place in the competition, but someone suggested I submit it to a children’s magazine… so I did!
BIO
Annaleise Byrd woke up one day with her head full of story ideas and set about becoming an author. When she’s not writing (or reading) books, Annaleise enjoys strumming her guitar, building precarious Lego spaceships with her two young sons, and talking all things bookish at The Byrd and the Bookworms. She lives in Brisbane.
A big hello to Pat Simmons
Pat’s poem, Sally’s Secret, appears in BLAST OFF.
I’m ashamed to say that I can’t remember how this poem came to be. I wrote it a few years ago and it sat in my files until I submitted it to School Magazine. I’m absolutely hopeless with keys and have misplaced so many over the years that I truly believe that there’s a Sally in my life somewhere.
Any news?
Pat’s picture books, Ziggy’s Zoo illustrated by Vicky Pratt and published by Little Pink Dog Books and Little Spiral illustrated by Patrick Shirvington, published by Little Steps Publishing, entered the world in 2018. In October 2019, Little Spiral was released in the UK and USA. Her picture book, George, also published by Little Steps Publishing was released in 2019. Her fourth picture book, The Cat Thief will be published by Little Pink Dog Books in 2021.
BIO
Pat lives at Scarborough on the NSW south coast.
She’s a writer of poems, short stories, flash fiction and children’s picture books.
Next on the blog please welcome Jenny Erlanger
Jenny’s poem, Change of view, appears in COUNTDOWN and can also be heard on YouTube here.
This poem was first published in The School Magazine in 2008 and has now been reprinted – once more with an illustration by Tohby Riddle – in November 2019.
The inspiration for the poem came from my own experiences as a child of hanging upside down from a tree branch in a huge park just across the road from my house. I couldn’t help marveling at how different everything looked from this angle. The sky really does look like a vast bowl and the absence of anything but lightly waving leaves on the edges and white fluffy clouds inside creates a sense of serenity in the viewer.
Any news?
I am eagerly awaiting the publication of some further poems submitted to The School Magazine.
BIO
I am an Australian poet specialising in rhyming children’s poetry. My anthology, Giggles and Niggles was published by Haddington Press in 2007 and since then I have had poems published in twenty editions of The School Magazine, in several issues of the Caterpillar magazine and in six anthologies : Hopscotch (Jelli-Beanz Publishing, 2011), Our Home is Dirt by Sea (Walker Books, 2016), Short and Twisted (Celepene Press, 2016), One Minute till Bedtime (Little, Brown and Company), Play (Paper Dart Press, 2018) and Fire burn, Cauldron Bubble (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019).
My website is a work in progress at the moment, but I can be contacted via email (jennyerlanger@optusnet.com.au)
And a very friendly wave to Peter Friend
blog
Peter’s poem, Stop motion, appears in TOUCHDOWN and can also be heard on YouTube here.
This was one of those poems that was inspired in a moment, as you can probably tell for yourself after reading the text. I was in my house. The curtains were open just a little, revealing a sliver of green lawn outside. Suddenly a magpie appeared in just that little patch of visible lawn, and a moment later was gone again. So, really, the poem was simply playing with that tiny moment in time, putting the experience into words and thinking about it. I wrote the poem in free verse, which is unusual for me. Usually I write poems with definite rhythm and rhyme. But free verse “worked” for this sort of impressionistic poem. It meant I could focus freely on the ideas, images and word-sounds. The main idea, as the reader can see, involved a comparison with digital photography. My sighting of the magpie was like a single frame of a stop motion film, suggesting movement both before and after. This one moment was stuck in my memory (so it’s a poem about memory too) and was a moment “for future editing,” as the last line says – which ironically could also refer to the writing of the poem itself!
Any news?
Peter continues to write poetry and fiction whenever he can. His book What’s the Matter, Aunty May? was rereleased as a paperback by Little Hare Books in 2019. Peter’s latest book-writing project is taking him repeatedly to the zoo, a place where, he says, he feels very at home.
BIO
Peter Friend is an Australian children’s poet and author. More than fifty of his poems and some twenty of his short stories have appeared in The School Magazine. Peter is also the author of the picture book What’s the Matter, Aunty May? (Little Hare Books, illustrated by Andrew Joyner), which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award and was a CBCA Notable book. His short children’s fantasy adventure novel, The Cliff Runner, was published by Blake Education. His writing interests are broad, ranging from nature-inspired pieces to fantasy and crazy comedy. In his spare time, Peter also works as a college lecturer, teaching ancient languages.
Now please welcome Charlotte Barkla
Charlotte’s poem, Prince Uncharming, appears in TOUCHDOWN. Here’s a teaser…
‘I can help, easy done,’ and the prince flashed a smile.
‘After all, I’m the best guy around by a mile!’
I wanted to write a fun, humorous story in the ‘fractured fairytale’ genre. The story turns the traditional Sleeping Beauty / Prince Charming storyline on its head, literally. (Spoiler alert: Prince Charming ends up being subjected to the Princess’s judo moves.)
Any news?
My first three books are coming out next year – so 2020 will be an exciting (and busy) year!
My debut picture book, All Bodies are Good Bodies, will be published by Hardie Grant Egmont (under the Little Hare imprint) in January:
The first two books in my middle-grade series, Edie’s Experiments, will be published by Penguin Random House (under the Puffin imprint), in February and July. Book 1, How to Make Friends, is online now:
BIO
I’m an Adelaide-based writer who worked as a civil engineer and physics teacher before rediscovering my love for children’s literature. My first three children’s books will be published in 2020.
opportunity? Now I have lots of contacts in the Aussie KidLit industry thanks to the ezine that I put together each week called 