Constance Hall: #Robinpedia

Constance Hall is an Australian social media personality, blogger, writer, musician, supporter of Rafiki Mwema, and Queen. Her writing style is known for being direct and getting to the heart of the matter.

Constance Hall’s debut novel, Like a Queen, came out in 2016. It is about motherhood, being a woman, losing it, friends, and family. Readers have responded well to Like a Queen because unlike other books of this nature, it doesn’t make them want to strive to be different and “better,” but makes them feel happy with who they are. Constance’s message is all about self acceptance and loving yourself without the need for a polish.

In March of 2016 Constance shared a post about a Kenyan-based charity, which runs therapeutic homes for sexually abused children, called Rafiki Mwema. Constance Hall’s followers, known as Queens 👸, were hugely interested. Constance set up a crowdfunding campaign. The target was $75,000, and it was reached in three hours. $200,000 was raised in just two days. On top of this, Constance donated $20,000 from the presales of her book Like a Queen.

Constance Hall’s popularity exploded on the 5th of January in 2016 after a Facebook post about having “parent sex.” It wasn’t sexy or lewd, it was rushed and done. In short, it was real. It struck a chord with the world, including celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher. Proving that we’ve all been there, even Ashton. Her fan base has continued to grow steadily as more raw and real Facebook posts come out.

Find Constance Hall’s website here.

Find Constance Hall on Facebook here.

Sponsor Rafiki Mwema here.

If you have more information that you would like added about this writer please write it in the comment section.

Learn more about Robinpedia here.

Side note: I wrote this Robinpedia entry after my daughter was up until 1:30am, briefly woke at 3am to demand hugs, then her and one of the twins decided that 5:30am was up time and they were having a dance party no matter what. I can’t stop the music, nobody can stop the music. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate writer to get a Robinpedia entry under these circumstances. Because I know Queen Constance would fucking understand.

I Am Acutely Under Virginia Gay-ed

Earlier this year was a golden age of Virginia Gay. Her show Winners and Losers was on and she was appearing regularly on ABC Book Club with Jennifer Byrne. It was brilliant. Not only did I get treated to her statuesque visage, but she also live tweeted the shows. It was magnifique. But now… well… now I live in a puss-ridden, toilet of a world, that does not have Virginia Gay on my television twice weekly. I’m not happy and expect this situation to be remedied immediately. And I have come up with the perfect solution to mine, and the rest of the viewing public’s, dilemma. The Tonight Show with Virginia Gay.

How has someone not thought of this before? A weekly night time talk show hosted by Virginia Gay. Somebody get me Russel Howcroft on the phone. She’s quick witted, very knowledgeable, has an excellent sense of timing, and a love of theatrics. Virginia Gay is your perfect variety show host. And yes, I definitely mean night time. I’m sick of this weird divide between genders with talk shows. The menz in the evening and the wominz during daytime. Enough of that… Although, I’m a mum so I like to go to bed early, so could late night please mean 9pm?

And Russ, while I’ve got you here I’ve got another idea for a TV show, this one is more a dark fantasy/horror than talk show. It involves an intrepid reporter busting open the supernatural sex slave industry. Stay with me, don’t look away, Russ. Starts with the spunky lady reporter thinking she’s getting an exposé on the regular sex slave industry but whilst she’s undercover at a high class brothel she goes to place a bug under a bed and discovers a minotaur there. He begs her for help. She calls in a cop. Minotaur gets rescued. Reporter endevours to uncover the rest. Cop and minotaur likewise want in. Reporter’s boss says do what you like but you’re reporting it as “freak show sex ring” until there’s proof that they’re mythical creatures and not just deformed. The boss lady isn’t exactly the most PC person on the planet. I’ve got so much more to give Russel, so much more. Email me, robin.elizabee@gmail.com. We can even add in lots of sugar consumption, I watch Gruen, I’m on your side, buddy… and, I’m a redhead. You know what they say, “Always bet on red.”

So please, TV execs, get me more Virginia Gay. Me AND the entire Australian viewing public is suffering right now. Help us help you. Give us Virginia Gay and we’ll pay attention to your advertisers.

… and seriously, Russel, call me.

Mrs Woog: #Robinpedia

Mrs Woog, AKA Kayte Murphy, is an Australian blogger, author, and lover of slippers. On the side she finds the time to make world famous cheese toasties, and create a variety of cocktails involving gin. She does not like pina coladas or getting caught in the rain… unless gin is substitute into the pina colada, and the rain consists of gin.

