News
A spot for forthcoming events, exhibitions, works in progress and other interesting bits.
The 22nd Annual Exhibition of Australian Children's Picture Book Illustrations: a group exhibition profiling some of the best illustrators working with books for young people. As part of this event The Customs House Gallery will be hosting an exhibition of artwork from the film The Lost Thing, along with limited edition prints for sale.
On exhibition at Blarney Books and Art, 37 James Street Port Fairy Victoria, from September 3 until October 31 2011. Hours : Thursday to Sunday 11am to 4pm.
I recently visiting my home city of Perth to deliver a public lecture on the relationship between my work as a writer, illustrator and film-maker, and my background as a young artist growing up in sububuran WA. It's about an hour long, and can be viewed in its entirety on the Big Ideas website, or downloaded (better to go with video rather than audio - while I'm not the most animated speaker in the world, I do make reference to numerous pictures).
The Illustration Cupboard in Bury Street, London
An exhibition of over 30 original paintings and prints is on display at The Illustration Cupboard from 9th August to mid-September. For more info, go to www.illustrationcupboard.com
and you can see me giving a brief guided tour of my work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTJFX1XPNNg&feature=related
Events in Edinburgh and London August 2011
Tuesday 23 August and Thursday 25 August - Edinburgh International Book Festival
Wednesday 24 August at Seven Stories in Newcastle.
Tuesday 30 August a book signing at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London from 2.00pm.
Later that same evening, in conversation with Paul Gravett - Director of Comica Festival and editor of “1001 Comics You Must Read Before you Die” at Waterstone's Piccadilly at 7.00 pm. This is a ticketed event. For more information, please contact 0207 851 2400 or events@piccadilly.waterstones.co.uk.
www.paulgravett.com, www.comicafestival.com
The Arrival and Sketch Book Suitcase won the 35th Galley Club Book of the Year Award. Many thanks are due to Trish Garner, with whom I collaborated in designing this limited edition work, and Tegan Morrison, the supervising editor. The Galley Club of Sydney encourages and promotes the highest standards of excellence in book and magazine production. The Annual Galley Club Awards for Excellence in book and magazine production provides an opportunity for the industry to acknowledge the individuals, publishers and printers who have excelled in the preceding year. www.galleyclub.com.au
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2011
I was busy washing the dishes at home in the evening when I received a call from an unrecognizable overseas number. I answered somewhat reluctantly, keen to finish rinsing, and became a little apprehensive when a delayed voice on the other asked me "Is this Shaun Tan?" - a sales call? I hoped not! The caller politely introduced himself as Larry Lempert, chairman of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and in measured tones informed me that I had been selected as the recipient of this year's prize. I think I might have said something like "oh", not quite registering (and still thinking about my dripping hands!). Mr Lempert went on to ask “how do you feel?” Well, utterly surprised for a start. While I had been aware of being listed as a candidate, the Astrid Lindgren Award does not exactly deal with “shortlists”; there are 170 nominees from 60 countries. Among these are such luminaries as Quentin Blake, Roberto Innocenti, Peter Sis, to name just a few who inspired me as young illustrator; to be nominated in such company was amazing enough, and I had thought it was fairly safe to assume that's all it would be; pottering away in my studio, it had quietly slipped off my radar. So the sudden news was genuinely astounding. I think my reaction came across as a kind of faltering confusion; and I was then a little alarmed then to hear the ALMA committee applauding in the background - I'd been on speaker phone! I reached for a tea towel to dry my hands, and pulled up the kitchen chair.
For those outside of children’s literature circles, The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is an annual prize, inaugurated in 2002 in honour of Sweden’s much-loved author (known by many around the world as the creator of Pippi Långstrump - Pippi Longstocking). Occasionally referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize of children’s literature’, this international award is administered by the Swedish Arts Council and comes with a significant prize (5 million SEK), with the intention of raising the profile of books for young people as well as inspire those working in the field: authors, illustrators, oral storytellers, and those individuals and institutions active in reading promotion work.
The award is presented to an creator in recognition of their entire oeuvre, not for individual works. Winners are chose by a 12-member jury of authors, literary critics and scholars, illustrators and librarians, including a representative of Astrid Lindgren’s family.
The announcement was made on March 29 at 1:00 pm CET and broadcast live from Vimmerby, Sweden to the Illustrator’s Café at the Bologna fair. Unfortunately, this was one year I’ve been unable to attend in person, although a small but strong contingent of other Australian book creators were able to celebrate on my behalf! The award is not only a personal achievement, but I think reflects broader efforts of Australian authors, illustrators, publishers and supporting associations to promote innovative storytelling on an international stage. I've often thought that our books are some of the most daringly experimental, constantly testing tradition: it’s also worth noting that Melbourne-based author Sonya Hartnett also won this award in 2008.
Of course, it’s a incredible honour to be simply be considered for this award, let alone to win it. It does give me pause to reflect on my work as a whole within an international context. I remember first visiting Bologna Book Fair and feeling terribly insignificant and somewhat out of place as a young illustrator from Western Australia, wondering how my work fit into the vast scheme of this particular universe. It's hugely gratifying to think that so many years of patient commitment and experiment, often following quite idiosyncratic obsessions, have been appreciated and recognized in this way. Many thanks are of course due to my publishers in Australia and overseas for all of their support, and those individuals and organizations that have been so active in bringing the work of Australian creators to an international stage.
