I’m a little bit in love with Melbourne...

I’m fortunate that my professional life takes me to Melbourne a few times a year for speaking engagements, books events and media. During my flying visits there I get to catch up with friends, eat amazing food, sometimes get the chance to shop and often experience the cold I don’t get in Sydney. And yes, I’m even grateful for some extreme weather, just to make use of my scarves and thermal underwear!

I’m grateful for the following during my two night sting last weekend:

1. EMERGING WRITERS’ FESTIVAL: I made my debut at the Wheeler Centre on Friday night, giving a keynote address to a master class of emerging writers. I left that space feeling inspired by those I was meant to be inspiring. I often get the most out of those events I put the most into. Do you find that too? The inspiration continued on Sunday morning when I was blown away by a room full of soon-to-be-authors at the Melbourne Town Hall, who got up came along to hear myself, Julien Leyre, Ryan Paine, Karen Pickering and Dan Ducrou pull apart the pros and cons of being typecast as a writer. I was going to summarise it, but the lovely Angela Meyer did a pretty good job on Crikey and you can read it here.

I’m grateful to Lisa Dempster and the team (Lisa and Meredith above) at the Emerging Writers’ Festival http://www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au/ for the invitation and for taking care of me while there. It was food for my writerly soul!

2. BOOK STREET: No, it’s not a street of books, but a fabulous independent book store in Toorak. I’m grateful to the owner of Book Street, David Marlow for inviting me to drop by to sign some books, and for Belinda from Ballarat who swung by to say hello and grab her own copy of Paris Dreaming (pic below of Belinda and I).

3. JAN GOLDSMITH: I’m truly grateful for broadcaster Jan Goldsmith from 3CR in Melbourne. Jan reads my books with purpose, finds common threads between my titles and her interviews are always fun to do. It was an absolute pleasure to swing my the Fitzroy studio last week, and I’m hoping you will support the 3CR Radiothon June 6-19. That's Jan and I below.

4. DUMPLINGS: That’s right, I’m grateful for dumplings in Melbourne. I know we’ve got them in Sydney but I don’t do dumplings with the girls here. So, I was thrilled when my Melbin girls introduced me to Camy Shanghai Dumpling & Noodle Restaurant in Tattersalls Lane. Apparently it’s an institution, I imagine like BBQ King in Sydney. The service and atmosphere slightly better than the Syd venue though, and the prices, wow, $15 banquet for more dumplings than I’ve ever seen on one table at one time. I’m still working them off!

5. MELBOURNE WEATHER: I wasn’t kidding above. I was grateful it got a little chilly on Sunday, after all, I’d bought a new coat especially for my Victorian visits this year (it’s black cos everything’s gotta be black in Melbin, right?). I would’ve been disappointed if two weekends running I didn’t get to see the famous grey Melbin skies (I even took a pic...).

So, after two fabulous weekends, it’s fair to say I’m a little bit in love with Melbourne, but my heart will always belong to Sydney.