Mem Fox Perspiring

Hi! Whew!

I knew it would be a long hot summer. Adelaide has been sweltering. Fortunately Malcolm and I were away for the major heat wave on our crazy 30th wedding anniversary trip in Chile, Martinique, Barbados, London, Paris, Yemen and Vietnam. Yes, it was totally brilliant and in spite of being together for three and a half weeks for 24 hours a day we’re still married! Yemen was perhaps the most exciting especially as we were there 36 hours after the Australian and British hostages were killed. We found the country totally enchanting and the people charming. Amazing to be able to buy myrrh and frankincense in the markets just as the three Wise Men did.

Chloe, who turns 28 this month, is still working in Paris at Elle magazine. My dad is still alive and my mum is still swimming at the beach at the age of 84. My sisters are happy and so are their families . 1999 is looking good!

Koala Lou is coming out in HARDBACK again in the year 2000, in honour of the Olympics, of course. This is an amazingly unusual event in publishing: to return to hardback after 11 years of publication, so I’m thrilled to bits. Penguin Australia is the publisher. I guess if a book has sold hundreds of thousands publishers have faith in it . . .

The most exciting news is that I have a new bed-time book coming out in Australia in July and in the USA in September. It’s called Sleepy Bears and is illustrated divinely by Kerry Argent who has really surpassed herself with book: it’s sensational, even if I say so myself! It’s aimed at the children who have had Time for Bed since they were born: three year olds and above will I hope, adore it. Also exciting is that I have been taken on by a wonderful publishing house, Pan Macmillan, in Australia, who will be publishing the book, much to their joy. I don’t know who’s more excited: Pan or me! The darling Harcourt Brace company will of course be publishing it in the USA.

I am about to begin the yearly round of trips to the USA and elsewhere to talk to teachers and children and librarians. My schedule appears a bit further down in this Hot News section. I hope to meet some of you in person in my travels.

I’ll up-date again at the end of March. Till then, so long and much love,

Mem Foxxx