Poignant news this week - that Siobhan Dowd has been awarded the 2009 Carnegie Medal for 'Bog Child'. This is wonderful news, but also so very sad because Siobhan died of cancer in 2007. Royalties from the sale of her four books go to the Siobhan Dowd Trust, which helps disadvantaged children. Her publisher, David Fickling, says: 'Children need stories. Siobhan believed that stories help children to think and if they can think, then they are free.'
Siobhan delivered four books in three years before her premature death at the age of 47 (though I'm inclined to think all death is premature when there's so much to learn, love and do in life).
Remember what writer Lisa Ratcliffe, who died a few months ago and who was a wonderful, feisty, resilient non-self-pitying voice right to the end, said: 'Writers, write!' As the comparethemeerkats.com advert has it, 'Simples!'
On a much more cheerful note, my younger son is fourteen today. He and his brother are gorgeous, bright and loving - having them in my life has been a privilege and joy which I wouldn't have missed for the world. I've been looking at photos of his extreme adorableness over the years and can't believe he's the age he is. (What a trite thing to say - but the swiftness of these years takes me by surprise all the time.) So it's lashings of Coke and loads of chocolate cake later - yay!
2 comments:
Hah, make the best of the lashings of coke and chocolate cake it could all be sooo different next year when he morphs into Kevin and Perry!
Sad news about those premature deaths, especially where there is a posthumous award. Life, a tough old ride at times.
That's so sad. I love what Siobhan Dowd's publisher says. It's spot on true (as were lovely Lisa's words too).
Happy Birthday to your boy. I swear I don't know how they get to be so big, so quickly:-)
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