Here’s a quick recap of some of the major happenings in my life over the past couple of months.

• You may or may not know it (it’s sure to be one or the other) but I’m a big fan of the 60s TV series The Samurai and the main character (Character? No way, he’s real!) Shintaro. I even dedicated one of the books I did with Joe Eric Vale Super Male to him. So what a thrill it was for me to attend a gathering of beautiful, like-minded (crazy?) people and to get to hold what is the Holy Grail for Samurai fans – the actual, only-one-in-existence wig that was warn by the actor who play Shintaro in the series!!!!!! ( At this point I understand you will either be mightily impressed, completely lost or reaching slowly for the unfriend/unsubscribe/get-me-out-of-here buttons.) The other big highlight of the day was that the group received a personal email from Koichi Ose the star of the show himself – now 78 yrs old.

• I received some great audio tapes from Germany. One for Eric Vale Epic Fail/Rupert Rau Super Gau and one for the German radio plays of the Ishmael series. Thank you Horcompany!

• As part of the Read Around Gladstone tour organised by the Brisbane Writers Festival, I spent a very enjoyable 4 days visiting schools in Emerald, Biloela and Gladstone along with David Burton author of the teenage memoir How To Be Happy. We also dropped in on the great ladies of Gladstone Council Library. At Emerald State School the students had designed their own awesome super heroes after reading Eric Vale  Super Male while at Biloela State School they had created a colourful You Turkeys display. The kids’ smiling faces were even better than their pictures but unfortunately I can’t shown them here.

• I had the great pleasure of launching Sam Wheeler’s third book Mr Cassowary at Riverbend Books.

• I attended a function celebrating 10 years of the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust in Queensland with many past and present May Gibbs Fellowship recipients present as well as the amazing Patron of the Trust, Mary Wilson. Sheryl Gwyther, Richard Yaxley, Josie Montano and Sam Wheeler spoke of their experiences as May Gibbs Fellows. A great afternoon.

• I spent a few lovely days in the Riverina area of NSW giving talks and a workshop at the Leeton library, Leeton State School and Coleambally State School as well as giving a keynote address at the Riverina Professional Association of Teacher Librarians (RIVPAT) Conference. Terrific to catch up with the very talented and entertaining Sarah Davis who was there too. A big thanks to Peta Newsam for the invitation and organisation, and to everyone I met for their wonderful friendship and hospitality.

Created by the library staff at St Francis College Leeton.

The fabulous Roxy Theatre in Leeton opened in 1930 and still operating.

Heading home.

Weird propeller shots from my window seat.

• And finally I sent in my audition shot for a part in the re-make of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Fingers crossed everyone!
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Cheers
Michael