Portfolio Archive • IRMA GOLDIRMA GOLD

* Newsletter is sent out monthly(ish). Includes the latest blog post, recommended interweb reads on writing and publishing, giveaways, book recommendations and more awesome bookish stuff. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Subscribe before 5 pm on Sunday 9 May to go in the draw to win a signed and dedicated copy of my debut novel, The Breaking. Australian residents only.

Congratulations to Amanda McLeod and Fleur Johnson who won the previous giveaway of Kate Mildenhall’s The Mother Fault.

Events are back, baby!
9 March 2022
Zooming through lockdown
10 September 2021
Fergie reads my book!
16 July 2021

Instagram

Don’t think I’ve ever seen such a squat little rainbow. Kinda cute.

#rainbow #rainbowlove #landscape #cloudscape #rainyday

My furball has a tough life. 99.9% of it involves my bed.

#catlife #catsofinstagram #catstagram

Will. Not. Stop. Raining.

So I’m doing this.

Usually enjoy the first hour. Then it’s all downhill.

#painting #rainyday

Walked for an hour in the rain getting soaked through. Then just as I finished it all cleared up. A hot bath and a hot drink might be on the cards.

#walking #walkingadventures #canberra #canberralife #rainyday #mountains #brindabellas #cloudscape #landscape

So excited to do a LIVE event with superstar Omar Musa for his new collection, Killernova. He’s doing two sessions and I’ll be in-convo with him at 3pm. Naturally Omar will also perform some of his poetry and if you haven’t seen him live you MUST. Saturday 27 November. National Portrait Gallery. Join us!

@omarbinmusa @nationalportraitgallery #poetry #canberra #canberralife #writinglife #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #authorlife

So proud of my gorgeous friend on her first group exhibition. Such stunning work, and no doubt many more exhibitions to come. Congrats, lovely @francis.jaye!

Side notes
Pic 1. When you have a friend who used to be a model and actor you always look goofy.

Pic 2. I think FJ was talking about vaginas. Or trying to explain the work. One of the two.

#exhibition #art #artistsoninstagram

Not sure how I have lived here all this time and never before discovered the Molonglo Gorge walk. The trail follows the river, plunging up and down so that you move between getting up close to the power of the water and then getting up high to take in the whole panorama. Pix don’t do it justice. Absolutely stunning.

#molongloriver #walking #walkingadventures

I HAVE AN AUDIOBOOK!

So much excitement! It is narrated by Taryn Ryan who weirdly looks a lot like I imagined my protagonist Deven. It’s available on multiple platforms, including from libraries. Get it in your ears!

#audiobook #audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram #audiobooklove ##TheBreaking #writinglife #writerslife #authorlife #authorslife #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #elephants #elephantlove #elephantlover #thailand #travel #travelling #wanderlust @midnightsunpublishing @_tarynryan

I felt quite emotional proofing this gorgeous story by the phenomenal Cathy Freeman. Had to read it multiple times! Such heart-soaring and hope-filled stuff. Congrats to @cathyfreeman, illustrator @ledden_lewis_art and @penguinbooksaus for bringing this beauty into the world.

@#writing #kidsbooks #kidlit #picturebook #reading #booklove #kidsofinstagram #cathyfreeman @penguinkidsaustralia #editing #editinglife

Every time I see burning off on the hills near my house it gives my heart a little jolt. Before I can even think about it, I’m straight back in the 2020 bushfire season. No blue-sky days back then though. Everything clogged with smoke and fire fringing those hills.

#notabushfire #burningoff #mountains #brindabellas #canberra #canberralife #2020bushfires

Outtake photo from our interview with the awesome Jack Heath in his writing studio for our Secrets from the Green Room podcast. Such a fun chat that we managed to sneak in right before we went into lockdown. Jack’s been writing for both kids and adults for a gazillion years and has so many insights to share. It’s the first ep in season 2 and it’s live now! Available wherever you get your pods.

@jackheathwriter @allenandunwin @secretsfromthegreenroom #writing #publishing #writinglife #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #authorlife #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram #booklove #booklovers #booknerd #writingpodcast @actwriters
@artsact_

Evening weeding. My supervisor has been monitoring me closely. Assessment not yet in.

#ihateweeds #gardening #catlife #catsofinstagram #catstagram

Scenes from a plane window.

#flying

Epic walk from Cape Schanck to Bushrangers Bay today. So stunning.

Don’t think I’ve ever been quite so happy to be on a plane 💙

It’s always so lovely to see your book recommended like this by booksellers, some of the bestest people in the world! A massive thank you to @collinsbooksellersmerimbula for featuring The Breaking and @melissa_pouliot_writer for writing the recommendation! And so very lovely to be there with dear friend @donnawardwriter. Please get down to your local bookshop and show them all the love!

#TheBreaking #writinglife #writerslife #authorlife #authorslife #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #elephants #elephantlove #elephantlover #thailand #travel #travelling #wanderlust #booksellers #bookshopsofinstagram #bookshop #shoplocal @midnightsunpublishing

Well, this is amazing! A beautiful artwork inspired by The Breaking for the #biblioartprize.
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Posted @withregram • @ridamera.art Woo hoo! I've finally finished my entry for this year's #biblioartprize by @blarneybooksandart . This competition differs in that you enter and are given a book title to read and then base your art on.

