What I did on my holidays…

Yes, I have been on holiday. It’s true that I went to America to the American Libraries Association convention. I also went to ALOUD, a children’s book festival in Toronto. Both places had record breaking heat but as always the people I met and worked with made me feel fantastic. I was bathed in kindness. I then went back to the USA (visit no.89!) to a lovely conference at Worcester State College in Massachussetts. I lost my voice in Toronto due to the pollution but it came back in time for Worcester, thank heaven, although I did ask Malcolm to help save my voice by reading Hunwick’s Egg for me. He was hilarious – so hilarious that everyone was rolling in the aisles and I thought: ‘Hey, wait, this is MY gig!’ It was great having him with me for a change but he’d better not steal the limelight in future.

After that we went to Paris, and you’re probably thinking that’s where my holiday was, but no, I was still in work mode in Paris. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge has been translated as Jean-Ferdinand Poussin Cadet and published by Bayard Jeunesse. We met the wonderful dynamic publisher, Elena Iribarren, and had a long and fascinating conversation about foriegn publication of children’s books. It seems that on the whole that people prefer books from their own culture, and prefer the tone of their own illustrators, which I can understand perfectly as an Australian. I feel that way too. Because Malcolm and Chloe are fluent in French and have strong ties to France I had hoped to have other books of mine published in France but that seems unlikely. Never mind. The cultural interchange was fantastic. And as always the architecture in Paris broke my heart. It’s so beautiful. Why can’t every city look like that?

THEN the holiday began! Morocco! What a sensational place! We went with three friends: John, Kim and Jenny (who is also my agent literary agent when she’s at work) which meant long, happy conversations, good company at meals and fabulous shopping companions. I was so tired I slept a great deal without worrying particularly that I wasn’t seeing everything there was to see. I love lazing about in a foreign place, just being there, living the life, watching the people, experiencing the unexpected, smelling the smells, savouring the food, feasting my eyes on difference. It’s great having one’s certainties rattled and one’s customs shaken about a bit. I don’t feel as if I have to see every famous building or view. I’m more interested in the people. It’s impossible to generalise about an entire nation but we did find Moroccans very ready to joke and laugh, and very warm and friendly. Before I went I was slightly anxious about terrorism but when I was there it seemed crazy to have been nervous. I felt utterly safe. The people were gorgeous.

Of course while we were in Marrakesh ghastly terrorism hit London. And today in Egypt even worse terrorism occurred. So none of us is safe anywhere any more. I wonder how that happened. I thought the whole point of invading Iraq was to make the world safer. I’m being ironic here, of course.

In Morocco I read so many novels I was fearful I would run out of books even though we’d all brought plenty with us. My three favourites were: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver; How I Live Now by Meg Rossoff (?) and Arthur and George by Julian Barnes which I read in one day.

I could go on and on about Fez and Marrakesh but anything I might say has been said in every guide book ever written so I won’t say a word except that I’m so glad I have seen Fez before I die. Marrakesh was magic but Fez was a fairy tale.

Sadly while we were away our beloved dog Lucy died of a stroke. We received the news in a taxi on the way to Fez airport and I think the poor taxi driver is probably still totally traumatised by my grief. Pets, like humans, always die, and like all humans we though our pet would live forever. It’s been so sad coming home to Nellie, all alone. Feeding one dog. Walking one dog. Being greeted by one dog. Poor Nell.

Lucy died on the day of the London bombings. It’s a date I’ll never forget for too many hideous reasons.

On that cheerful note, goodnight, and may the full moon shine brightly upon your dreams.

Mem Fox xxx