Hazel Edwards at RMIT University Library, Bundoora

The Library and the School of Education have organised their annual children’s author visit for quite a few years now. It is generally organised to coordinate with one the School courses but is open to all RMIT staff and students who are interested. In past years we have had Doug MacLeod, Morris Gleitzman, Leigh Hobbs, Carole Wilkinson and Shaun Tan.  Last year we were enthralled by Shaun Tan’s unusual illustrative talents and the students were genuinely motivated and interested in hearing his writing story.

This year we welcome a very different, but no less acclaimed and accomplished author.  Hazel Edwards may be best known for ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake’ (and a recent official Australian government gift to the Danish Princess), but she also writes for older children and adults. Her latest works about to be released is a picture book about 13, a platypus who is a part-time plumber with a tool kit for fixing grumpy people and she will be releasing a new Hippopotamus book in 2010 to celebrate the series 30th Anniversary.

In 2001 as the Australian Antarctic Division writer, Hazel Edwards was part of a resupply expedition to Casey Station, and researched her subsequent Antarctic writing. Since she writes for children and adults, her cross-media Antarctic stories have unique perspectives ranging from the e-mail links to keep expeditioner families in touch during remote winters, to vehicles, icebergs and wildlife. Her stories are animated, illustrated, photographed, in Braille and even Auslan signed DVDs for hearing impaired.

“Being an author means the opportunity to live more intensively by participant observation in places like Antarctic expeditions, but also by using imagination and asking ‘What if?’ as in the creation of the cake-eating hippo. Sometimes books travel even further than the author, into the minds and actions of readers”.

We are delighted to announce that Hazel Edwards will speak to students at:

RMIT University Library,  Bundoora 
 level one
on Friday 14th August
9.30 – 10.30am
Morning tea provided.  All welcome!
For more details contact June Frost on 99256576 or email: june.frost@rmit.edu.au