New Space – This blog to be kept for Archival Purposes only

This post is to let you know that this blog is now kept only for archival/historical reference purposes.

This blog is not active.

You can presently find us online on facebook and a new blog may be opened if members ever wish to do so.  Until then enjoy the history of the Licuala Writers and what we have achieved.  You are welcome to visit our archival links here anytime.

We are now amalgamated with WINQ and are known as Licuala Winq, with a slightly modified logo. Our new social networking and blog curator will be Lydia Valeriano.  All the best to the new committee of Licuala WINQ who will be taking this writing group into the future.

2012 Committee Consists of

Chair- Jacque Duffy

Secretary/Blog/Facebook – Lydia Valeriano

Newsletter/Anthology Sales -Tara Webster

Treasurer – Barbara Bufi

BCC link – Kate Campbell Lloyd

General Member/Signatory for Treasury – Jean Vallianos

Signing out June Perkins

TO GO TO OUR NEW ONLINE SPACES CLICK HERE

7 Licuala WINQ Writers Feature in Cyclone Yasi – Our Stories

7  Licuala WINQ Writers are featured in Cyclone Yasi – Our Stories – compiled by Cardwell Historical Society – they are Barbara Bufi, Jean Vallianos, Sue Wickes, Pam Galeano, June Perkins, Kerstin Pilz and Kate Campbell Lloyd.

Great to see some of the contributors to the anthology going on to write, and be published elsewhere – on a topic both tricky, challenging, close to the heart, and interesting.

Our writers contributed, prose, poetry, interview/oral storytelling, and photographs to the anthology.  Well done to all our writers and also to the many other community members who have contributed to this amazing collective account of a major event in our area.

Photo Credit: David Perkins

Photo Credit: June Perkins

For more on this event go to  Launching Cyclone Yasi, Our Stories, Our Words.

http://pearlz.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/launch-of-cyclone-yasi-our-stories/

Reviews of Under One Sky – For Sale Now

Looking for a special Christmas gift, or a gift to remind people of all that is great and challenging about living in the Cassowary Coast.

LICUALA WRITERS FIRST BOOK

Featuring fiction, memoir, and poetry by Cassowary Coast Regional Writers.   Edited by June Perkins, Pam Galeano and Tara Webster,   Illustrated by Sal Badcock 100 pages, black and white illustrations, colour cover. 

Perfect for Libraries wishing to stock Australian Liiterature with a strong sense of ‘place’, Ideal for bookshops in Townsville, Tablelands,  Brisbane, and Cairns wishing to promote regional literatures, great for Highschools stocking literature with regional country identity featured

Book Available at all information centres in the Cassowary Coast

Mission Beach Arts Centre- Mission Beach 

Jarra & Casket Newsagency- Tully

Larsens Newsagency – Innisfail

& From the Licuala  WINQ Writers (discount available for members)

Got the most beautiful book for Dad for his 85th birthday, and he loved it, “under one sky” by local writers and illustrated by the wonderful Sal Medwin Badcock. Dad loved it and said he would treasure it. Thank you Tara Webster for a wonderful idea for a special present. I had a look through it and it is a wonderful book and would recommend it to anyone wanting a special present for a special person in their life. Congrats to all involved is such a wonderful book.

–Vivienne, purchaser of book

This is a solid starting point, steeped in place and community, drawing on a small pool of talent in early stages of development.

Overall, Licuala Writers have done a very good job. I’m particularly impressed with the artwork — it’s been used very well, I think. Other strengths are some solid poems and some genuine insights into northern life and ecology, mostly clean copy editing and good use of space. It’s an attractive book, more- so than most small and self-published titles I’ve seen.

Overall, the copy editing was quite good.

The poetry, I thought, from purely a reader’s point of view, that June Perkins, Sophie Sam, Suzanne Smith’s works were excellent; Transience, Hull River, Pacific Ripples and Tropic Night came up well with the artwork – the artist is a treasure, in my opinion.

