Holidays, Aurealis and Chook Report Cards
February 23rd, 2014
Well, I’m on holiday. I handed in the revisions for Sunker’s Deep a week ago, and decided to take two weeks off before I started in on Book 3, which has a working title of Fetcher. So last week I – um – pottered. That’s what I do on holidays. I don’t particularly like going away, so I stay home and do some gardening, read a lot of books, bottle fruit, go for long walks in the bush or by the sea, talk to the chooks (more about them in a minute), do some more gardening, etc. And every now and then walk down to the end of my street and go for a swim. This is my idea of heaven. π
And to add to the niceness of last week, halfway through it I learned that Ice Breaker has been shortlisted for the 2013 Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Book. The Aurealis is the Australian fantasy/science fiction award, and I’ve won it twice, with Museum of Thieves and City of Lies. However I’m not holding my breath this time, because of who I’m up against. Here’s the shortlist:
Kingdom of the Lost Book 2: Cloud Road by Isobelle Carmody
Refuge by Jackie French
Song for a Scarlet Runner by Julie Hunt
The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie by Kirsty Murray
Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
Ice Breaker by Lian Tanner
When I told a friend who else was shortlisted, he shook his head sadly and said, ‘You’re gone.’ Hmm. We shall see. Regardless, it’s very nice to be shortlisted!
Now, back to the chooks. I gave them their weekly report cards yesterday. Dolly got Best Layer, Clara got Most Improved, and Floss got Could Do Better – mainly because she has been laying her eggs in the middle of the night while she’s on her perch. AND they haven’t had proper shells on them, so of course they splat on the floor of the chook pen. Some of you might think that no self-respecting chook would care about these reports. But you’d be wrong. This morning Floss marched off to the nest and laid a beautiful egg (WITH a shell). I think she’s aiming for Most Improved in next week’s report. And if she keeps this up she will certainly get it. π
Let me know if you’ve read any of the other books on the shortlist. I’d be interested to hear your opinions. xxx
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About Lian
Lian Tanner has been dynamited while scuba diving and arrested while busking. She once spent a week in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, hunting for a Japanese soldier left over from the Second World War. Nowadays she lives by the beach in southern Tasmania.
More about Lian
Hi Lian,
At first, i have to say that i’ve just started reading “the keepers triology” and felt excited just from the first pages.
I’m also a translator and I’m translating ur book right now to Turkish for my book publisher in Turkey, so Δ± thought it would be more beneficial for me to ask the real creator about a detail at the story. well, what’s this “flicking” thing actually? You know, a man at the crowd makes this gesture and says “seven gods protect us”, in the first chapter, when Guardians try to provocate people… There are many translations in Turkish, so I can’t decide on it exactly. I will give u two links, Δ± will appreciate if u check the pictures and inform me about the subject. Thank u so much π
The first one is this:
http://depositphotos.com/10313306/stock-photo-Isolated-Flicking-Hand.html
And the second one:
http://www.jeffjonesillustration.com/stock-images/concepts/507/finger-snapping/?page=4
I’ve answered this message privately, but for anyone else who is interested, the depositphotos.com link is the one that best illustrates the ‘flicking’ that people in Jewel do to ward off the attentions of the Seven Gods.
In my imagination, Goldie flicks her thumb with her middle or ring finger.
I think you’re right, Io. For me it’s the middle finger too. But the picture makes it clear that it’s flicking fingers, not clicking them – I think that’s what the translator wanted to know.
Yay your first egg!
That’s awesome
From Lilli
π π Floss is gradually working it out, Lilli. But Dolly is still Best Layer. She’s the smallest of the three, so maybe she feels as if she has to try harder.
I am now reading icebreaker a second time and I can see it so differently than the first time!
That’s interesting, Lilli. Do you think it’s because you now know all the book’s secrets? Or is it something else?
Lian , did you know that if you type Lian_ ( space ) into Google you are third on the list , impressive!
LOL. Try looking up ‘Lian’ in the Urban Dictionary. There are a number of definitions, but this one is my favourite:
‘Also known as Ah Lian. The typical kind of chinese girl only found in Singapore who listens to techno, speaks vulgar (mostly in Chinese and Hokkien). Often found with straight dyed hair. The female version of Beng.’
That Lian tried to pick a fight with me coz she thought I was staring at her. She thinks she’s so nice to look at, is it?
Hahahaha! That’s hilarious!
~LILY
π π