So I’ve been quiet the past few weeks because I’ve been in prison.

No, in spite of the date, that’s not an April Fool’s joke – I really was prison. Or, to be more precise, I was in an ex-prison. The Literature Centre is an amazing children’s literature centre, situated in the old prison hospital at the Fremantle prison, which was decommissioned in 1991. How wonderful to have such a vibrant, exciting organisation hosted within such historic environs.

I was there to run full day workshops for talented young writers as part of the centre’s Young Writers programme, which sees keen readers and writers visit the centre four times a year (one day each term) to learn from authors from around Australia.

Last week I worked with students from years 7 and 8 from across the metropolitan area, and on Monday and Tuesday of this week I worked with year 6 students. Every day was different, with the interests of each group shaping the way the day unfolded. What was common was my delight in sharing a little of my own work with such keen readers, and then me being blown away by their keenness to write – and the quality of the work they produced in the activities we worked through.

Some highlights:

1. Young people coming from such a wide variety of schools, all keen to get the most out of th experience.
2. Reading and listening to the writing they produced – shared willingly and received appreciatively by the other participants.
3. The amazing teachers and parents who managed to get their students there, recognising the value of the experience.
4. The amazing Lit Centre staff, who looked after me, making me feel like a star – all the while keeping each day running smoothly.
5. Signing lots of books for participants eager to read more of my work.
6. Sleeping in a cell (fortunately not locked!) and getting to experience the amazing surrounds. Although the history is fairly sad, Fremantle Prison is an important piece of Western Australia’s history. And the old hospital is now a vibrant energetic place, which is a great way of perhaps shooing any negative energy away.

I’m back home now and back to work – writing, reading, and catching up on lots of things, as well as looking forward to a family Easter weekend. I’ll be back at the Lit Centre later in the year for the Celebrate Reading Conference.