Mrs Woog released her first novel in 2016, Primary School Confidential through Allen and Unwin. Having been a former primary school teacher, having two children, as well as attending one herself in the past, gives Mrs Woog a unique insight into the rich tapestry, often flecked with tomato sauce and glitter, that is primary school. She brought her usual brand of irreverent humour that she displays in her popular blog, Woogs World, to the book and it was well received by readers.

In 2016 Mrs Woog received the news that “mummy bloggers” were dead. She took the news of her demise in her stride and continued to blog, even trying her hand at creating the tomato sauce diet. It did not catch on, however, Mrs Woog has continued to grow in popularity despite her “death” and that of her fellow “mummy bloggers.”

Recently a crack of knuckles was heard ringing across Sydney so we can only assume that she has begun working on her second novel.

Find Woogs World here.

Find Mrs Woog on Facebook here.

Find Mrs Woog on Twitter here.

If you have any information that you feel would enhance this Robinpedia entry please leave it in the comment section.

Learn more about Robinpedia here.

Kerri Sackville: #Robinpedia

Kerri Sackville

Kerri Sackville is an Australian author, columnist, television personality, blogger, social media fanatic, and had nothing to do with the Brangelina split. On top of this she manages to find time to love Nutella, Simon Baker, and coffee. Not necessarily in that order.

Sackville has published two books through Random House Australia. Her debut was When My Husband Does The Dishes… published in 2011 and was quickly follower by The Little Book Of Anxiety – Confessions From A Worried Life in 2012.

One of the most notable aspects of Sackville’s television appearances is the exquisite timing of the titling of segments to coincidence with her visage. My two favourite examples of the superb timing displayed by segment producers have resulted in Sackville appearing as if she has a secret life as an escort called Candid Admission as well as a woman who breastfeeds her boyfriend.

What did you do Sackville to earn this kind of timing? 😂

In 2015 Sackville was involved in two controversies that put her on the world stage. Firstly, and most disturbingly, she publicly announced that she does not like Golden Gaytimes. For those of you not familiar with this cuisine, it is the most delicious icecreamonastick on the planet. Magnum Ego comes a close second. This kind of confession was deemed unAustralian and she was nearly exiled. She narrowly avoided this fate by doubling her intake of Vegemite as compensation.

Secondly, on the 4th of December 2015 she initiated a flash twitter action, #endviolenceagainstwomen, to draw attention to the abuse women, and in particular female journalists, experience online. Where men were being told that they were stupid or to fuck off, women were receiving much more physical threats of rape and genital mutilation. This Australian action enraged a small group of men, mainly from America, who felt that threatening to rape, torture, and murder women, was part of their right to life, and was fair because men got told that they were stupid and to go away online just as often as women were threatened with violence.

After this action, Sackville was titled one of Australia’s leading, and most vocal feminists, by a small group of men overseas, mainly in America. Captain, my Captain. However, in Australia she remains known as a Channel 7 personality, columnist, regular opinion piece writer, lover of her mother’s cooking, and author. Definitely an author, she has pictures to prove it and everything. Future books are eagerly awaited from her readership.

See, definitely a writer!

Find Kerri Sackville’s website here.

Find Kerri Sackville on Facebook here.

Find Kerri Sackville on Twitter here.

If you have any information that you feel would enhance this Robinpedia entry please leave it in the comment section.

Learn more about Robinpedia here.

Lisa Heidke: #Robinpedia

Lisa Heidke is an Australian author, writing teacher and lover of colourful language. Like many writers her inspiration to write came from the bottom of a “writers’ juice” glass. It has been speculated by some that it was a Fluffy Duck, but I firmly believe that it was a white wine spritzer. Regardless, “writers’ juice” has proven it’s worth and value as a tax deduction yet again.

Lisa Heidke has published six commercial women’s fiction novels. Her works typically address the themes of career, family, rivalry, self efficacy, and love… a bit like life does. Her first published novel was Lucy Springer Gets Even published through Allen and Unwin in 2009. The initial manuscript had been short listed for the Varuna/HarperCollins Manuscript Awards in 2006.  Lisa Heidke then published What Kate did Next in 2010, also through A & U. This had been short listed for the Varuna/HarperCollins Manuscript Awards in 2005. Claudia’s Big Break was released in 2011 followed by Stella Makes Good in 2012, and then It Started with a Kiss in 2015, all through A & U.

The Callahan Split was also released in 2015. It is of special note as Lisa Heidke decided to self publish it. Lisa Heidke decided that if she was to learn about the realities of self publishing she was going to have to do it herself. From hiring editors and cover designers, down to running competitions, she did it all. This has undoubtedly given her unique insights to share when teaching. I offered to design her cover. She turned me down, I cannot imagine why…

http://blog.lisaheidke.com/tennis-sisters-and-splits/

Find Lisa Heidke’s website here.

