Cirrus@Austlit

'What a fun opportunity to be given : a chance to interview Jackie French at the recent Sydney Writer's Festival School Day in Penrith. I had only heard her speak once before, to a large school group at Katoomba several years ago. Prior to that, as a children's bookseller I had read several of her books, admired her prolific and consistent output, and vaguely noticed her bobbing up on the like of Burke's Backyard every so often. What I wasn't prepared for, that day in Katoomba, was to be blown away by listening to someone with such an interesting and vigorous mind It was the equivalent of expecting a straightforward motorway trip and instead being treated to n off-road adventure: more challenging and much more memorable.' (Author's introduction)