My book was a debut by Australian author @irma.gold called "The Breaking". It's a powerful story about two Aussie girls who try and help rescue elephants in Thailand - I won't say more - read it yourself!

"The Breaking" refers to the cruel process of breaking down young Thai elephants by their trainers, so that they'll obey them to avoid further pain. I've chosen to paint a majestic elephant - strong and free, with the bright colours of a Thai sunset in the background. Hopefully one day they'll all be free...

Please don't ride the elephants!

This piece is titled Cĥāng Thai - Don't Ride Me, and was painted in acrylics on canvas. Hopefully it makes the cut for the competition! 💛🧡
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#biblioartprize2021 #blarneybooksandart #portfairy #artinspiredbybooks #artprize #artprize2021 #artcompetition #elephant #thebreaking #thaielephant #changthai #elephantconservation #dontrideelephants #art #artist #artistsoninstagram #writinglife #writerslife #authorlife #authorslife #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #elephants #elephantlove #elephantlover #thailand #travel #travelling #wanderlust @midnightsunpublishing

It might have been pouring but our first taste of freedom in over two months couldn’t have been more glorious. Lounging in a cafe with the beautiful FJ for a couple of hours was bliss. Melbs, your turn is coming. Hang in there xx

#lockdownisover #freedom #canberra #canberralife

A day full of so much good news topped off by an epic sunset and a gorgeous unexpected delivery. And tomorrow we’re out of lockdown. Riding the high.

#lockdownisdone #sunset #sunsetporn #flowerstagram #goodnewsday

These two stunning books that I edited for Hardie Grant landed in my letterbox yesterday and they are both looking so shiny and gorgeous!

Every child is going to fall in love with Tania McCartney’s Plume. And as my 10 year old said: ‘I’ve got to say, Plume is a good way to teach kids about the world, but in a fun way.’

And then there’s the groundbreaking The First Scientists by Corey Tutt of DeadlyScience. It about all the deadly inventions and innovations of our First Nations peoples, and every household and school needs this book!

Such a privilege to work with these two incredible authors who both inspire me in so many different ways, and the wonderful team at Hardie Grant who are so clever and creative and passionate about bringing beautiful books into the world.

@taniamccartney @coreytutt_deadlyscience @deadlyscience_org @hardiegrantbooks @kaysermelissa #kidlit #childrensbooks #reading #firstnationshistory #kidsbooks #kidsbookstagram #plume #thefirstscientists

It’s World Migratory Bird Day AND Love Your Bookshop Day! Which means you are contractually obliged to pick up a copy of Where the Heart Is from your local today 😁
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Posted @withregram • @oh.susannah.illustration It's World Migratory Bird Day! This week I read The Last Migration by Charlotte McConaghy and it was utterly magnificent. Everyone should read it! It is a riveting drama set against the migration of the last remaining Arctic Terns.

My husband and I saw Arctic Terns on our honeymoon in Svalbard and fell in love with them. They have the longest migration of any animal in the world, flying from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back every year.

Serendipitously, my order of Clare Helen Welsh's Time to Move South for Winter arrived this week, so I've I've been sharing the wonders of terns with my 3 year old. It is stunningly illustrated by Jenny Løvie and beautifully told.

And I couldn't celebrate migratory bird day without a shout out to my own book with Irma Gold - Where the Heart Is, and the amazing migration that Dindim and other Magellanic Penguins undertake.

@worldmigratorybirdday #worldmigratorybirdday #migratorybirds #migration #birds #tern #penguin #wild #books #literature #bookstagram #picturebook #childrensbook #illustrator #loveyourbookshopday

In bed with tea proofing a manuscript. My useless assistant is only interested in bird-tracking.

#editing #editinglife #editorsofinstagram #bookstagram #catlife #catsofinstagram #writingcommunity

Tomorrow is Love Your Bookshop Day and bookshops have been doing it tough during all these lockdowns, so click and collect your little hearts out from your fave local store!

It’s also been tough for authors, particularly debut authors, who rely on booksellers to get their novels into the hands of readers.

So here are some suggestions (if you’re not sure what to buy) of amazing Australian novels that have come out during the pandemic. Swipe right for pics.

1. Sheer Water by Leah Swann
2. The Safe Place by Anna Downes
3. The Animals in that Country by Laura Jean McKay
4. The Mother Fault by Kate Mildenhall
5. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
6. The Others by Mark Brandi
7. The Breaking by some author called Irma Gold

(There are so many other fab novels besides that I just don’t have pix of.)

Enjoy, book lovers!

P.S. Apparently to be a winner you need a book title starting with The or S. Hot tip, writers!

#loveyourbookshopday #loveyourbookstore #bookstagram #booklover #booklove #bookaddict #bookshopping #booksellers @leahswannwriter @anna_downes_writer @laurajeanmckay @kmildenhall #megmason @mb_randi @midnightsunpublishing @affirmpress @hachetteaus @simonschusterau @scribepub @harpercollinsaustralia

In what now feels like a lifetime ago, at this time of year I was in South Africa with my lovely brother @albert.fraval. Sigh.