Lastly, to answer the question that a lot of journalists have been asking me – what will you do with the money? – I’ll perhaps be forgiven for not having immediate plans in place! But my wife and I are both artists who work from a rental house without an adequate studio space, so the prize certainly helps us to consider other options. I also plan on donating a portion of my prize to a few organisations that I regularly support, most notably the Indigenous Literacy Project, an initiative that promotes access to books and literacy education in underprivileged regional communities here in Australia. This would be in keeping with the spirit of the Astrid Lindgren’s humanist values and the implicit intentions of the award: observing that children everywhere have the right to good, innovative and complex literature, regardless of their circumstances.
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And the OSCAR goes to...
The Lost Thing!
Yarooop! In what was perhaps the most surreal moment in my life, I found myself hopping into a stage in front of millions to collect an Oscar from Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, alongside co-director Andrew Ruhemann. There's only so many people to thank in 45 seconds, while an alarming 'WRAP UP' graphic flashes on an auto-cue! Aside from our core creative team, huge thanks are due to everyone who has supported our journey toward this remarkable, bizarre and amazing conclusion, all enthusiasts of the film and book in Australia and overseas.
For more about the film, visit the official site. In Australia, it's available on DVD from Madman - see below - and in the US it can be purchased from iTunes.
Congrats also to our fellow nominees in the category of Short Animated Film, all of whom could have easily taken the golden statue. If you have not seen these films already, try to find them:
• “Day & Night” Teddy Newton
• “The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
• “Let's Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
• “Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois
The 83rd Academy Awards were announced on February 27, 2011.
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Lost Thing DVD release November 10, 2010 Madman Entertainment
Finally our short film will be made widely available to all interested bottle top collectors! (Meanwhile, those in the US may be happy to know that The Lost Thing is now available for download from iTunes.)
DVD Extras include: Deleted scenes, pre-production artwork, notes and commentaries, mini-features on animation development, plus an extensive interview. The package also includes a 48-page field guide, 'What Miscellaneous Abnormality Is That?', a rare publication from the mysterious Federal Department of Odds. At last you will be able to correctly identify a lost thing when you see one. Check here for more details of this field guide. For more comments on the film production, go to my Lost Thing Film page, and just scroll down to see a short trailer of the film.
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Lost Thing wins further prizes
November, 2010
Team Lost Thing are delighted to announce that our film has recently picked up several awards at international film festivals - with many thanks to those who attended, judged or voted. Most recently these include:
SPAIN: First Prize at the ANIMACOR 2010 International Short Film Competition and also the THE SPECIAL AWARD OF CHILDREN TO THE BEST SHORT FILM.
TEXAS: AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL - winner of the the 2010 Animated Short Jury Award
CHICAGO: 1st Prize Animated Short, collected by Tom Bryant, the digital artist who created most of what you see on screen. The Lost Thing also won Best Film By an Emerging Director at Chicago International Childrens Film Festival.
And congratulations to our sound-smiths: designer John Kassab picked up the Australian Screen Sound Guild Award for "Best Achievement in Sound in an Animated Film", and composer Michael Yezerski won a APRA/AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Music in a Short Film. Well done guys!
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Lost Thing, Book to Film Exhibition, Melbourne
September 22 - October 10
Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery, Gasworks Arts Park, South Melbourne (corner of Graham and Pickles Street)
Beginning with the original illustrations for the picture book, the collaborative process to create the film is exhibited through character sketches, pencil storyboards, soft pastel stills, texture paintings and a DVD showing the complex developmental stages growing the animation from the early structural designs to the final film – incorporating alternate and experimental pieces of film and sound.
I will be presenting a brief talk about the adaptation process on October 2, as well as a screening of the film. Books will be available, and I'll be signing copies for visitors after the presentation.
Date: Saturday 2 October
Time: 4pm to 5pm Cost: $10 per head
Venue: Gasworks Theatre
For more information can be found at the Gasworks Park website.
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The Bird King released, Melbourne, Australia
September 2010
This month sees the release of The Bird King, a 128-page 'sketchbook' of previously unpublished drawings and notes, for projects both realised and unrealised. The book was originally produced for the World Science Fiction Convention, held this year in Melbourne, but also made avalable to a more general audience by the small independent publisher Windy Hollow Books.
Teachers Notes relating to this book can be downloaded as a PDF here.
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The Lost Thing Short Film completed
April 2010
After almost ten years of being in production, the 15 minute animated film 'The Lost Thing' has finally been completed, and has been included in the official selection for the Annecy Film Festival (France, 7-12 June 2010).
For more information about festival dates and production notes - and to view the Lost Thing Trailer - please visit www.thelostthing.com.
A special edition DVD of the film will be available in November, distributed by Madman Entertainment.
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Eric
April 2010
Australian readers who tell me that 'Eric' is their favourite story from 'Tales from Outer Suburbia' will be pleased to know that it has been published by Allen & Unwin as a special mini-edition of it's own. I'd always been in a quandary as to whether to separate 'Eric' from 'Tales', as it seemed to be it's own book, but also quintessential 'suburbia'. Now I can have it both ways! At 48 pages, this edition actually feels like the 'original' version of the story, and in appropriate form as a 'gift book' not much taller than it's protagonist.
Available from April 2010, RRP $10
