books

Divertimento

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Divertimento: an instrumental composition in several movements, light and diverting in character.

(Macquarie Dictionary)

Twenty-seven short stories from renowned Australian fiction writer and poet Julie Thorndyke will take you on tantalising journeys in the company of artists and musicians, mothers and daughters, writers and lovers, as they make brave, desperate and audacious life choices.

Survival, desire, disaster; misadventure, murder and magic combine in this unique collection of tales set in locations including old rural Australia, present day cities and the distant mystical past.

Earthquake, flood, fire; stolen babies and lost children; homelessness and betrayal; ghosts, mystics and dreams— each story offers a chance to step into the shoes of closely imagined characters as they act out their unique answers to the question: “What if?”

Divertimento offers a chance to step briefly into the shoes of a protagonist and discover how it feels to steal, love, and murder . . . and live to tell the tale.

“skilled wordplay and gorgeous imagery”

“enthralling right from the beginning”

“a delightful read”

SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS NSW BOOK AWARDS SHORTLISTED AUTHOR

WINNER OF FAW PAULINE WALSH SHORT STORY AWARD

WINNER OF JOHN KELLY SHORT STORY AWARD

Order Here

https://www.ginninderrapress.com.au/store.php?product/page/2270/Julie+Thorndyke+%2F+Divertimento

Waiting for the Night Teacher Resources

/ jthorndyke / 2 Comments

felt flying foxesWFTN coverplatypus bookmark

Planning the book launch for Waiting for the Night, I had fun thinking of activities related to the book that children might enjoy.

I’m putting some ideas here that teachers may like to use with their classes, after reading the book together.

Please click on the links below to open the PDF files.

theatre

Hope you have lots of fun Waiting for the Night!

Waiting for the Night

/ jthorndyke / 4 Comments

WFTN cover

Waiting for the Night began as a 195 word student assignment in 2008 for Libby Hathorn’s class on children’s literature in the Master of Creative Writing course at the University of Sydney.

It was only when I was clearing out some old files two years ago that I found the draft and decided it was worth revising. I spent a little time re-writing before sending the manuscript around to publishers.

Interactive Press (IP) responded with a positive email in 2016. The search for a suitable illustrator began. Early in 2017, Anna Seed and I signed a publishing contract with IP, and Anna began creating her vibrant illustrations.

The text went through many further drafts, changes and revisions in consultation with IP editor and publisher Dr David Reiter and illustrator Anna Seed. The flying fox was particularly troublesome! And many rewrites ensued.

At last, in March 2018, ten years after the first version, here is the cover for the published book. I hope that you and your little people will enjoy Waiting for the Night.

How To Order

 

Date Stamp

/ jthorndyke / 1 Comment

date due

September gone
and another birthday
I pause
before turning the fourth
corner of the year

these book-lined walls
all thought, every emotion
contained
on my calendar I schedule
a day to run free

last day of term
locking the library door
on silence
I check myself out
for a long, long loan

Julie Thorndyke

(Tanka Splendor Winner 2006)