My final event of the year was with Michaela Kalowski at the Woollahra Library, Double Bay, Sydney, with the very brilliant Jane Turner from Gertrude and Alice and her good friend Paula Marcon supporting the event by selling copies of To Sing of War and Storyland. The whole event was arranged by Jaime Harrison – thank you Jaime!
Gosh it was so good to meet and talk with everyone. A special thanks to Michaela. I’m a little in awe of Michaela’s talent, and I learnt a lot about how to be a great moderator from working with her. She read the book, rang me for a discussion, re-read bits, and prepared her questions. When I was worried about the audience numbers being too low, knowing Michaela had recently moderated an in-conversation with an author for an audience of 2,000, she appeared completely unconcerned and rang the library to make sure it was recorded. In other words, she was not only was super prepared, but she was super generous and kind. She sailed into the interview with gusto, had lots to say about Ted Hall— one of the book’s characters Fred Johnson is based on Ted Hall— and managed to make the audience laugh one moment, while drawing them into serious chat the next. Oh thank you Michaela and I hope when I am charged with looking after a fellow author next I can be half as good as you.
You can listen to and watch this interview here
