Coming up in May, the Vision Australia library has got an action packed schedule of events for members to look forward to, including two events taking place in conjunction with the Melbourne Writers Festival, as well as National Simultaneous Storytime later in the month. And to have a chat with us about these events. It's my great pleasure to welcome back Maureen O'Reilly, Community Engagement Coordinator from the Vision Australia Library. Maureen, welcome back to Talking Vision. Thanks so much for your time.

Coming up in May, the Vision Australia library has got an action packed schedule of events for members to look forward to, including two events taking place in conjunction with the Melbourne Writers Festival, as well as National Simultaneous Storytime later in the month. And to have a chat with us about these events. It's my great pleasure to welcome back Maureen O'Reilly, Community Engagement Coordinator from the Vision Australia Library. Maureen, welcome back to Talking Vision. Thanks so much for your time.

It is always lovely to be on Talking Vision. Sam, one of my favourite shows. I have three favourite shows. It's like three favourite children.

It is always lovely to be on Talking Vision. Sam, one of my favourite shows. I have three favourite shows. It's like three favourite children.

Well I'm glad that I'm one of them. But today we're here to chat about a few things, including Melbourne Writers Festival. Now there's a couple of events coming up for people to look forward to. So tell us a bit about those.

Well I'm glad that I'm one of them. But today we're here to chat about a few things, including Melbourne Writers Festival. Now there's a couple of events coming up for people to look forward to. So tell us a bit about those.

Oh Vision Australia Library are incredibly honoured to partner with Melbourne Writers Festival. We have two authors that we're hosting this year and they will actually be hybrid events so people can view them online via the live stream, or they can come in person to the Vision Australia offices in Keong. So it's a wonderful way to have our Vision Australia Library members actually involved in what is an internationally acclaimed festival, and a festival that every other event is actually in person in the city. So this is a really accessible event for people because it's out in Keong, or they can watch it online. So we're really very proud to be able to offer that accessibility to our clients.

Oh Vision Australia Library are incredibly honoured to partner with Melbourne Writers Festival. We have two authors that we're hosting this year and they will actually be hybrid events so people can view them online via the live stream, or they can come in person to the Vision Australia offices in Keong. So it's a wonderful way to have our Vision Australia Library members actually involved in what is an internationally acclaimed festival, and a festival that every other event is actually in person in the city. So this is a really accessible event for people because it's out in Keong, or they can watch it online. So we're really very proud to be able to offer that accessibility to our clients.

And that's both events. Now, in terms of how people can find out a bit more about each event, maybe get a few more Details. What's the best way for people to do?

And that's both events. Now, in terms of how people can find out a bit more about each event, maybe get a few more Details. What's the best way for people to do?

Well, the best thing they can do is to go on the Vision Australia website, which is Vision Australia. And if they scroll down to the What's On section, they will see two event pages for an in conversation for the Melbourne Writers Festival. So the first one is an in conversation with Nadia Simpson. And Nadia is a yuwaalaraay storyteller and performer. So she's actually a beautiful singer, but she's also a wonderful writer. Her first novel, song of the crocodile, was long listed for the 2021 Stellar Prize, as well as the Miles Franklin Awards. So Nadia is going to discuss her newly released novel, The Bellbird, which is actually a fiction or work of fiction, which is quite unusual for an indigenous writer. It's a beautiful story of motherhood, creation, Belonging and connection to country. So we're really looking forward to listening to native speak. I've heard her speak online a number of times and she's so amazingly engaging. So she will be in at our Vision Australia offices on Friday the 9th of May from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., and she will be interviewed all about her current book and what led her on this journey into writing and singing and all these beautiful, creative things she does. But for our clients, it would actually like a bigger evening. We would love to welcome them to arrive on the same night, Friday the ninth, but at 6 p.m. because from six till 7 p.m. we had the lovely Kate Grenville that's going to join us. And Kate is one of Australia's most celebrated writers. She's published 18 books, including the international bestseller The Secret River. So Kate's going to discuss unsettled, which is her latest book. It's a deeply personal memoir, reflecting on what it means to be descended from people who are on the sharp edge of the moving blade that was colonization. So it's really looking at the colonization of Australia, but from the viewpoint of a white family who had very large allocations of land and their interactions with the indigenous community. And now all these years later, how Kate is coming to terms with the reality of her history and her family's history as distinct from what necessarily was also shared with her as a child. So there'll be two really, really interesting authors, and both of the events will be live streamed. So any of our clients around the country are more than welcome to join us. And it's a really unique experience because Normally the Melbourne Writers Festival is all in person, it's all in the city and it's really difficult for our vision impaired clients, particularly in regional areas and interstate, to really be any part of it. So we would love everyone to jump online. Daniel James, who's a Yorta Yorta Melbourne based writer and broadcaster, is going to be interviewing both Natty and Kate. So it'll be a really fun evening. I'm looking forward to just sitting back and relaxing and being able to listen to everyone.