Find Lisa Heidke on twitter here.

Find Lisa Heidke on Facebook here.

If you have any additional information you feel should be added please leave it in the comment section. I’m particularly interested in exactly what she was drinking that fateful New Years Eve that she declared she would become a writer.

Learn more about Robinpedia here.

If Loving Georgia Love is Wrong then I Don’t Want to be Right #BacheloretteAU

Okay, I admit it, I love Georgia Love. I must confess I didn’t watch a full episode of Richie’s Bachelor Pad this year. I found it all a bit stomach churning and him wooden and formulaic. And I wasn’t in love with the Bachelorette last year. It all semmed a bit like a bunch of meat-heads thugging about… but I’ve watched one whole episode of Georgia Love’s Bachelorette and I love it! Let me count the ways.

It has been suggested I have too much time on my hands to create this... my phone has a collage function. Pffft.

1. Georgia reminds me of Jane Hall and I quite like Jane Hall. She always comes across as bubbly and humorous in interviews and on radio. I didn’t even watch All Together Now or Neighbours but I still love Jane Hall.

2. Georgia is willing to protect wine over her dignity. Now if that doesn’t make her best friend material than I don’t know what does. In the first episode, rather than swanning down the stairs like some sort of graceful ballerina crossed with a supermodel, she fell down the stairs. Not only did she fall down stairs, making her even more relatable, but she clung on to her wine glass for dear life. Now that girl has got her priorities. Dignity be damned, but I shall not spill a drop of my precious.

3. Georgia fell over. Yes I’ve already mentioned it but how often do you get to see the leading lady stack it, except in Chick Lit. I offer you a Bridget Jones salute of awesomely awkward.

4. Georgia loves lame jokes. Any bad pun that came her way she was willing and able to top. Respect.

5. The guys seem nice. There were two straight up players, but even they weren’t that bad. Entitled, self obsessed,  but they didn’t come across as violent thugs. And seriously, the “villain” who went home in the first episode had enough class that he didn’t ask for his gift back. He didn’t assume that because he bought her something that he got to buy her. So when you’re “bad” guy has more integrity than the comment section on the Internet, then you’re doing better than a lot of Reality TV. And given they interview the Bachelorette in order to determine her “type” I think how much nicer the guys seem to be, in comparison to other shows, is a testament to how nice Georgia Love must be. I’m calling it, best friend material.

So there it is. I think I’ll be watching full episodes and the whole season. I reckon Georgia Love and The Wrong Girl will be the perfect pairing. Won’t you join me by watching and tweeting along? I’m on twitter as @RobinElizabee

The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel: #Robinpedia

The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel is the longest continually licensed hotel in Sydney and the oldest pub brewery in Australia. Given that writers have a tendency to enjoy a tipple from time to time, and ensure they can get it reliably, The Lord Nelson has become popular in the Sydney writing world. Let’s face it, writers are an emotional type and they don’t want to head off to drown their sorrows over their latest rejection at their favourite watering hole only to find that it has closed. That kind of compounded disappointment is too much for our delicate selves to handle so we like to know we have guaranteed service. Given The Lord Nelso’s long history writers have come to count on their licensing and service of, what I term, “writers’ juice.”

Now of course not all writers drink “writers’ juice” but it is a long held stereotype that many like to engage with even if not consuming the “juice” itself. Irish writer James Joyce was said to have drunk so much that his tears were made of whiskey. American writer Ernest Hemingway famously said, “Write drunk, edit sober.” Not to be outdone modern Australian writers such as Alan Baxter have added their own words of wisdom about “writers’ juice.”

Think of The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel as the Sydney equivalent of The Eagle and Child in Oxford, or White Horse Tavern in New York or El Floridita in Cuba, but without the well known hype and walking tours. I mean, there are tours for historical reasons but people aren’t coming internationally for literary pilgrimages… yet.

The Lord Nelson is quite popular amongst Sydney writers, and writers visiting Sydney, who wish to take a more traditional approach rather than “modern” café writing. Equally popular amongst writers for “work drinks” with fellow writers, crying over rejection, celebrating acceptance, and for solo writing. And yes, they sell pints

Find The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel’s website here.

Find The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel on Twitter here.

Find The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel on Facebook here.

Learn more about Robinpedia here.

Desak Yoni: #Robinpedia

Desak Yoni is a writer, business entrepreneur, and real estate mogul, who splits her time between Bali and Australia.

Her debut novel Renditions of my Soul – The Story of a Balinese Woman is about love, life, and karma. It shows how modern Balinese women approach issues to do with love and marriage as opposed to more traditional generations.

