In late October we were extremely privileged to host award-winning author Craig Silvey at our Ascham Books ‘n Breakfast morning. And what a hit Craig was! Three Ascham sisters, the Wells, wrote this wonderful reflection on Craig’s visit as he launched with us his new book, Runt…
The dustjacket of Runt reads: ‘Craig Silvey is an award-winning, bestselling author and screenwriter. He lives in Fremantle’.
That description does not do justice to the philosophical, yet ironically humorous author that spoke to us last Friday. In the same way, describing Runt as ‘just a book’ is a huge understatement.
When you have 30 sleep-deprived people in a library early in the morning, it’s hard to present a PowerPoint on your new book. Yet 5 minutes later, armed with deliciously chewy doughnuts and fluffy croissants, we were enraptured by Runt.
Runt is about a strong-willed young girl called Annie Shearer, who along with her best friend (who also happens to be her dog) enter a dog agility contest to try and fix their family’s financial problems. It is a story of friendship, family and courage. Described as ‘a book of all ages’, it is evident everyone in my family, from my younger sisters to my mum, will enjoy reading this literary gem.
While my sisters’ favourite moments of the breakfast were the doughnuts and dog show videos, I must say that mine was the moment Craig talked about how much he loves reading, because, for a few hours, it transports you to different worlds and allows you to take part in adventures. This is a sentiment I think every reader can agree with. Either that or the YouTube videos of dog shows. An oral description did not communicate the sheer intensity present in dog shows, so Craig felt a video was necessary, and it was worth it! You can see for yourself here and here.
After the short presentation and question time, book signing was available before everyone headed to class or back home.
Craig’s visit made for an inspiring morning. We are grateful for his time in sharing his literary insights and introducing us to Annie Shearer who taught us to be kind, courageous, and innovative.
