We have a recommended reading list being put together by the extraordinary Jo Henwood and it appears there is no lack of things to discuss when is comes to Rapunzel. The list has continued to grow daily with additional suggestions from all quarters and Jo is busy spinning it all together it all into a handy reference for research, inspiration and discussion gold. We should be posting it in the next day or so… stay tuned!
Well, we can’t believe that the second annual AFTS conference has been and gone! What a wonderful day of thought-provoking discussion and inspiration. Thank you to all of our presenters, attendees and those working behind the scenes – you all came together to create a special vibe of warmth (despite it being mid-winter!) and camaraderie.
We are currently looking at our footage and sound recordings from the day, so if the tech fairies are working in our favour, then we should be able to put most of the presentations online as we did last year.
On the day of the conference we also had the AGM and the election of the new committee. It was with sadness that we farewelled our wonderful first president, Reilly McCarron, and our very extraordinary ordinary member, Thang Luong. We will miss you!
Most roles were filled at the AGM, though we have had a couple of members join since then. Now introducing the new AFTS committee…
President – Belinda Calderone
Belinda Calderone is currently teaching and completing her PhD in Literary Studies at Monash University. Her thesis is entitled ‘Mothers, Monsters and Midwives: The Evolution of Motherhood in European Fairy Tales.’ She has published and given conference papers on various aspects of the fairy tale genre and has a book chapter in Beyond the Monstrous: Reading from the Cultural Imaginary.
Vice President – Dr Nike Sulway
Dr Nike Sulway is a writer and academic. She is the author of several novels, including Rupetta, which—in 2014—was the first work by an Australian writer to win the James Tiptree, Jr Award. The award, founded in 1991 by Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler, is an annual award for a work of “science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender”. She teaches creative writing at the University of Southern Queensland.
Secretary – Susan Clancy
I have loved folk tales and fairy tales all my life, from when they were read to me as a young child to when I could borrow collections from the library to today where I still collect fairy tale and folklore literature, watch as many films as possible that use such stories as their starting point and read everything I find that relates in some way to these tales. I am particularly interested in the way transformations of these tales have taken place over the years and across cultures and exploring why some are more successful than others.
Treasurer – Catherine Snell
Catherine Snell is currently undertaking her Honours year at Monash University and holds a BA with majors in History and Literary Studies. Her thesis will examine the representation of the environment in Australian fairy tales, currently a work in progress. She attributes her interest in fairy tales to a childhood love of reading.
Ordinary Member and Public Officer – Jo Henwood
Jo Henwood is an Accredited Storyteller with the Storytelling Guild of NSW, co-founder and Public Officer of the Australian Fairy Tale Society, and the Ring Maiden who coordinates the Fairy Tale Rings. She is qualified in Cultural Heritage, Museum Studies, Gifted Education, Tour Guiding, and Librarianship. As well as storytelling Jo works as a Tour Guide and Education Officer in various Sydney heritage sites. She also organises the Professional Development Days for Museums Australia Education and the first World Storytelling Day celebrated in Sydney. Her favourite fairy tales have turned out to be the Animal Bridegroom variants. Her greatest delight in the AFTS has been discovering new meanings in familiar tales and being provoked to create Australian interpretations, as well as meeting some fascinating people.
Ordinary Member – Gypsy Thornton
Aussie abroad, human/zombie hybrid & fairy tale writer/researcher-mama who wishes she had tastier brains to snack on. (Grows her own hair.) Known as the Fairy Tale News Hound of Once Upon A Blog, reporting daily FT news since 2009; fairy tale student, enthusiast & researcher since 1980. Teaches kids to love (& create) art. Has put bread on the table via Disney Features, TV & Special Projects animation, visual R&D (film), theater (director, writer, producer), animal rescue work, articles, short stories & one non-fiction book. Also admits to being various characters and a puppeteer of a touring children’s theater company.
Sub-Committee Member – Dr Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario
Dr Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario teaches fairy tales, fantasy and children’s literature at Monash University. She has published in a range of scholarly journals and books, writing about topics including Disney princesses, Harry Potter wrock bands, and old women in fairy tales. She also publishes the occasional short story, including a tale about Glinda the Good Witch in Aurealis, and knitting patterns.
Well, that’s the whole team! We’re all excited about the future and look forward to many more fairy-tale adventures ahead.
Magical regards,
The Australian Fairy Tale Society
The Winter Solstice is coming…
Can you believe it’s only 6 days until our conference? Time is certainly flying! If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so here: REGISTER
We’ve put together some important info for the conference:
GETTING TO THE VENUE
If you are driving, there should be plenty of parking at the NSW Writer’s Centre, as they have a reasonably large car park behind the centre.
If you’re taking public transport, the wonderful Jo Henwood has put together a little sheet on public transport, with some accommodation info at the end as well if you haven’t arranged that already: AFTS Conference – Transport and Accommodation Info
DINNERS
You’re welcome to join us for dinner on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday nights at local restaurants if you’re in Sydney for the weekend: AFTS Conference – Dinners
AGM
Our annual general meeting will take place during lunchtime on the conference day. These are the current nominations:
President: Belinda Calderone
Vice President: Position still available
Secretary: Susan Clancy
Treasurer: Catherine Snell
Ordinary committee member 1: Jo Henwood
Ordinary committee member 2: Position still available
Ordinary committee member 3: Position still available
If anyone is interested in the role of Vice President, or in being an ordinary committee member, please contact us.