–Jason Nahrung, Editor QWC newsletter.

 

Under One Sky Writing the Wet Tropics

(2011)

Edited by June Perkins, Pam Galeano,Tara Webster.

ISBN: 9780980731132

Writing is a solitary business so when a group of writers contribute to an anthology there is always cause for celebration.

Under One Sky brings the diverse voices of aspiring and accomplished Cassowary Coast’s Licuala Writers together in one book.  The contents of prose and poetry live up to the visually appealing front cover presentation.

Twenty three contributors of varied backgrounds and writing expertise fill the 98 pages which take the reader into the ambience of the wet tropics of Queensland. Given an informative introduction this book is accessible reading. It has interesting dimensions for those less familiar with the region transporting readers into the flora, fauna and the community life of the coastal tropics.

Gems of commendable writing calibre standout . Amongst these are pieces which move the reader emotionally as they focus on the cyclic seasonal effects of severe weather patterns. Flooding and cyclone drama and devestation come to mind in both Flooding Memories by Pam Galeano (37) and Learning How to Cope with  Paradise by Kerstin Pitz (14).

Other personal prose inclusions which draw on global experiences–Child  of Chernobyl by Deborah O’Brian (83) and Great Call of China, Adrian Walker (49)  are stirring in a contrasting fashion. Cutten Brothers by Peter Kellett (57)  is an historical narrative account which is both readable and revealing.

Much of the poetry included features descriptive imagery of the land and its inhabitants. Notable examples are Cassowary Rainforest Warrior Barbara Bufi (23) and Feluga Evening June Perkins (41) and Rivers Fall Down Mountains by Jacque Duffy (4).

All the poetry inclusions are creative works that bring enjoyment but like the prose offerings much is over written and could be tightened by attention to substantive self -editing. The most effective music of the coast comes across when captured in poems where lines are refined and less wordy. Music is marred by heavy punctuation and capitalised initial words which interrupt  the flow of suspensive pausing. Examples of poems that succeed in this anthology for me are : Hull River Pam Galeano (33); Sometimes…into orbit (Sally Moroney (70) and My Tribe  Lynda Valeriano’s list poem (78).   Seat of Knowledge by Helen Pedley (73) heads my favourite prose selection.

Whilst space does not permit mention of all styles and subjects of the contributions the writing of Sophie Sam gives the anthology an indigenous facet  Kalkadoon/Erub Woman (79) and the potential of young Licuala Writers is epitomised by Sheridan Perkins  in Nutmeg’s Journey(45). All in all Under One Sky is a successful and creative venture which will be well received by readers.

–Professional Reviewer-Hazel Menehira FTCL.

Reading the stories and poems in ‘Under One Sky’ has brought me back to Australia, my home for so many years.

I could smell the musty damp yet dusty sweetness of the forest, taste the lush and opulent fruits, see the exhuberant colours of the land again.

Thank you, writers of the enchanting words, for bringing that back to me. It makes reading of the book for both Australians as well as non-Australians a true exhilarating experience, and shows us North Queensland in all its robust, almost terrifying abundance.

–Paulien Bats, Holland, 26^th July 2011

Love the book you have produced, and I have showed it to many.  Michael read Sheridan Perkins’story on the Children’s program, Spin-A-Tale on Community radio Hamilton here in New Zealand and all agreed it was a great story.

Gayl De Boer, Community Radio Programmer and Junior Youth Empowerment, New Zealand

Please note new blog to be launched soon by Licuala WINQ  in 2012- we’ll redirect and post information soon about amalgamation of the two groups.  Till then look out for your pdf newsletter from the lovely Tara.

Poet’s Brunch – A photo Essay by June Perkins

Recently Licuala hosted a poet’s brunch at the Mission Arts, Opening Expo.

The stall co-ordinator for the whole event was Sally Moroney.

Licuala’s contributions were organised by Tara Webster.  Many of our members participated in the day as did some of the local community (thankyou!)

A write up will be featured soon.  For now enjoy some photographs.