Well, the best thing they can do is to go on the Vision Australia website, which is Vision Australia. And if they scroll down to the What's On section, they will see two event pages for an in conversation for the Melbourne Writers Festival. So the first one is an in conversation with Nadia Simpson. And Nadia is a yuwaalaraay storyteller and performer. So she's actually a beautiful singer, but she's also a wonderful writer. Her first novel, song of the crocodile, was long listed for the 2021 Stellar Prize, as well as the Miles Franklin Awards. So Nadia is going to discuss her newly released novel, The Bellbird, which is actually a fiction or work of fiction, which is quite unusual for an indigenous writer. It's a beautiful story of motherhood, creation, Belonging and connection to country. So we're really looking forward to listening to native speak. I've heard her speak online a number of times and she's so amazingly engaging. So she will be in at our Vision Australia offices on Friday the 9th of May from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., and she will be interviewed all about her current book and what led her on this journey into writing and singing and all these beautiful, creative things she does. But for our clients, it would actually like a bigger evening. We would love to welcome them to arrive on the same night, Friday the ninth, but at 6 p.m. because from six till 7 p.m. we had the lovely Kate Grenville that's going to join us. And Kate is one of Australia's most celebrated writers. She's published 18 books, including the international bestseller The Secret River. So Kate's going to discuss unsettled, which is her latest book. It's a deeply personal memoir, reflecting on what it means to be descended from people who are on the sharp edge of the moving blade that was colonization. So it's really looking at the colonization of Australia, but from the viewpoint of a white family who had very large allocations of land and their interactions with the indigenous community. And now all these years later, how Kate is coming to terms with the reality of her history and her family's history as distinct from what necessarily was also shared with her as a child. So there'll be two really, really interesting authors, and both of the events will be live streamed. So any of our clients around the country are more than welcome to join us. And it's a really unique experience because Normally the Melbourne Writers Festival is all in person, it's all in the city and it's really difficult for our vision impaired clients, particularly in regional areas and interstate, to really be any part of it. So we would love everyone to jump online. Daniel James, who's a Yorta Yorta Melbourne based writer and broadcaster, is going to be interviewing both Natty and Kate. So it'll be a really fun evening. I'm looking forward to just sitting back and relaxing and being able to listen to everyone.

Yeah, no, that sounds like an amazing night for a lot of people out there and very keen to hear how it all goes.

Yeah, no, that sounds like an amazing night for a lot of people out there and very keen to hear how it all goes.

But I also have one little secret little gem.

But I also have one little secret little gem.

Oh, okay.

Oh, okay.

Which is that Kate Grenville actually booked out in barely over 24 hours, so.

Which is that Kate Grenville actually booked out in barely over 24 hours, so.

That's not.

That's not.

Surprising. In person tickets were gone, but I had actually snaffled away on the side because I thought this might happen. A critical mass of tickets that are just for our Vision Australia Library members. So if anyone wants to come in to Keong and listen to Kate be interviewed live by Daniel, they need to register on the waitlist and then they can either phone or email the Vision Australia library and I will release them some of those specially reserved tickets that are for our library members.

Surprising. In person tickets were gone, but I had actually snaffled away on the side because I thought this might happen. A critical mass of tickets that are just for our Vision Australia Library members. So if anyone wants to come in to Keong and listen to Kate be interviewed live by Daniel, they need to register on the waitlist and then they can either phone or email the Vision Australia library and I will release them some of those specially reserved tickets that are for our library members.

