News from The Arthur Holt Library
This week, The Arthur Holt Library played host to one of our favourite authors in our second Books@breakfast event of the year. The goal of the books@breakfast initiative has always been to invite inspiring authors to speak about the writing process and to be good role models for our boys, and Craig Silvey definitely fits the bill. Craig received numerous accolades for his coming-of-age books, Jasper Jones and Honeybee, but in a marked change of pace, his latest book Runt follows the adventures of young Annie Shearer and a stray dog who becomes her best friend. It’s sure to become a family favourite.
Craig spoke movingly about his lifelong love of books, and how the books he read as child have influenced how he writes today. He also spoke of the importance of finding a mentor in his journey towards becoming a published author. Western Australian author Glyn Parry visited Craig’s school when he was just 14 years old and helped to solidify Craig’s ambitions to write a book of his own. Craig still cherishes the advice that Glyn gave him all those years ago: “Don’t become a writer, be a writer.”
It sounds so simple, but it spurred Craig on to complete his first manuscript, which eventually led to the publication of his first book, Rhubarb, when he was 19. His second book, Jasper Jones, catapulted him to international fame and while he is grateful for the book’s success, he is also remarkably modest about the extent of his contribution. “I always feel like I’m a conduit to a story, rather than its creator,” he said. “I couldn’t have anticipated the endurance and the journey of this book.”
Any students, parents or staff wanting to read any of Craig’s books are welcome to borrow them from The Arthur Holt Library (our copies are even better now they’ve been signed by the author). We also have all of Craig’s novels and his novella as audiobooks on our BorrowBox app, accessible with your (or your son’s) Trinity login ID. Happy reading.
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
– Madeleine L’Engle
