Straight after Library in the Park, I'm on a plane to Queensland for Somerset Storyfest. This event is huge and I cannot wait! I'm so excited to be attending with two fellow, amazing South Australian Authors, Adam Cece and Sean Williams - SA, we will represent you well!
Offering more than 130 individual events from over 30 Authors and Illustrators, it is hands down one of the best literary festivals I have ever been to. It was 2012 when I first attended Somerset and then again in 2014, and I had no idea of the enormity of this festival back then - it was literally the first time I had ever done a presentation to students... and I felt like it went really bad. I spent all that first afternoon watching other authors to see what they were doing and all that night in my hotel room rewriting my presentation. It couldn't have been too bad though because I did get invited back - that is the pressure we put on ourselves. Since then I have conducted hundreds of workshops and spoken to tens of thousands of students, so this time, I am really going to enjoy it! I feel like now I actually know what I'm doing.
It's funny how moments of doubt can creep in at the strangest times but at the end of the day, I realised that the kids just want to know about me, what I do and watch me draw. As a good friend once said to me, this is my office and I know what I'm doing. So this is the mantra I carry with me which helps keep those presenting nerves at bay. Look out Somerset kids, I'm coming and we are going to have an absolute ball!
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