The Banana Monster - Virginia Sloan's First Children's Book

Banana Monster.jpg

OOTA member Victoria Sloan has published her first book for children.

The Banana Monster tells the story of Billy, a boy who, despite the encouragement of his family, hates bananas.

That is until the Banana Monster pays him a visit!

With amusing illustrations by Elizabeth Clough – including a debonair Banana Monster - the book is available from Amazon Australia.

Well done Victoria, and we look forward to news of more publications in the future.

 

2017 Mentorships for Young Writers

To Celebrate 20 years of creativity, OOTA (Out of the Asylum) Writers Group is offering mentorships to poetry and prose writers, aged 18 - 25 years.

The three-month mentorships, which commence on 1 June 2107, will offer young writers a chance to develop their craft through conversation and email communication with a published author.

The writing that emerges through the mentoring relationship will be published on the OOTA website. Writers will also be invited to read their work on Saturday 21 October at OOTA's 20th anniversary celebration at the Fremantle Arts Centre.

Applications should emailed to maun.gibbons@gmail.com, including the applicant's name, phone details and the title of the work together with an unpublished poem (30 lines max) or short prose piece (500 words max) as a PDF attachment.

Applications close on 10 May 2017 and successful applicants will be notified by 26 May 2017.

OOTA members Maureen Gibbons, Marlish Glorie, Rae Hillhorst and Zan Ross have volunteered as Mentors and are to be congratulated for donating their time and skills to this very worthwhile project.

OOTA keeps you young ...

There was wine for everyone's taste when OOTA members recently came together to celebrate the 90th birthday of a long-time member, Mary Jarzabkowski. Mary's sparkling intelligence and deep interest in the world is infectious. She has attended the prose classes for the last ten years.

Mary was presented with a beautiful bouquet and when thanking the group Mary said being a member of OOTA kept her mind active and the social group kept her young.

During her time as a member, Mary published her memoir Beyond Borders which is available through BookPal.

 

The Dorothy Hewett Award

Congratulations to the following OOTA members who were shortlisted for the Inaugural Dorothy Hewett Award:

Renee Pettitt-Schipp, 'Returning to Land' - poetry

Carol Milner, 'Settling' - poetry

Catherine Noske, 'The Call of Salt' - novel

Josephine Wilson's novel 'Extinctions' was announced the winner on Saturday, February 20th,  as part of the PIAF Writers Festival.  More information here

OOTA Christmas Party this Friday.

OOTA members are invited to our annual Christmas Party, this Friday 18th December from 12.30 pm, in the Pavilion of the Fremantle Arts Centre.

Please bring a plate of food to share.

Helen Hagemann will be reading some prose and Tony Curtis will be reading poetry.

Don't forget to bring some coins for the Famous OOTA Christmas Raffle. Tony Curtis will also have copies of his latest publication, Approximately in the key of C, for sale.