Hazel's 2009 News Archive
News Flash
- Hazel Edwards has been awarded the 2009 ASA Medal. Established in 2003, the ASA Medal is awarded biennially in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the Australian writing community. The medal complements the ASA's main focus as an advocate for the rights of authors and illustrators. Previous winners include Glenda Adams, Inga Clendinnen, Tim Winton and Anita Heiss. Read Hazel's acceptance speech.
- During Hazel's Aust-Nanjing International Cultural Exchange Center visit, students, staff and parents from the Nanjing Youfu Xi Jie Primary School, the International School and also the Nanjing School for the Blind, were impressive in their keenness to learn. The youngest Nanjing Cultural Ambassador, Oscar, the 10 year old Chinese maths champion is to become an e-pal of Australians who are keen on maths too. Hazel's next 'Gang O Kids' or 'Frequent Flyer Twins' mystery may be set Nanjing, around a misplaced bike in this bustling, hospitable city of bikes & ducks. Hopefully one of her duck picture books like 'Stickybeak' or easy-to-read 'Duckstar' may be translated soon. P.S. Hazel really enjoyed Nanjing salt duck, the local delicacy.
- CAL website banner features Hazel on their banner and in the recent Annual Report, This is the 'pink' version with Di Keating's Archibald entry portrait in the background.
- The short film adaption of the 1979 Picture Book. As of the 20th September, Pocket Bonfire has completed the production stage of 'There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake'. Coming in early 2010.
- f2m:the boy within, a YA punk music novel about transgendering from female to male, is to be published by Ford Street, in January 2010. Co-author, New Zealand-based Ryan Kennedy lived as female until his transition to male at 27. Ryan works in IT and is a passionate environmentalist and musician.
- Trevelyan co-author of Cycling Solo: Ireland to Istanbul recently competed in the Tour de Timor and was on SBS Sports News.
- Sept 17th, Hazel Edwards nominated for the 2010 Astrid Lindgren Children's Literature award which is the world's largest prize for children's and young adult literature. Read the Media Release.
- The history-themed August 'Newwriter' published 'How To Write History for Kids, in Non Boring Ways'.
- Alphabet Soup published short story 'A Garden of Guesses' in the Spring 2009 issue.
- Pocket Bonfire film makers start shooting the short Hippo film in September.
- The Penguin edition of Difficult Personalities (8th edition) has been released.
- Swine Flu: Hazel has been interviewed about the pandemic swine flu research for her 'Outback Ferals' already out in 2006. Mentioned as the first novel about swine flu in the Age and The Australian literary columns. She calls it fiction prediction. Read the article 'Pandemic Swine & Fiction Prediction in Novels'
- For Library Week, Hazel was NT guest author and Hippo's approaching 30th was celebrated. This is a corflu based on the book cover and will tour all NT libraries to encourage literacy.
- Ex-Wallaby rugby player & Principal of Radford College in the ACT, Paul Southwell, accepted his students' challenge that if they read books required for the Readers Challenge, he'd read a book, on the roof, dressed as a hippo. And eat cake. They did and he did. Photo 1 | Photo 2
- 'Flight of the Bumblebee' has its own classroom playscript and finger puppets. Check under 'Easy Reading' for more details.
- Children's Book Week 2009. Theme - Book Safari: from an Author Perspective.
- Enact 1, 2, 3 & 4 & Classroom Playscripts for Primary Dramatics, co-written with Goldie Alexander. Publisher Teaching Solutions.
- Aileen Hall has been appointed Aust-Nanjing Cultural Ambassador and was featured on major Chinese newspapers, reading 'Look, There's a Hippopotamus in the Playground, Eating Cake' with her international students.
- Featured! Hazel has been featured on the www.writing4success.com website talking about writing non boring histories & on mentoring hints for writers.
- Hazel was included in the 2009 Who's Who of Australian Women
- Hazel was interviewed on ABC's LifeMatters program. Listen to "When is a password not a password", which documents the experience she had with Telstra's Bigpond Technical Support line
- On Radio Australia, Hazel answered talkback from China and Vietnam on her 'Flight of the Bumblebee' and the value of linking children reading and classical music
- Sunbury Leader newspaper featured Hazel with Bumblebee book. See the Photo | Read the article
- 'Flight of the Bumblebee' has its own classroom playscript and finger puppets. Check under Easy reading for more details
- Children's Book Week 2009. Theme - Book Safari: from an Author Perspective
- Pocket Bonfire Productions is making a short cake-eating hippo film inspired by the approaching 30th anniversary
- The Penguin edition of Difficult Personalities (8th edition) will be released in June
- Enact 1, 2, 3 & 4 & Classroom Playscripts for Primary Dramatics, co-written with Goldie Alexander. Publisher Teaching Solutions (a major update of 'The Primary Drama Resource Book' (Phoenix Education)
- Hazel's Hippo books and Red Day have been used in Chinese lessons at Youfu West Street International School in Nanjing under Principal Aileen Hall. Principal Aileen Hall has been appointed Nanjing-Australian Cultural Ambassador. Increasing publishing interest in the Nanjing School Turtle dual languages books created under the Aust-China e-mentoring with Hazel Edwards.
- Hazel has mentored as an Australian-China e-writer in residency which produced dual language books based on lost school turtles at Nanjing International school and Templeton Primary in Melbourne. Rae Dale designed the cover.