Okay, well, we'll get some details for how people can register at the end. But in the meantime, Maureen, I'm really keen to have a bit of a chat about another event that's coming up. Simultaneous storytime.

Okay, well, we'll get some details for how people can register at the end. But in the meantime, Maureen, I'm really keen to have a bit of a chat about another event that's coming up. Simultaneous storytime.

Are national. Simultaneous storytime is one of my favourite children's library events, so it is a beautiful event which is run by the Australian Libraries Association, and it essentially involves everyone nationally coming together to read the same book at the same time, on the same day. So it's creating this beautiful community of book lovers. And this year's book is called The Truck Cat. And it's a beautiful, heartwarming tale about a cat who travels around Australia with a lonely truck driver, until one day he chases a butterfly and then he gets lost. So the remainder of the story is about the truck cat trying to find his way back to his owner, the people he meets along the way, the relationships that he makes and the people that help him, and the fact that he needs to reach out to other people in order to actually reunite with his beautiful owner. And it's a wonderful story of belonging, and it has some beautiful descriptions of Australia and the journey that the truck driver uncheck both go on. So we will have children gathering in libraries, schools, child care centres, bookshops, family homes to read this beautiful book together making this wonderful shared experience a celebration of a love of reading. So what we are doing at Vision Australia Library is inviting all of our clients, whether it's as part of their childcare centre, kinder school, or with their friends, or with their family or carers to actually be part of this larger community, which is great because for our clients who might not go to school yet, or our clients who don't go to school full time and don't have a big group to engage with on this day, they can join us online and connect with a larger Vision Australia community. And our gorgeous, gorgeous children's librarian Kylie has put together for everyone a downloadable set of tactile book instructions so that all of our Vision Australia Library members and their friends and their schoolmates can actually create a tactile version of the truck cat book the same as the tactile books that we have in our Felix kits. There's also a beautiful instructional video that's on the Vision Australia website, talking through how people can create this tactile book, what sort of resources they can use just from things that they've got hanging around their house, particularly for those parents with younger children who will still have those ubiquitous art and craft boxes which seem to be filled with everything.

Are national. Simultaneous storytime is one of my favourite children's library events, so it is a beautiful event which is run by the Australian Libraries Association, and it essentially involves everyone nationally coming together to read the same book at the same time, on the same day. So it's creating this beautiful community of book lovers. And this year's book is called The Truck Cat. And it's a beautiful, heartwarming tale about a cat who travels around Australia with a lonely truck driver, until one day he chases a butterfly and then he gets lost. So the remainder of the story is about the truck cat trying to find his way back to his owner, the people he meets along the way, the relationships that he makes and the people that help him, and the fact that he needs to reach out to other people in order to actually reunite with his beautiful owner. And it's a wonderful story of belonging, and it has some beautiful descriptions of Australia and the journey that the truck driver uncheck both go on. So we will have children gathering in libraries, schools, child care centres, bookshops, family homes to read this beautiful book together making this wonderful shared experience a celebration of a love of reading. So what we are doing at Vision Australia Library is inviting all of our clients, whether it's as part of their childcare centre, kinder school, or with their friends, or with their family or carers to actually be part of this larger community, which is great because for our clients who might not go to school yet, or our clients who don't go to school full time and don't have a big group to engage with on this day, they can join us online and connect with a larger Vision Australia community. And our gorgeous, gorgeous children's librarian Kylie has put together for everyone a downloadable set of tactile book instructions so that all of our Vision Australia Library members and their friends and their schoolmates can actually create a tactile version of the truck cat book the same as the tactile books that we have in our Felix kits. There's also a beautiful instructional video that's on the Vision Australia website, talking through how people can create this tactile book, what sort of resources they can use just from things that they've got hanging around their house, particularly for those parents with younger children who will still have those ubiquitous art and craft boxes which seem to be filled with everything.

Oh they do. Yeah.

Oh they do. Yeah.

