An excellent weekend at the Francis Folk festival in the south east of SA. In spite of the heat, it was well-attended with some terrific folk music. I had great fun sharing in the running of a poetry workshop, where we looked at bush ballads and what makes them work. And just why they've lasted so well. It was a really good group to work with, and I made a few discoveries as I prepared for it. I'd never realised that 'Clancy of the Overflow' was based on a real-life incident in Paterson's own legal office, when he was asked to write a letter to Thomas Gerald Clancy, at 'The Overflow' station, north of Nyngan. The rest, as they say, is history ... We're trying to expand the poetry component in this very popular folk music festival - so watch this space for next year!

The current issue of the journal 'Studio' gave me such pleasure that I'm reproducing it in full. It's the sort of review that makes one keep writing, even in the most dismal moments of self-doubt.

The Adelaide Review - January issue - page 22 featured my latest book, under the headline 'Grimmer Tales.' Quote reviewer Nina Bertok: "On the 200th anniversary of the printing of the Grimm Brothers' legendary collection of dark tales, The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, Australian author Valerie Volk's twisted adaptation of the classic stories takes the 'grim' factor to another level." ... "She takes much loved children's fairytales ... and completely flips them on their head."