It’s Poetry Friday and I am running late with my post because life has been soooooo busy these past few weeks. My day job is chaotic (mostly the good kind of chaotic, but busy none the less) and I have been off doing some real live author things.
Last week I was lucky enough to play a small part in the Between the Lines Literature Festival in Busselton, my neighbouring town. There were some big name authors, including the amazing Bren Macdibble, Will Kostakis, Holden Shepherd and Craig Silvey, and I got to hang out with them and also speak to some wonderful audiences about Worse Things. I am still waiting for an official photo, but here’s a pic of the pile of books I signed.
Do you like my new signing pen, thematically tied to the book?
This was my first festival since before Covid, so very exciting to talk to real live audiences, and chat to enthusiastic young readers and writers.
Then this week I was extra lucky to visit Majella Catholic Primary School in Perth, where I was a Role Model invited to a book giving ceremony as part of the wonderful Books In Homes Program, where children are presented with packs of books three times per year to take home and read and keep and love. An excellent program and a lovely, warm-hearted school, with a real sense of community. 
Here I am with some of the lovely, and very excited, recipients of those books.
Also this week some amazing news. Worse Things was announced on the shortlist of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards. As you can see, it is on he list with some amazing company:
You can see the full shortlist here.
So much to celebrate, and I was glad there was a bottle of champagne in my fridge.
The biggest joy for me was how happy to so many people are for me and for the book. I spent a whole evening reading and replying to messages on social media and via email, and there were phonecalls and real life congratulations too. So much shared joy.
This joy is for me the biggest pleasure of such a shortlist, though the sticker is wonderful too – doesn’t it look pretty?
Even more exciting that the sticker is the fact that this means the book will be read and discussed for the next five months until Children’s Book Week. I love it when my books end up in the hands (and hopefully hearts) of young readers.
SO, with all this business (and more I haven’t even touched on), I wasn’t sure I had a poem to post this week, but I visited Mary Lee’s blog, because she is hosting today’s round up, and was reminded that sometimes a haiku is more than adequate. So, here’s a haiku for you
You came to my blog
looking for a poem, so
this one is for you.
(Sally Murphy, 2021)
And here’s another, for the happiness I’m feeling
A pop of champagne
bubbles of joy effervesce
Celebrating good news.
(Sally Murphy, 2021)
The Poetry Friday Roundup is, as I said, being hosted by the wonderful Mary Lee. Pop over there to see what other poetry goodness is on offer this week.
Congratulations, Sally on your well deserved success! Sharing your “bubbles of joy” from afar. 🙂
Thank you Bridget. I love how Poetry Friday makes us all so much closer, in spite of geography.
Wow–congratulations on the joyful book news! And how wonderful that you are getting back to some in-person visits.
Thank you Buffy. yes, we are very lucky in my part of the world to be able to do such things safely.
So much to celebrate! Congratulations! Cheers to you!
Thank you Leigh Anne
Haiku certainly are sufficient and your second one continues your celebration. Congratulations on your awards and your return to book festivals!
Thank you Janice. I am feeling mightily chuffed!
Woo hoo! Congratulations! I am so happy your book is receiving good things and being read by even more readers.
Thank you Kay 🙂
Congratulations! So exciting!
It is fabulous to see all those celebrations and signings and visits, Sally. Congratulations on your book being chosen for that special list!
Thank you Linda 🙂
Sally, congratulations on all this wonderful news! Quite lovely, that sticker… and to be returning to in person events (with a special pen, too!) sound invigorating and hopeful. yay! xo
Thank you Irene. We are so blessed in my part of the world to be able to hold these events safely. Hopeful indeed.
Sally! Congratulations! And, thank you for giving us a way to celebrate with you. I’m just delighted to learn of the success of ‘Worse Things.’ And, your haiku is wonderful. I do so love a poem that addresses the reader’s reading head on. It makes me smile.
Thank you Linda. I am always glad if I make a reader smile 🙂
Congratulations! Such exciting book news! I’m glad you had a bottle of bubbly in your fridge to celebrate the lovely sticker on your book and, as you pointed out, to celebrate the way that sticker will help make sure that children are reading and talking about your book.
Thank you Mary Lee, and thanks again for hosting this week.