Wednesday, 1 September 2021
Look What I'm Reading! Julia Lawrinson
Julia has worked in a range of organisations, from the arts to Parliament to health. She has presented at schools, workshops and conferences across Australia, and in Singapore, Indonesia and the USA.
Julia loves meeting her audience and encouraging reading, learning and curiosity. Her books are about friendship, family and the occasional Jack Russell. She loves the ocean, reading, dog parks and the word serendipity.
Her last novel, Maddie in the Middle was published in 2019. Her current one, Mel and Shell, will be out in September 2021.
Which children’s book are you currently reading?
I am re-reading/re-absorbing Meg McKinlay and Matt Ottley’s How to Make a Bird.
Can you tell us in two sentences what the book is about?
On one level it is a whimsical, beautifully-illustrated story of a girl collecting the elements of a bird and breathing life into it so it can fly. It is also a story about the gathering, organising and courageousness that are the prerequisites of creativity.
How much did you enjoy / are enjoying this title?
There are not enough words to express my love of this book. (Disclaimer: I read this before it was shortlisted for the CBCA awards: I was an early adopter!)
What made you choose this title? Was it a review, advertising, the cover, the blurb, the author/illustrator, or the subject/genre?
Anything Meg writes is a deep delight to read, and to have her and Matt Ottley together for this book is a gift. I attended the launch of this book, where Frané Lessac constructed an actual bird from found objects under an overhead projector, which was exquisite in its own right.
What other titles are on your bedside table / To-Read Pile?
I have a TBR bookshelf at the moment as I can’t stop buying books! In the bedside table pile I have: The History of Mischief by Rebecca Higgie, My Year of Living Vulnerably by Rick Morton, The Edge of Thirteen by Nova Weetman and Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson.
How did you come by these titles: personal choice/request, publisher’s review copy, or other?
I have seen Rebecca and Rick talk about their books, the others caught my eye in bookshops. I have a group of friends who pass books to each other, so that is the other way I get books into the pile.
Do you read from printed books or some other medium? Please expand a little on the why of your choice.
Printed. I read to relax and learn interesting new things, so to have to deal with a screen would be too much like working. Plus, I like the smell, texture and physicality of an actual book.
Website – www.julialawrinson.com.au