Desak Yoni is well known for her dedication and tenacity. Whatever area she is working in she fully commits to and makes sure she gets the job done and excels at. We can no doubt expect to see more books from her in the future.

Her current website is here.
Her blog is here.
Follow her on twitter here.

Learn more about Robinpedia here.

My Son Pitched a Novel Idea to Three Writers and Not Me

Today my youngest child, yes the youngest by a minute twin, child number 3, got my phone and tweeted. He went into a twitter conversation that I was not part of, god knows how he ended up there, and decided to join it. He tweeted the following message:

So yeah, he tweeted award winning author Margo Lanagan, award winning author Deborah Biancotti, and Elijah who I am not familiar with but assume is a spec fic writer. Thanks Bubba, I already do enough “character building” stuff on my own without you adding to it. However, I’m pretty sure I’ve worked out what he was trying to say:

Hey Deborah, Elijah, and Margo,
Here’s my story idea which is so hot you’ll have to invent a new word like “settrfgaaszz” to describe it. You start with a love story. Like seriously in love, double the amount of kissing you’d normally have but then they get angy, and they’re like I can’t take this shit anymore, I’m not just fed up I’m fucking angry. So then this cow shows up, but the cow is like a metaphor for a bird, but the bird is really symbolic of a sheep dressed as a turtle. The turtle is the important bit. Don’t forget the turtle. Look, I’ll put it in twice so that you don’t forget. Trust me, turtles are going to be big! And then they get swallowed by a whale. Yeah it’s been done before, plenty before, but we’re bringing  it back with turtles! Now this whale is allergic to tomatoes. So in the dead of night he accidentally eats a tomato and spews the angry lovers and the turtle off of the planet Earth. It’s like biblical and Pinocchio and Hitch Hikers all at once. So then they get caught by an anchored monolith in space. A sacred monolithic statue in space. But inside there’s like a whole market and town and stuff. There’s even a statue inside the statue. How meta is that. Their main commerce is love so there’s a few love chapels, love factories, love hospitals. And so they go to the love hospital. Will they or won’t they find a cure? Awesome right? We’ll earn heaps of money on this. You’ll earn 6767% more money than you ever dreamed of. Pounds, Euros, you name it, we’ll earn it. Seriously, I cannot express how much money we’ll get. We’ll be bathing in money. Lots of bathing in money. Bathing and showering in money. All because of love hospitals and statutes within statues!!!

Firstly, I’m obviously impressed that he speaks Indonesia. He’s only two and he speaks twin, some English, and apparently Indonesian. Secondly, I’m slightly guilt ridden that I did not realise this before. Where has my head been at that I didn’t pick that up? No wonder he’s off sending tweets to people, I’m clearly not with it. But thirdly, and mostly, I’m hurt. I’m hurt that he didn’t pitch his idea to me first. Clearly we’ve got a lot of work to do on our relationship.

Leah Kaminsky: #Robinpedia

Leah Kaminsky is an award winning writer and physician. I’ll just let that sink in for all those people out there saying they don’t have enough time to write. When she’s not off dazzling the world with her literary or medical brilliance she enjoys snacking on a good strawberry and reading. Leah Kaminsky subscribes to the belief that life is too short to finish reading books that you don’t enjoy so will happily stop and put it down for someone else to come along and read, and then pick up something else that tickles her fancy bone.* Different strokes for different folks. She assures me that she never puts down my recaps of The Book Club ABC, a program which she is an avid viewer of.

Leah Kaminsky has written an impressive array of non-fiction titles. Her first solo nonfiction being We’re All Going to Die which was published through Harper Collins in 2016.  She also co-authored Cracking to Code with Stephen and Sally Damiani 2015 published through Penguin.

Along with these two titles Leah Kaminsky also contributed to:

The Best Australia Science Writing published through NewSouth Publishing 2014

Writer M.D. published through Random House 2012

Differential Diagnosis published through Hachette 2011

Stitching Things Together published through Interactive Press 2010

The Pen and the Stethoscope published through Scribe 2010

Your Child’s Health published through Hardie Grant 2006

Issue #46 Creative Nonfiction 2012 https:///www.creativenonfiction.org

ABC Guide to Poisons published through Houghton Mifflin 1991

 

But not content with dominating in medical nonfiction Leah Kaminsky turned her talented hand to fiction and produced her debut fictional novel The Waiting Room published by Vintage Books in 2015.  It was highly praised by critics and readers alike.