Tara Webster and Jennifer Morton at the Licuala Tent

Pam Mcing and reading from Under One Sky

Tara reads 'Pacific Ripple'

David reading classics from his ABC radio contributions

Sally Moroney's Into Orbit poem

Kate reads from Under One Sky

Pam and Carol yarning

Scrambling Yasi Eggs

Sonja - young MB poet and artist reads

Poetry to Encourage peace and thoughtfulness

Writing Exercises - Sampler

Sal Badcock sings

Pam's books at the Tent

Pam chatting with a visitor to the tent

Leandro giving out information on ABCopen

Thanks to the Bank for lending us the tent and to Teani Robinson for making the Under One Sky sign

Photos all taken by June Perkins (c) June Perkins.

The Ultimate Challenge

Photo Credit: June Perkins, Word Wall

Kate Campbell-Lloyd is back reporting on Book Creator’s Circle Meetings, this time she shares the inspiring story of JULIE GROSSMAN.

Julie  (Guest speaker at the June BCC conferencing @ Trade Winds on the Veranda) met Megan Bayliss at the Rape Crisis Center where they developed a client based relationship. During this time Megan discovered that Julie’s dream was to be a writer when she grew up.

Julie came back into Megan’s life many years later and the first thing that Megan remembered to ask her was “how’s your writing going?”

This led to an invitation by Megan to begin daily ‘healing life work’ writing between each other. Julie intimates that there is a dark voice in there in her writing, but it has a personable voice.

Julie’s father was analytic and her mother artistic. She loves writing words and she writes whenever it comes to her. Carrying pen and paper everywhere and if that’s not around, using her hand to script on while developing her new book; just so she catches her thoughts and doesn’t forget!

Julie has advice to share as a writer; born out of twenty years of writing. She recommends having pen and paper or tape recorder on you at all times so you can write when you need to write. Have no embarrassment and be honest “my writing can make you shiver in your own skin.”

Julie writes with other like minded persons in mind, creating and inspiring others who have been abused, to come forward for help. Something is triggered that enables you to write about something that’s been too hard to write about or share. This writing for life is experiential and comes out of our real daily life.

Julie writes for herself and asks us who we write for? With passion you can evoke the ‘raw’ expressing deep feelings, if you write unedited.

Her mystical poem the ‘Golden Eye’ has been birthed in this manner. Editing and printing are easy she advices us, but to carry paper and pen around in your pocket and use it to catch the words that come in unexpected moments; that is the ultimate challenge!

 

Kate Campbell-Lloyd

 
Kate Campbell-Lloyd grew up in Zimbabwe, spent her youth in England then migrated to Western Australia in 1970.  She moved with her family to North Queensland in 1980, looking for rainforest Loya Cane to weave into baskets.  She is a Cranio-Sacral therapist using Ross Emmett & Tom Bowen’s muscle management techniques. Teaching basket weaving Writing Bio-Dynamic gardening, & singing are her passions.

 

http://www.okkawikka.com

http://www.karrinyarra.com/

(c) Kate Campbell-Lloyd, all rights reserved.

Under One Sky

We thank Innisfail’s Advocate (May 2011)for this Write up of Our Anthology Project and we look forward to selling more of the book.  Posting reviews soon.

Empty Chairs to … Caring Chairs

Photo Credit: By June Perkins – Book Creators Circle July Meeting: One of  Next Month’s Presenters and this month’s Chair, Hazel Menehira

An empty chair for writers who don’t have freedom was carefully placed at the head of the table where the Book Creator’s gather.  It is poignant to think of those writers who lose freedom for writing with heart and honesty at the hands of the authorities of their countries.

We gathered and networked at the Pool by Rydges, with BCC members who included Stephen Chong, who is running a story competition, for Overcoming Obstacles, in which the decision of a winner is to be announced at the upcoming Book Expo in September.  He later gave one last encouraging word to all members to encourage their friends and family with an inspiring story, no matter what their experience with writing, to submit work.

