St Philomena’s students Lucy Wells and Grace Beinke with one of Australia’s best-selling authors Morris Gleitzman.
ONE of Australia’s best-selling authors Morris Gleitzman dropped by St Philomena’s on Tuesday morning.
Using humour and optimism to overcome life’s challenges was one of the messages conveyed by Gleitzman.
“A story needs a problem, and a problem needs a solution. This brings me to my next point - don’t take life too seriously. People have problems, problems find people; how people handle these problems is what can make or break you,” Gleitzman said.
He has written 33 children’s books selling over half a million copies in more than 25 different countries for his best-seller Two Weeks with the Queen.
Gleitzman turns stereotypes into likable characters with his books capturing the essence of everyday life, with a twist.
“I have always taken the approach that I want to represent the world as truthfully and honestly as I can to young people, but I also wanted to do it in a balanced way, which is why all of these books are as much about love and friendship as they are about the terrible atrocities of wartime,” he said whilst referring to one of his books.
“Children know when they are being sold a sanitised version of the world and I think that’s a betrayal of the relationship between the author and reader.”
Gleitzman has been touring the countryside promoting his new book ‘After’ - the fourth book in his most recent series which deals with the horrors of the holocaust.
The students from St Philomena’s were both inquisitive and enthralled with the tales of Gleitzman’s life and the processes he runs through to draw inspiration for his work.
“It’s great that I have had the opportunity to get out to the country where a lot of authors don’t visit when promoting a new book. Thank you Moree for having me; it’s been a pleasure,” Gleitzman said.