GOODIES TO BUY ON THE DAY
Sophie Masson launches her latest book Hunters’ Moon at the conference and will sell signed copies for $19.99, along with some of her other fairy tale inspired novels.
Spike Deane is not only presenting her paper ‘Folk and fairy tale narrative in glass art’ and exhibiting her work at the conference, but also bringing artwork for sale including keys to the winter castle and selkie embroideries. Prices range from $40 – $460.
The conference is cash only so you may want to visit an ATM before you arrive!
TWITTER
We will be sharing all the details of our conference day on Twitter. We always love photos, thoughts and comments from our presenters, attendees and even those who can’t make it on the day. If you’d like to contribute before, on or after the conference day, then feel free to use our hashtag: #aftsconf2015
Well that’s all from us! But please contact us if you have any questions. We are so looking forward to meeting many of you on Sunday,
Have an enchanted week,
The Australian Fairy Tale Society Committee
Good afternoon fairy tale enthusiasts!
Our website re-vamp is finally complete and we are delighted to reveal our fresh new look. We feel that it’s a clean and simple design that will be nice and easy to navigate. We hope you like it!
Fresh new regards,
Belinda Calderone
Vice President
Australian Fairy Tale Society
Good afternoon fairy tale lovers,
We are so excited to finally reveal the program for our conference next month.
We are really proud of the wonderful group of presenters we have this year. So without further ado, here it is:
Looking forward to meeting many of you next month!
Belinda Calderone
Vice President
The Australian Fairy Tale Society
Debra Phillips
One of our wonderful members, Debra Phillips has written a paper entitled ‘Once Upon a Time and Narratives of the Imagined Future.’ In this paper, she explores how the term “Once upon a time” used in an Australian setting is more about a future possibility than a European past.
AFTS committee member and writer Thang D. Luong has written a paper resulting from last year’s conference. It is entitled, “The healing power of Refugee Wolf: a dark and satirical fairy tale.” The paper refers to certain European fairy tales which deal with the issues of healing and transformation. And it explores how his short story, Refugee Wolf – a dark comedy about the asylum seeker debate – can help transform society by understanding the interconnectedness of issues underlying the debate
T.D. (Thang Dac) Luong is a Sydney based writer and lawyer. He was born in 1971, the Year of the Pig, during the Vietnam War (1945-1975). The Year of the Pig is considered to be a lucky year in Vietnamese culture. Such luck steered him and his family to Australia as refugees on 20 June 1975, shortly after the war ended.
Refugee Wolf by T.D. Luong
Not surprisingly, he has been inspired by the role of pigs in fairy tales. His short story Refugee Wolf (Flying Pig Media, 2013) is a re-invention of The Three Little Pigs fairy tale. The story is a dark satire about a society of excess and how it fears asylum seekers. Thang’s interest in how animals are used in fairy tales to represent human values started in the early 1980s when he watched the TV cult classic Monkey on the ABC. He believes that regardless of how short or long a fairy tale or fable is, we can find an aspect of ourselves in them.
Thang has completed a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing (UTS) and is currently working on a novel inspired by his late dad, a persecuted journalist during the war.
Good afternoon fairy tale lovers!
While we are still confirming the conference program, we have an exciting announcement to make. We are delighted to reveal that Sophie Masson‘s book launch for Hunter’s Moon will be held as part of the AFTS conference! Thank you so much to Sophie and to Random House for teaming up with us and enriching our 2015 conference.
Hunter’s Moon by Sophie Masson
Sophie is the prolific and award-winning author of more than fifty novels for young adults and children, many of which have been published internationally. Her most recent novels with Random House Australia are the young adult fairytale novels Moonlight And Ashes (2012), Scarlet in the Snow (2013) and The Crystal Heart (2014). She has also written under the pen-names Isabelle Merlin and Jenna Austen.
Here’s a bit about Hunter’s Moon:
“Bianca Dalmatin wants for nothing. As the heir to a department store empire and stepdaughter of the beautiful Lady Belladonna, the only thing Bianca longs for is a friend. It seems that her wish is granted at the duke’s Presentation Ball when she meets the handsome, mysterious Lucian Montresor.
But after The Mirror newspaper names Bianca as Lepmest’s new Fairest Lady, the true nature of her stepmother is revealed. Belladonna tells Bianca the shocking news that Bianca’s father is dying – and, when Bianca races to be by his side, Belladonna sends her faithful servant to kill her.
Who is friend and who is enemy? Plunged into a terrifying world that will turn her from a daughter of privilege to a hunted creature in fear of her life, Bianca must find allies if she is to survive – and to expose Belladonna for who she really is.”
Can’t wait? Neither can we!
A magical weekend to you all,
The Australian Fairy Tale Society
Cinderella by Elenore Abbott
Debra Phillips – Summer Twilight in Skriveri
Looking for an amazing artistic experience this weekend?
One of our valued members, Debra Phillips, is presenting an exhibition entitled Forget-Me-Not at the North Sydney Community Centre this Saturday, 14th March 2015.
This exhibition is based on eight separate trips into the Baltic States, and is a non-Latvian’s observations and interpretation of Latvian life since 2009.
The exhibition includes paintings, water-colours, photographs, collage and a display of travel journals (sketches, water colours, ephemera, notes) completed during the travels.
Plus, The Artist Talk at 10:00 am is a 20-minute performance-presentation to highlight works of art in this exhibition.
For full details, see the flier here: Forget Me Not Exhibition
Have an enchanted weekend,
Belinda Calderone
The Australian Fairy Tale Society
Australian Fairy Tale Society 