Adelaide-based children's author a Himalayan celebrity

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Australian children's author, Nicole Plüss, returns this week from the remote Himalayan country of Bhutan following an Asialink literature residency focused on literacy and education.

Nicole, whose latest book Hope Bay was inspired by her love of the coastal mallee landscape of South Australia, explores international and historical influences on Australian life in her writing. Her desire to experience life in Bhutan, she says, stemmed from a long-standing fascination with the kingdom and the grandeur of the region.

About her residency in Bhutan, she says: "At first it was all so strange that I had to stop thinking and just go with the flow," she says. "For the first month I was on my own and working with the Education Department. We ran a series of workshops for schools around the country that are involved in the 'Pilot Reading Schools' project. It was great to meet so many teachers who love books and reading".

Nicole became a minor celebrity: "Three documentaries have been made about the workshops and I've been interviewed for television twice and once for the paper. People recognise me in the street, "Oh Ma‚am I saw you on television!"

In travelling to Bhutan, Nicole was particularly interested in the careful approach of the Bhutanese to economic development and the maintenance of their religious, cultural and environmental integrity. During her residency, she explored cultural attitudes and the impact of environment upon ways of living. She talked to students and teachers about their approaches to reading, storytelling and the creative development of ideas.

Nicole Plüss was born in Sydney where she practised as a lawyer for several years before deciding to write full time. She now lives in Adelaide with her husband, Horden, and their daughters, Ellen and Emma, who accompanied her to Bhutan for some of her residency.

The Asialink Literature Residency Program began in 1997 and since then over 80 writers have been selected for residencies in 19 countries including Australia, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Nicole Plüss returns from Bhutan to Adelaide this weekend. She is available for interview the week beginning Monday, October 31.

For further information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Nikki Anderson, Literature Program Officer, Asialink
Tel: (03) 8344 3578; email: n.anderson@asialink.unimelb.edu.au

Asialink, The University of Melbourne

Adelaide-based children's author a Himalayan celebrity