sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: Alone

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I’ve been reading and thinking about verse novels lately, and the way that lots of smaller poems can weave a narrative. So, for Poetry Friday today I thought I would share the opening poem from my own verse novel, Pearl Verses the World.

 

Sometimes I think    Pearl Verses the World

That I am on an island –

A deserted one

With just a single coconut tree.

Other days I think

I’m trapped in a bubble

Floating aimlessly through a void.

Whereever  I am

No one sees me.

(Copyright Sally Murphy 2009, 2016)

This poem came to me late one night as I was getting into bed. I grabbed a piece of paper and jotted it down. It was only later that I realised that this wasn’t only a stand-alone poem – it was the start of a story, a story which insisted on being told.  And so it evolved into a verse novel.

At the start of this book trailer (which was my first ever attempt at such a thing) you can hear the poem read aloud, by Murphlet 6.

Ever since that poem came to me, I’ve been really grateful that it chose me – and that Pearl, the voice in the poem, chose me to tell her story. The book has been published in Australia, the United States and England (under the title Pearl) and was made into a play by the Jigsaw Theatre Company. Most importantly, it’s been read and loved by children and by adults, some of whom didn’t even realise that the book was poetry – which is fine by me (I call it poetry by stealth).

What was the last verse novel you read? If you’ve never read one, maybe it’s time you tried one for yourself.

Happy Poetry Friday. Today’s roundup is hosted by Beyond Literacy.

 

Teaching Tips: Using Do Not Forget Australia In the Classroom

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I had an email from a teacher named Hillary  who asked the following: Just purchased ‘Do Not Forget Australia‘ to read to my yr 2/3 class . I was hoping to pick your brains about the best way to help the children relate to the story.  Their world view is not broad so I am searching for ways to help them identify with the story.  Any ideas?

do-not-forgetI sat down to reply to the email then decided that  there was so much I could say, and with ANZAC Day approaching, I might instead answer it here on the blog. Do Not Forget Australia is historical fiction set in 1918 and explaining the events at Villers-Bretonneux on April 25, 1918 and the subsequent rebuilding of the local school with funds raised by Australian children. The book is suitable for reads from primary school age through to adult but, as Hillary points out, some children will need extra help to understand the story.

So, here are some ideas, all of which I’ve used.

  1. Before reading, explain to children that you are going to read a story about friendship, and get them to discuss what friends do for each other. Ask them if they any friends who they’ve never met. Most will say no, but with prompting, some might remember that their family sponsors a child through World Vision or similar, or they (or, more likely, a parent) might have a pen pal.
  2. Briefly explain the concept of war and the reasons we commemorate it (this can be done either before reading, or during closer study). My feeling is that it’s important that we don’t glorify war and avoid using terms like ‘winning’, ‘victory’ and ‘enemies’ – because the complexities of war are so very great.
  3. Use a world map to show where France is, and especially Villers-Bretonneux, and also where Australia is, especially Melbourne.
  4. Talk about what travel and communication were like in 1918: no aeroplane travel, meaning to travel to France was a lengthy sea journey, and it was unlikely two children like Billy and Henri would have met in real life. Also highlight things like: no internet, no telephone, no television. Mail was slow (again by ships) so families at home relied on letters that could be quite out of date, as well as newspaper reports.
  5. After reading, talk again about friendship. Try to highlight the friendship between Billy and Henri, who never meet, but are linked by Billy’s father, the soldier who Henri helps. Also highlight the friendship between the two countries: Australian soldiers fighting to try to save the village, and later the Australian children sending money for the school; and French villagers helping the soldiers with food and warmth, then putting up the signs in the school to honour the gift, as well as continuing to look after the graves of the Australians who died. DNF Internal 2

I hope these ideas help Hillary and any other teacher or librarian who wants to share Do Not Forget Australia in the lead up to ANZAC Day. There are also teacher’s notes for the book available here.

 

If you have any questions for me about teaching my books, or about writing and publishing, or about things that happen in my books, why not drop me a line?

 

Throwback Thursday: On the Pyramid

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This week for Throwback Thursday I thought I’d share a very old photo. In fact, this photo is over 100 years old.Australian 11th Battalion

It’s a photo that, like many other Australians, I’ve seen many many times., I knew that this was a photo of Australian troops taken in Egypt during WW1, but when I began my research for my book 1915, this photo became for a me a starting point.