At this July meeting I was presenting, along with John Kemu; between us we decided Kemu would be first presenter, as he knew our audience better having attended several meeting.  This was my first meeting, although I have been in touch with Letizia a lot!  Hazel Menehira, gave a warm introduction to Kemu and spoke about his loyalty to Book Creator’s Circle (BCC) and some background to what BCC is all about especially for the benefit of first time attendees.

Kemu spoke about his passion for planet earth, and how David Suzuki, who has heard speak in person, is now inspiring his writing.  He passed out some interesting pictures and documents for us to consider, and had produced a booklet of an essay he had written on the matter ‘Our Planet, what Mankind is Doing About it,’ which was the basis of his talk.   Kemu spoke articulately about population pressure, pollution and development.

This was a great beginning as I was planning to speak about why we write and could reference Kemu’s obvious concern and passion for the planet as one of many reasons to write.  I chose to speak about: the secrets to have powerful words, the ways to have more time to write, and how to be inspired when we write. I quoted Maya Angelou as a great inspiration for writers and how they might treat their readers,

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I touched upon the cyclone and what we had been through, my guest blogging for ABC in the Aftermath project, and shared a sample from  Licuala Writers anthology Under One Sky, and asked if anyone in the group was willing and had the expertise to do a review for us.  We had a taker!

Letizia de Rosa the director of BCC, knowing we had been knocked around by Cyclone Yasi still warmly encouraged me to see if anyone from our group might like to come and sell books at the expo and even offered a volunteer if we could get books and some posters and handouts on our group up to them, but she was sensitive to say she understood if this was going to be too hard.

The enthusiasm of the whole BCC group, for writing and the creation of books is unmistakable, and the September Expo is something they are working hard to get the wider community, Cairns and beyond to support.  We were given posters and fliers, and encouragement to let everyone know, friends in Cairns, visitors to Cairns – anyone with a love for writing, reading and books to get along.

There are some interesting speakers planned, including Spike Milligan’s daughter, Laura Milligan, herself a fine writer.

Everyone asked how our community was going, and passed their kind regards on to our writers and community.  They hope to meet more of our members at future BCC meetings.  They have enjoyed Kate Campbell Lloyd’s participation (Kate is our liason for Licuala Writers with BCC) in their meetings.

BOOK CREATORS CONFERENCING
3RD SAT OF EACH MONTH 11am arrival
RYDGES TRADEWINDS – THE SEA LEVEL BAR

Next Meeting  — AUG 20… AUG 20… HELEN HARMAN / HAZEL MENEHIRA

Licuala Writers and prospective members are welcome!

Photo Credit: June Perkins: Book Creator’s Circle Meeting in Progress

Photos and Report by June Perkins, Licuala Writer Member and BCC Individual and Group Member.

June Perkins coordinated Licuala Writers from 2007-2011 and is a guest blogger for ABC Open in North Queensland.  She has worked hard to develop Licuala Writers publishing platforms online, print and social media and was the coeditor and anthology project coordinator for Under One Sky.

Winds of Words – Book Creator’s Circle Meeting in Cairns continued

  Kate Campbell-Lloyd, guest blogging for Licuala Writers.

Kate Campbell-Llyod grew up in Zimbabwe, spent her youth in England then migrated to Western Australia in 1970.  She moved with her family to North Queensland in 1980, looking for loya cane to weave into baskets.  She sings, gardens, teaches and makes baskets.

Kate Campbell-Lloyd continues a blog on Book Creator’s Circle meetings in Cairns,which she regularly attends on behalf of Licuala Writers.

21st May 2011  BCC conferencing @ Ridges Trade Winds on the Esplanade Cairns Speaker & Author

Megan Bayliss Megan was invited to be one of the two May BCC conferencing guest speakers, giving us insights into her life as a writer. About 25 of us sat around the tables on the veranda at Trade Winds with an apt wind blowing in our ears. It was almost impossible to hear what anyone was saying!