So if people go to the Vision Australia Library website, which is Vision Australia Library, go down to Watson and click on the National Simultaneous Storytime. They can watch that video or they can download the book instructions. And then they can make their own book so that they can actually read along themselves with Kylie while she's doing her beautiful, accessible reading. And our reading will be very special in that Carly's going to be doing a wonderful descriptions, and it's enhanced with all audio descriptions of the images and the pictures on the page.

So if people go to the Vision Australia Library website, which is Vision Australia Library, go down to Watson and click on the National Simultaneous Storytime. They can watch that video or they can download the book instructions. And then they can make their own book so that they can actually read along themselves with Kylie while she's doing her beautiful, accessible reading. And our reading will be very special in that Carly's going to be doing a wonderful descriptions, and it's enhanced with all audio descriptions of the images and the pictures on the page.

And on that Vision Australia Library website, there's not only the What's on section, but back to what we were chatting about a little bit earlier. Maureen, the ability for people to register, if perhaps they're not yet a Vision Australia Library member. It's never too late. Always really happy to have some new members join up, especially in the lead up to the Melbourne Writers Festival. So what's the best way for people to register? And perhaps an email or phone number if they would like to find out more? Or perhaps they're having a bit of trouble signing up, or just need to ask a few questions.

And on that Vision Australia Library website, there's not only the What's on section, but back to what we were chatting about a little bit earlier. Maureen, the ability for people to register, if perhaps they're not yet a Vision Australia Library member. It's never too late. Always really happy to have some new members join up, especially in the lead up to the Melbourne Writers Festival. So what's the best way for people to register? And perhaps an email or phone number if they would like to find out more? Or perhaps they're having a bit of trouble signing up, or just need to ask a few questions.

Beautiful. Well, if they go onto our website just before they get to what's on, there's a lovely headline that says join the library and they can just fill out the online form there. And that's a very accessible form. But if they do have a problem with that, then they're more than welcome to actually phone the Vision Australia library. And that's on 1300 654 656. And then one of our wonderful library staff will help them with the process. Or alternatively, they can actually email the library. And the email address is library membership one word at Vision Australia. And any of the library team can help them with that registration. If they're already a Vision Australia client, then it's a very simple process. We literally just tick a box. If you're not a Vision Australia client, you can still be a Vision Australia Library member. You just need to provide verification that you're actually eligible. So you have a print disability. And that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to be blind or low vision. It just means that you actually have a disability for reading a hard copy print version of a book. So that may be that some people may be an amputee, or they may have had a stroke, or they may have Parkinson's, or they may be dyslexic. There's many, many reasons why people may struggle with a hard copy book, and they are all eligible to then join the Vision Australia library.

Beautiful. Well, if they go onto our website just before they get to what's on, there's a lovely headline that says join the library and they can just fill out the online form there. And that's a very accessible form. But if they do have a problem with that, then they're more than welcome to actually phone the Vision Australia library. And that's on 1300 654 656. And then one of our wonderful library staff will help them with the process. Or alternatively, they can actually email the library. And the email address is library membership one word at Vision Australia. And any of the library team can help them with that registration. If they're already a Vision Australia client, then it's a very simple process. We literally just tick a box. If you're not a Vision Australia client, you can still be a Vision Australia Library member. You just need to provide verification that you're actually eligible. So you have a print disability. And that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to be blind or low vision. It just means that you actually have a disability for reading a hard copy print version of a book. So that may be that some people may be an amputee, or they may have had a stroke, or they may have Parkinson's, or they may be dyslexic. There's many, many reasons why people may struggle with a hard copy book, and they are all eligible to then join the Vision Australia library.

Okay, well, I've been speaking today with Maureen O'Reilly, community engagement coordinator from the Vision Australia Library, here to chat to me all about the upcoming events the library is putting on as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival, as well as national simultaneous storytime later on in the month. Maureen, thank you so much for your time today. Great to catch up with you as always.

Okay, well, I've been speaking today with Maureen O'Reilly, community engagement coordinator from the Vision Australia Library, here to chat to me all about the upcoming events the library is putting on as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival, as well as national simultaneous storytime later on in the month. Maureen, thank you so much for your time today. Great to catch up with you as always.

It is always wonderful to talk to you, Sam.

It is always wonderful to talk to you, Sam.