The photo was taken in January 1915, and features the men of the 11th Battalion of the AIF who were in Egypt preparing to join the war. They didn’t know it then, but in April those men would land at Gallipoli. Many of them would never leave.

As I researched WW1, looking for a place to start my story, I realised that if my character was from Western Australia (which he was) then he would have been in the 11th and, therefore, in this photo. So, at the start of 1915 I have my character, Stanley, climbing the pyramid with his mates, ready to have their photo taken.

Writing that scene was both a joy and a torment. A Joy because I knew that young men like Stanley were excited to be off on an adventure, seeing the sights of Egypt, climbing pyramids, being outside of Australia for the first times in their lives, excited about having their photo taken. But a torment, because while Stanley was fictional, the harsh realities of what later befell those very real young men in the photograph was something they could never have predicted, but which I, with 100 years of separation, knew and could hardly bear.

I have a copy of this photo which I take with me when I go to speak about 1915. Like me, people young and old are fascinated by the quality of photography from a century ago, and fascinated by the many details they can see – the looks on faces, the poses of the men, the things they are holding and wearing. And, like me, when they realise the future these men faced, their emotions are mixed.

This photo, and stories like 1915, remind us of the past in the hopes we can make a better future.

Contributor Copies: Heartfelt Moments in the AFL

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I write for children. It’s what I do and it’s what I love to do. So imagine my surprise when I was asked to write a chapter for a book for adults. Then imagine my amazement when told that the subject was Australian Rules Football. Sure, I love my team (the Dockers) but can’t even name every player. Sure I love to watch footy – especially if the Dockers are playing – but my knowledge of the game is general at best.

But I was asked, and I have a rule that when I’m asked to write or speak (the two things I do to make my living) I say yes whenever possible. So before I could stop and think too hard I say yes to contributing a chapter about heartfelt moments in AFL from the perspective of a Fremantle Dockers supporter.

It took a while to figure out what to say, but then I realised that I’m always talking about the Dockers – even at school visits, and that it was my passion the editors were after, not my knowledge. So I sat down and wrote my chapter (and rewrote it) and sent it off, wondering if it would make the final cut.

Then, today, a parcel arrived in the mail, with contributor copies of Heartfelt Moments in Australian Rules Football. I’ve seen my name on books before, but seeing it on the front of a footy book made me smile. And looking at the list of fellow contributors – many of whom know much, much more about footy than I do – made me smile even more.

So what’s my chapter about? In a nutshell, it’s about how being a Dockers supporter is about living in hope. Which isn’t too bad a way to live at all.

TBT: Doggy Duo

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It’s Thursday, and time for another TBT (Throwback Thursday) post.

Last week I shared a picture of my first ever copy of my first ever book.

This week I thought I’d share one of copies I still own, of my very first trade book (ie a book which you could, potentially, buy in a bookshop). Here it is:

Little Dog Copies

Doggy Duo was special to me because it was, as I’ve said, my first ever trade-published book, and its acceptance came after years and years of trying to break into writing for children.

Sadly, the company which published it (Banana Books) went into receivership not long after the book was published, meaning it didn’t get a long life on bookstore shelves, but 11 years down the track,  I still remember the thrill of that acceptance and holding that book in my hands. (And, as you can see, I still have lots of copies, so can hold it in my hands any time I like!)

Have a great Thursday!

Throwback Thursday: My First Book

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It’s Thursday, and for the first time I through I might do a Throwback Thursday post, hoping it might become a regular thing, where I post something from my writing past – books, publications, photos, old blog posts, whatever takes my fancy.

So, it seems the best place to start might be where it all began: my first published book. And not just my first book, but my first copy of my first book, looking a little worse for wear after 19 years of being carted round and shown off.

When I was offered a contract for Speak Out, I had only written an outline and two sample pages. Oh, and I was 7 months pregnant with my fourth child (I didn’t tell the publisher that bit). Instead, I calmly said ‘yes please’ when I was asked to do it, and wrote the book before Murphlet 4 was born.

When my first copy arrived I took it everywhere with me – and still take it along to author talks to show off, though, as you can see, that copy is now in danger of falling apart. 19 years down the track, the book is still in print, outlasting many of my subsequent books.

40 books later, I’m still proud of book number one.

Have a great Thursday. See you next week.

sallymurphy.com.au