Megan enlivened our morning by sharing first up that she has had multiple marriages but only to one man at a time! As a child sexual assault therapist she has chosen to use a Pen name that is a protective cover for some of her current writing. She has been writing since she was a little girl long before she was introduced to the mechanics of writing. However as an academic writer who has written academically what she terms very ‘boring papers’, she finds that upon rereading them, she is wondering what they actually mean! The realization that her writing career ‘was boring’ fueled a career change geared for personal sanity! Megan has four children of her own and has written children’s books.

Megan gave us each an opportunity to speak about who we admired as a writer and what genre of writing we were personally interested in. There was a diverse range of writers at the table. The genres ranged from autobiography such as ‘life as a nurse’, to crime & public speaking for meetings, rhyming poetry & the writing of fantasy with a touch of reality. Some members of BCC are writing about romance and war, survival and recovery against all odds, values & respect for the individual, the environment and our wildlife.  Peace, with the emphasis on the need for peace politically in our world, is the strong impulse behind Letizia’s Book Creators Circle.

Megan emphasized the richness that there is in each of us and how much research and diversity there is amongst us within the BCC & its connected networks. Megan spoke about the practice of writing every day. For her she had to face the reality of her circumstances and choose a new job. Today she writes in a house style that is someone else’s academic style. She finds that it not only pays the bills but by assisting students with their academic study it has brought so much interest and research into her life that her creativity bubbles underneath her daily work and gives her source material that makes her write. Megan’s smile bubbles in the telling! It’s infectious. http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/barthes06.htm :

ROLAND BARTHES is Megan’s favorite Author.  Richard Howe is the interpreter of Roland’s book: The Death of the Author.

I quote him saying: “we know that to give writing its future, it is necessary to overthrow the myth: the birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the Author.”

Megan Bayliss (BSW, Dip SOC, MAASW) Student Counsellor, Curriculum Writer, Manager of  The Junk Wave program for “students at risk.” My Other Mum Training College.

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/MOM-Training-College/198069050223835

(c) Kate Campbell- Lloyd

Six lies and one truth — about publishing

On Saturday 21st of May, around a dozen writers attended the Queensland Writer’s Centre Workshop hosted by the Tully library.  The topic ‘six lies and one truth about publishing.’  The majority of those attending were members of the Licuala Writer’s Group.

Paul Oliveri, a paramedic originally, and now active  freelance rural country writer was a warm and cheerful presenter who was open to audience participation and dialogue engaging with the various myths about publishing.  The group also discussed ebooks and the revolution happening in online publishing.

Participants in workshop

Photo Credit: June Perkins

I won’t disclose all those myths so that you get along to future workshops on this theme.  However we did explore why we write? the need to be careful with contracts if you are lucky and perserve enough to obtain one, and the need to have your pitch succinct and clear as you never know when you might have to share it.   A major thing shared was the need to draft, and redraft your book idea several times as without a finished book to take to a publisher all you have is an idea and no proof of committment to put that down on paper.

It was heartening to hear that there are many opportunities for emerging writers to have their books considered by publishers, many of which can be found through the Queensland Writer’s Centre.  Some of us were able to visit a cafe and have some further discussion with Paul, as regional representative of the QWC.  He encouraged us to make the most of online opportunities, and to put our ideas for workshops  to the QWC about a year in advance.  Some of us shared our interest in article writing, and short story writing, and were keen to find out about freelancing opportunities.

Photo Credit: Someone in Cafe?

Licuala Writers with Paul Oliveri

 

(c) June Perkins, words and images.  Reporting back on workshop.

June Perkins coordinated Licuala Writers from 2007-2011 and is commencing time as a guest blogger for ABC Open in North Queensland.  She has worked hard to develop Licuala Writers publishing platforms online, print and social media and was the coeditor and anthology project coordinator for Under One Sky.

Book Creator’s Circle June meeting

Kate Campbell-Llyod reports back on the Book Creator’s Circle June meeting.

