AUTHOR VISIT - NICK EARLS

Students at St Paul's are eagerly awaiting a visit (see below) from Australian children's author, Nick Earls, during Book Week 2006. Nick is a well known writer of both adult and children's books, having eleven books, and many awards to his credit at this date. His children's books include '48 Shades of Brown', 'After January', and his latest release, 'Monica Bloom'. He has also contributed to the four best-selling anthologies, in the 'Girls' Night In' and 'Kids' Night In' series. An exciting development for Nick is the fact that '48 Shades of Brown' is currently being produced as a film, 48 Shades - due for release in August 2006.

What may be less well known about Nick are the other strings to his bow - as a medical doctor, a community organiser and a bully buster. Initially after school, Nick attained a medical degree with honours, and worked for some time in the trauma unit in a San Francisco hospital. Perhaps this work inspired some of his writing?

Nick had always aspired to be a writer, as storytelling was a major part of his family life. His perseverance resulted in several award winning books, for both adult and young adult audiences. Then, as a successful author, his profile was such that he was willing and able to lend his support to major fundraising activities for 'War Child' - an organisation that supports the small and innocent victims of war. 'War Child' has raised large amounts of money which according to Nick "allows me to take my writing job and turn it into something useful in a way I hadn't envisaged". And his recent work with school bullying programs has provided great support in Queensland schools. His early manuscripts remain a learning experience - but not just for him. He has donated several of them to a university library, where they remain, offering (according to him) a 'how not to' guide. For others, they are more like an example of how such a talent develops; with lots of determination and sheer hard work! For more detail about Nick, his latest novel, 'Monica Bloom', or the making of '48 Shades', see: www.nickearls.com

Nick reminisced about those teachers who, fortunately, encouraged his early attempts at writing while at school. His words of advice and encouragement were hungrily accepted also by students brave enough to discuss their fledgling attempts at writing. As with many other authors, he also spoke of persistence and belief in oneself (the desire to write being innate) as a key ingredient to overcoming rejections.

After seeing a trailer and hearing about the transformations from book to screen, many students are also keen to see '48 Shades' - which is due for release on August 31. Of course, it would be great to read his book first!!

N.B. Nick was the first writer-in-residence at 'Inside a Dog' - a newish web site dealing with youth literature. See: http://www.insideadog.com.au/residence/interviews/Nick_Earls.html for an interesting insight to the life of a writer. For a while there is a link to his musings as a blogger at: http://www.insideadog.com.au/residence/index.php/2006/05/ (Though this may disappear soon.)

(Image source: http://www.nickearls.com/monica.html )