Author to talk

Award-winning Central Coast author Ms Pam McGlinn will give a talk about her latest book at Woy Woy Library on Thursday, June 24.

The How I Published talk led by Ms McGlinn will be aimed at aspiring writers to give them practical tips on how to get their work published.

A lifelong interest in her family history combined with a talent for the written word, led to the Budgewoi resident to writing a book which she describes as "a fictional work based on historical fact".

Written two years ago, A Distant Dream documents the true story of her ancestors and their pioneering days in Australia in the second half of the 19th century.

It depicts events that occurred to two branches of her family who eventually come together through marriage.

Throughout the entire story, actual Australian history as it happens is incorporated into the narrative.

The book is the first of a trilogy called The Dream Series, the last of which was published just before Christmas 2009.

A self-published work, the book was very successful, winning first prize for fiction from the Sydney Writers Centre in 2007 and being displayed at the Australian Publishers and Authors book show, also in 2007.

According to Ms McGlinn, the first book was only ever intended as a "one off" but, as she says, "so great was the interest it generated in people who read it, all wishing to know what happened to the characters in the story, that I followed it with a second book, entirely fictional, as it no longer related to my family history, and then eventually, a third."

The author event will take place from 2pm in the Spike Milligan room at Woy Woy Library.

Nitasha Thomson, 16 Jun 2010 Interviewee: Pam McGlinn, Budgewoi