All members of Licuala Writers can attend these monthly meetings in Cairns.  Kate has made a special effort to make them and is our liason with Book Creators.

Letizia shared with us about the Book Creator’s Expo.

BOOK CREATOR EXPO – Sat 24 Sept
RYDGES TRADEWINDS – opposite St Monica’s Cathedral
SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER 2011

The EXPO is about publishing and selling books. BCC invites all FNQ writers, their families and friends to the Book Creator Expo.  Letizia suggests “bring everyone”!

Letizia spoke of Professor Frazer as president of PEN and invited us all to go on line and see who and what writers’ are doing for silenced writers. We were reminded that the empty seat was for this silenced person. There is an invitation for us to become letter writers to about 1000 people who are in this position! According to David Hick’s presentation at the Sydney Writer’s Expo this Sunday; he was allowed 2 letters a week. These letters he tells us, plus the visit of immediate family and his lawyer, kept him alive: http://pen.org.au/    http://pen.org.au/campaigns/writers-in-prison   http://www.pen.org/

Letizia advices us not to take things for granted. She hopes that we begin to see the vision quest that she has for BCC. Her warmth, inspiration and professional approach to us all as writers is magnetic.

Collins Book Store Smithfield Northern Beaches Cairns FNQ

Presenter Kerstin Brown owns the franchise and has created a Book Shop that has a FNQ reputation as the place for readers to go to find their book. Kerstin has book company reps from all over Australia that bring her books, many of them ‘out of the box’ books in non fictional and fiction genres!

Kerstin’s history perspective ranged from a hundred years ago when we had black and white cinema and theatre but today we have DVDs!  Having gone to a Lennard Coen concert last year she felt that we are coming full circle, realizing how the living atmosphere  experience & the tangible book will not disappear. The Irish Celtic Book of Kells was mentioned as a living book life style experience for the monks who created it.

Kerstin brought one of Geraldine Brooks book’s, Caleb’s Crossing. I had not heard of it but she used the story in the book to demonstrate how she thinks the book will never disappear but will change its persona to suite diversity such as books for audio and visually impaired, or to what might suite the traveler etc http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Calebs-Crossing-Geraldine-Brooks

Below I have included my search sites for anybody who may be interested in the changing face of the book!  Apparently there is yet to be a ‘system’ created for E Books and Kerstin inferred that chaos reigned within the E Books infancy. Many of you will already know what I don’t know!

http://www.web-books.com/Publishing/epub.htm  http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Ebook_Readers

EPUB became an official standard of the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) in September 2007, superseding the older Open eBook standard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Reader  & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Kindlehe  Kerstin concluded that she doesn’t think the book will disappear and that ‘holding’ a book has value.

Kerstin is inviting writers to come and meet her and show her their publications so she can promote their book. The book world is in chaos at present with stores closing down. She believes that as writer’s book sellers need to know our book and see the book so they can promote our book. Promotion is difficult. Things are changing fast and book sellers are struggling worldwide.  Kerstin advocates a collective support from local libraries, book stores, writers and their groups in the form of the BCC Book Expo. This collective support network of writers groups in FNQ will thus be able to support the speakers who come up to the Expo each year. This keeps us positive and collaborative as writers.

WRITE THIS IN YOUR DIARY

BOOK CREATOR EXPO – Sat 24 Sept
RYDGES TRADEWINDS – opposite St Monica’s Cathedral
SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER 2011

The two main speakers at this will be

DR LINDSAY SIMPSON
http://www.bookcreatorscircle.com.au/a/Writers/DR-LINDSAY-SIMPSON

LAURA MILLIGAN

http://www.bookcreatorscircle.com.au/a/Writers/LAURA-MILLIGAN;

Kate Campbell-Llyod grew up in Zimbabwe, spent her youth in England then migrated to Western Australia in 1970.  She moved with her family to North Queensland in 1980, looking for loya cane to weave into baskets.  She sings, gardens, teaches and makes baskets.