Belinda Murrell: Bringing Australian History To Life | Page 4
EDITORIAL
ZOE WALTON
PUBLISHER’S WELCOME
Dear Readers,
I was introduced to Belinda Murrell
almost ten years ago, at the Sydney
Writers’ Festival. ‘There’s someone you
should meet,’ said well-known fantasy
author Kate Forsyth. It was Kate’s
sister, Belinda – and she had written
a manuscript. Would I like to read it?
Of course I agreed. That manuscript
became Belinda’s first book – and 2014
saw the publication of Belinda’s fifteenth
book with Random House Australia, The
Sequin Star.
What an honour it has been to work
with the delightful, clever and endlessly
energetic Belinda Murrell! I didn’t know
when we met what a talented and
creative family Belinda hails from, with
her ancestor Charlotte Atkinson writing
Australia’s very first children’s book
170 years ago and a long line of artists
and writers following her, through to
the present day, when Belinda and her
siblings continue to carry the torch.
In fact, it was this extraordinary legacy
that led Belinda to begin writing historical
fiction. Belinda often drew on her own
family’s stories for inspiration – from the
true tale in The Locket of Dreams of two
young Scottish girls who grew up in a
castle but were sent to Australia alone
in the 1850s, to the hardship faced by
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Charlotte Atkinson as she fought for the
right to look after her own children, retold
in The River Charm.
Belinda’s stories go right to the heart
of key moments in Australia’s past, and
the way we have endured the tough
times and celebrated the good times:
our pioneering spirit, fierce and strong;
our courage and will to survive during
war; our fortitude and make-do tenacity
when challenged by times of financial
struggle. From spine-tingling moments
of danger to the simple joys of sharing a
home-cooked favourite meal with loved
ones, Belinda’s books move us, excite us
and invite us into the lives of Australian
families past and present.
Just like the modern-day girls in these
books who learn about the past through
their timeslip adventures or through tales
of ancestors told by a family member,
readers continue to be captivated by
Belinda’s stories. You’ll see in this booklet
some of the heartfelt comments from
Belinda’s many fans about how much
Belinda’s books mean to them, as well
as the accolades she has received from
educators and reviewers.
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure
of reading or teaching Belinda’s books,
please dip into these pages to find out
why you should. Choose a book to start
your journey, and you’ll soon be back for
more!
And if you are already a fan, here’s
your chance to go deeper and learn what
inspired Belinda, as well as get fresh ideas
for how you might use these books in the
classroom.
I hope reading these wonderful books
brings you as much pleasure – and,
without you even realising it, teaches you
as much about Australian history! – as I’ve
enjoyed in my years of publishing this
absolute gem of an author.
Zoe Walton, Publisher –
Children’s and Young Adult Books
January 2015.
Published by Random House
Australia Pty Ltd 2014 and
updated 2015.
© Random House Australia
Pty Ltd 2014.
All enquiries should be directed to
[email protected] or
mailed to Random House Australia,
Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway North
Sydney NSW 2060.
All photographs have been provided
by Belinda Murrell unless credited.
Education professionals have
permission to reproduce pages for
use in class.
This project has been assisted by
the Australian Government through
the Australia Council, its arts
funding and advisory body.