Two weeks ago I was invited to participate in the ' Churchill Club Debate ', a Silicon Valley tradition where people with interest in the world of technology are invited to pitch and debate the 'tech trends' that will explode in 3-5 years time but is not widely known in the mainstream as yet. I took up the challenge with relish and battled it out with five other panelists! The winner was decided through the very democratic process of the audience voting. I came a close second

Darren and I have been workshopping ideas to promote our new picture book, Willow the Wonderer , to indie booksellers around Australia - there's well over a thousand of them! The 'whackiest' one thus far (and hence our favourite) has been to ... buy a campervan, pack everything in, drive around Australia, visit all the independent bookshops, sell our books whilst checking out all that our beautiful country has to offer and working on our next book. It will be our home and off

Just as we thought we were over the worst, the next wave of COVID starts and we find ourselves in another indefinite lockdown or in my case lockout... The impact of health orders being issued on the largest population and business centres of our county has widespread social and economic impacts - where one lives almost doesn't matter. Getting restless and agitated at times like these is unavoidable it seems, and as I saw the launch plan of our new business and picture book go

Reported by the Macleay Argus The Macleay Argus covered our first ever 'Willow the Wonderer' story-time with the beautiful community at the Crescent Head Playgroup a few weeks ago. The playdate came about rather serendipitously. We contacted our first customer - ever - Susan Snape to see if we could hand deliver her two advance copies of Willow the Wonderer. Much to our delight the delivery turned into story time at the Crescent Head Playgroup where Susan is the secretary.

I grew up in the Fiji Islands - and yes, it was as idyllic as it sounds. Balmy climate, ripe mangoes straight off the trees, fresh fish, prawns and lobster ... I could go on. But if I had to choose, my best childhood memories revolve around the time when school holidays were ending and it was time to return back to school! Why? Because that was the only time in the years when we'd receive new (well newish) books. Here's a look back at those wonderful times and an ode to the w

Darren and I share a guilty pleasure ... the love of UFOs. Yes, we've listened to the podcasts, seen the documentaries and wondered (maybe even hoped) that they are real. With the Pentagon recently coming out and confirming the existence of UFOs , it feels that Ufologists world over are finally being vindicated. Although presence of UFOs does not automatically mean that we are being visited by alien civilisations, it remains a possibility - and it is that possibility that is

Reported by ABC Radio Mid North Coast Darren Pryce with his Archibald 100 entry, The Meeting (Photo credit: Simon Cardwell) Darren Pryce, co-founder of Wise As Stories, was interviewed by the ABC Radio Mid North Coast for his Archibald Prize portrait of Brittany Higgins . Darren took a non traditional approach to the portrait, portraying Brittany Higgins in the much anticipated meeting with the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. ​ In the interview Darren talked through the pre

Reported by the Age and SMH Darren Pryce with his Archibald 100 entry, The Meeting (Photo credit: Simon Cardwell) Darren Pryce, co-founder of Wise As Stories , is an award-winning illustrator and an innovative artist. His latest contribution to the artscape in Australia is a neo-classical portrait of Brittany Higgins for the Archibald Prize, now in it's 100th year. ​ Darren's motivation for painting Brittany Higgins was to give voice to women who have been silenced by the pat

My answer is not going to win me any high-browed critical acclaim and it doesn't matter. This one is straight from the inner-child's heart. My pick would be 'The Enchanted Wood' by Enid Blyton. The Enchanted Woods The Enchanted Wood is one of the first 'big books' I remember reading at the tender age of about eight. It sparked my imagination and made me yearn for a magical new world like nothing had done before. The story is built around the adventures of three little kids