News from the ILF Mamaruni School FaFT Dear friend, Wow - what a year! Thank you for sharing our journey as we worked in new ways to empower communities on their literacy journey. This month, thanks to support from the Flew Foundation, four incredibly talented Indigenous students in Alice Springs are finalising their graphic novels, after three years of workshops and mentoring, and countless hours of planning, scripting and illustrating. Closer to home, our fabulous ambassadors Jessica Mauboy and Josh Pyke held virtual school visits at Leopold Primary School in regional Victoria, and Dampier Primary School in the Pilbara, Western Australia, respectively. Congratulations to both schools for winning the 2020 Great Book Swap prize draw. Finally, our Board and team will be meeting in mid January for a strategic planning workshop to distill the findings of Joseph Lo Bianco's critical review. Outcomes will guide ILF's strategic direction for 2021, and we look forward to sharing the highlights with you. I know it is a busy time, but if you can, please donate to our 2020 Festive Appeal. Every $10 puts a book into the hands of a child in remote Australia. Or if you would prefer to donate to our Give the Gift of Reading campaign, we'll post you a card that represents your donation and you can gift it to a friend or family member. I would like to extend my gratitude to our Board, ambassadors, volunteers and the ILF team. And, of course, to you for being a valued member of our community. A big thank you to everyone who donated, ran a fundraiser or showed their support in any way - big or small - throughout this year. I wish you a safe and joyful holiday season and healthy, happy 2021! Karen Williams OAM New Graphic Novels Our team is excited that three graphic novels by young Indigenous authors are nearing completion! When we first ran a graphic novel workshop in 2018 with four students from Centralian College in Alice Springs, little did we realise that it would turn out to be a three year project. With specialised mentoring by Gestalt Publishing Editor-in-Chief Wolfgang Bylsma, author of the 'Ubby' series Brenton McKenna, and author and artist Justin Randall, plus with the ongoing support from former teacher, Wendy Cowan, the three books are now planned for publication in mid-2021. Jabiru FaFT First Graphic Novel Workshop, 2018, Alice Springs. New Copies of No Way Yirrikipayi! ILF bestseller No Way, Yirrikipayi!, written by students from Milikapiti School with ILF Ambassador Alison Lester and all about Yirrikipayi the hungry crocodile who goes hunting is set to be released in a paperback format! Perfect for your little ones, you can purchase your copy now from all good bookstores! ILF Author Karen Manbulloo, Katherine Children's Day. Photography: Katherine Morrow. ILD 2019. Photography by Ash Berdebes. Give us your Feedback! Thank you to everyone who has held a Great Book Swap during 2020. We realise it was a difficult year for many, which makes your support even more significant. Please take the time to complete our survey, so we can make next year's program bigger and better than ever. Leopold Primary School during their virtual visit with Jessica Mauboy. A big thank you MFS International Australia and UnLtd for their recent donations to our Foundation. Your support allows us to deliver our vision of equity of opportunity. We are also delighted to hear that CBA Staff members recently voted to make a grant of $25,000 to the Foundation which will allow us to gift 2,500 books to remote communities. We'd also like to acknowledge and thank the Morpheus Foundation for your ongoing support and recent donation. Your passion and commitment to our Foundation over the last four years has been invaluable. Finally, a big congratulations to former Ambassador Tara June Winch, and ILF Board Member Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, who won the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards in the fiction and non-fiction: joint writers categories respectively! Milikapiti Community. Photography by Wayne Quilliam. ILF Office Closed Dates Our Sydney office is closed from 12pm Thursday 24 December to Sunday 10 January so our team can enjoy a well-earned break! We will resume normal business hours on Monday 11 January 2020. Yabun 2019. Photography by ILF staff. ILF staff 2020. Photography by Corina Zanatta. Yabun Festival 2021 We'll be attending the annual Yabun Festival on Tuesday 26 January at Victoria Park in Camperdown, Sydney. Come and visit our stall, learn about our programs, and maybe even buy an Indigenous designed t-shirt or tote bag! |