 

And just in case you haven’t already passed out with feelings of inadequacy and shame, as I did when typing this up, here is Leah Kaminsky’s ridiculously impressive list of awards:

Griffith Review Contributers’ Circle Award for novel Ice Theory, February 2016

Awarded a RMIT University nonfiction Lab Mccraith House Writers’ Residency at The Butterfly House, December 2015

DISQUIET – SLS Finalist Fellowship, awarded April 2015 for novel Ice Theory

Inaugural Writer-in-Residence, Morbid Anatomy Museum, Brooklyn, November 2014

The Waiting Room shortlisted for William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition 2013

Readings Glenfern Fellowship for an Established Writer (for CNF manuscript ‘We’re All Going to Die’) 2013

Writer in Residence – Jewish Holocaust Research Centre

Hippocrates Poetry & Medicine Prize 2012

The Fish Council awarded the Varuna/Pan MacMillan Publisher’s Fellowship 2012

The Fish Council awarded a New Work Grant from the Literature Board of the Australia Council 2012

Stitching Things Together commended in Anne Elder Award 2011

Billilla Studio/Bayside Council Writer-in-Residence Award 2010-2011

State Library of Victoria Creative Fellowship 2010 – $12,500 grant for research for creative non-fiction book The Fish Council

CAL Cultural Trust Development Fund – $3,000 to attend MFA (Fiction) Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpellier, Vermont USA 2010-11

Summer Literary Seminars Competition 2010 – merit scholarship award

Glenfern Studio Residency 2010 – awarded by Grace Marion Wilson Trust & Victorian Writers’ Centre

Highly Commended IP Picks Poetry Competition 2010

2nd place winner Angelo B. Natoli short story award 2010 (Fellowship of Australian Writers) for The Cat Feeders

Accepted to MFA program (Fiction) at Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpellier, USA 2010.

CAL/Scribe Fiction Award 2009, The Waiting Room long listed

Penguin/Varuna Development Scholarship 2009, The Waiting Room nominated

Varuna Publishers Award 2009 shortlisted for The Waiting Room

Café Poet in Residence 2009-2010, Australian Poetry Centre (Café Loco, Elsternwick)

Writing@Rosebank Residential Writing Fellowship 2010 (Victorian Writers’ Centre)

Selected for Iowa Summer Writers’ Graduate Workshop 2009 – with director Lan Samantha Chang

Grace Marion Wilson Trust – Fiction Masterclass with Antoni Jach 2009

Writer in Residence Shaindy Rudoff Graduate School in Creative Writing 2008

Creation Grant – Arts Victoria 2008 for development of final draft of novel The Waiting Room

Emerging Writers’ Grant – Literature Board of Australia, 2008 for development of final draft of novel

Max Harris Poetry Awards 2008 – commended

John Shaw Neilson Poetry Award 2007 – Second Place (FAW national literary awards)

Winner Eleanor Dark Flagship Fellowship for Fiction – Varuna 2007

Victorian Ministry of the Arts: Writers’ Project Grant 1989 – for work on novel

Shortlisted for ASA Mentorship programme 2007 (top 10 fiction writers out of 500 total applicants)

Runner-up of Reading’s Fellowship –Writers’ Studio at Glenfern Writers’ Centre, Melbourne Oct 2006 – June 2007

Winner AUJS Short Story Competition 1981 Down Will Come Baby

Children’s Storybook MS There’s an Elephant in my Ear commissioned by Collins Dove 1990

Children’s Storybook MS The Boat that Grew Legs commissioned by the Children’s Television Foundation for development into animation and book for TV series ‘Round the Twist’ 1989

Mothers of War – shortlisted in The International Shin Shalom Peace Poem Competition, Israel 1992

(Aus)chwitz to (Aus)tralia in The Tin Wash Dish , ed John Tranter, 1989 (poem short listed in ABC/ABA Literary Awards Competition)

 

… I’m beginning to regret my decision to invent Robinpedia because writing about all these authors is beginning to make me feel so deeply lazy inadequate… I’ll just sit here and procrastinate about that for a little bit. I seriously want to die in a toilet right now… She’s even done freaking film and poetry. Take a look here for the hideously full list of achievements. She’d make even my mother proud.

 

Find Leah Kaminsky’s website here.

Find Leah Kamisky on twitter here.

Find Leah Kaminsky on Facebook here.

 

 

If you want to learn more about Robinpedia go here.

If you feel that this entry is as inadequate as I am in comparison to Leah Kaminsky please feel free to add information for me to add in the comment section. Which I will do so with much sighing and gnashing of teeth.

If you wish to send me Smarties and Moscato… please don’t hesitate.

 

 

*Leah Kaminsky tells me that there is no such thing as a fancy bone, I asked her which one of us had a medical degree… apparently we both knew it wasn’t me. Whatever Kaminsky, a fancy bone is a real thing and you know it!