Showcasing Children’s Author and Friend, Diana Lawrenson
4 Aug, 2021 | What's happening in my writing life
The fellow author I’m showcasing this week is children’s picture book writer and friend, Diana Lawrenson. Diana and I first met at the home of author Jen McVeity who was then the Victorian SCBWI Co-Ordinator. I seem to recall there were only about ten of us who attended that night. I came away with two strong memories. The first was that Jen McVeity had converted her garage into a complete writing space with a great desk and real bookshelves which stood lined with her books. The second thing was meeting Diana and being totally impressed with two of her recent titles – inside The Australian Ballet and Guide Dogs from puppies to partners.
I got to know Diana much later, when I took over Jen’s role and later again when Diana and I both became members of the group which makes annual visits to primary schools which were devastated by the 2009 Victorian bushfires.
Buxton Primary School 2012
If I had to choose one word to describe Diana, it would be persistent, a quality which can only be an asset in the job we do. She never gives up on a task or role and that carries through to her writing.
Diana and I are also members of a small group of picture book writers and illustrators who support, advise and encourage one another with our books and our writing and I very much value Diana’s input.
Me, Diana and Craig Smith, Dromkeen Litfest 2016 & Diana in action – Sandringham Pre-School 2015
Diana began her writing journey with poetry and then wrote articles for a wide and impressive range of magazines and newspapers, including The Age, The Bulletin and The Sydney Morning Herald. In recent years Diana has written travel blogs, which I believe she has a particular talent for, although they might have to be quite local blogs for the next year or two with travel perhaps limited to our fair state.
Have a look at her website and find out more about Diana’s books and writing and find out what she did before she became a full-time writer. Fascinating.
Here’s the link: https://dianalawrenson.com/