This week I’m heading up the Calder to one of my favourite events, Bendigo Writers’ Festival. It’s always an excellent program and a fun bookish vibe around town.

I’ll be talking with school students as part of Word Spot on Thursday 4 May about the Blitz, mudlarking, Vikings and Romans in The Firewatcher Chronicles.

And then on Friday 5 May I’m hosting what should be a fascinating discussion on writing fiction about the colonial past (and present … and futures), with Claire G. Coleman, Jock Serong and Paul Daley.

On June 2, I’m part of the Wheeler Centre’s Telling Tales series, in which three YA authors and three teen writers each read out a new short story – in this case on the theme of Reality Bites. Alice Pung and Will Kostakis are on the bill, so it is going to be the excellent fun, I just know it. If you’re around Melbourne, I’d love to see you there.