#wanderlust #ohtotravelagain #southafrica #travel #travelgram #capetown #tablemountain

Posted @withregram • @dymockscanberra Scarlett’s face when I told her I wouldn’t read the gorgeous tale of Dindim the penguin for the 5th time in a row! This beautiful book by our superstar locals, author @irma.gold & illustrator @oh.susannah.illustration is a must for every child’s bookshelf! @ekbooksforkids #dymockscanberra #booklovers #welovebooksanddogs #wheretheheartis #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebooksofinstagram #picturebooksaremyjam #kidsbooks #kidsofinstagram #reading #kidsbooksofinstagram #penguin #penguins #riodejaneiro #brazil

It’s so hard to capture the hugeness of the sky without diminishing the mountains, but both their beauty has been a balm during lockdown. Really hoping we’re on the home straight now and I can soon go back to normal levels of appreciation.

#nofilter #lockdown #lockdownwalks #walking #dailywalk #landscape #skyscape #brindabellas #canberra #canberralife

Posted @withregram • @hollycraigwriter Imagine having your book endorsed and read by Fergie, The Duchess of York. Well, my next guest @irma.gold is the author of The Breaking and Where The Heart Is, a childrens book which was read by Sarah Ferguson in July!! Irma’s interview with me is a great one. Being an editor herself, and someone who has published many other works, been awarded for her expertise in the industry, Irma understands the ins and outs of what it takes to secure an offer with an agent or publisher. Check it out on my website in my bio. #authorsofinstagram #author #authorlife #authorsofig #authors #authorgram #authorscommunity #authorinterview #aussieauthorappreciation #writersofinstagram #writer #writeaway #writerscommunity #writings #writing #writingcommunity #writinginspiration #writingtips #writingadvice #submissions #literary #publish #publishing #litagent #TheBreaking @midnightsunpublishing #elephant #elephantlove #thailand #wanderlust

Twilight walk.

#lockdownwalk #walk #walking #dailywalk #canberra #canberralife #twilight #skyscape #landscape

So delighted that The Breaking is kicking off the High Country Writers Festival’s annual book club. It’s been the toughest of years for debut novelists with so many lockdown bookshop closures, so it’s lovely to see The Breaking still finding its way into readers’ hands. And if you’re buying a book to keep you company in lockdown consider opting for one of the many incredible debuts released during the pandemic, instead of one of the big names.
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Posted @withregram • @highcountrywritersfestival Our fourth annual @highcountrywritersfestival reading list begins with this debut novel by @irma.gold ... THE BREAKING published by @midnightsunpublishing ... I've only just started my journey into this exploration of the Thai elephant tourism industry, and I'm gripped. It's a great study of immediacy in the opening of a 21st Century novel! The High Country Book Club will be discussing this title at @makersshedgleninnes on Saturday October 16, 10am-12pm. Grab your copy at 123 Grey Street, Wednesdays to Saturdays, 10-4, and join us as we embark on another 12-month reading odyssey. This year's @highcountrywritersfestival has been rescheduled from October to Saturday December 11. Mark your diaries and join us at The Makers Shed for the announcement of the 2021 High Country Indie Book Award from our November 2020 to September 2021 reads! ##TheBreaking #writinglife #writerslife #authorlife #authorslife #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #elephants #elephantlove #elephantlover #thailand #travel #travelling #wanderlust #irmagold #gleninneshighlands #gleninnes #highcountrywritersfestival #debutnovel @midnightsunpublishing

This morning’s lockdown pleasure. About as good as it gets right now. Been meaning to read this Greene for just about forever. One of the benefits of lockdown is actually getting to those books in my TBR bookshelf that have been languishing for far too long.

#lockdown #lockdownlife #bookstagram #vintagegreene #booklover #booklove #booknerd #weekend #weekendmood #weekendvibes #weekendreading

So needed this walk to clean me out. Hit an all-time lockdown low yesterday. Melbourne, I have no idea how you have survived so long. Sending hugs to everyone in lockdown today x

#lockdown #walk #dailywalk #mountains #landscape #canberra #canberraliving #fuckcovid

Lockdown supplies.

#sooverthis #lockdownlife

Feels like a metaphor for lockdown. Pic by my daughter.

#lockdown #covid #canberralife

Had fun exploring the old burnt-out observatory with the kids today 💙

Was hoping to attempt to tame at least a corner of my wild garden today but the weather has decided otherwise. Loving all the green unfurling though.

#mywildgarden #rainyday

The title of Rooney’s latest could be an anthem for our times. Thanks to @paperchainbookstore for all the clicking and collecting. Can’t wait to dive in to this one.

@sallyrooneyofficial #beautifulworldwhereareyou #bookstagram #booklove #booklover #lockdownreading #reading #womenwritersofinstagram

Libraries are THE BEST, right? And I’m loving seeing how different libraries are using Where the Heart Is to entertain kids (and give parents some relief) in lockdown.

Kingston Libraries in Victoria (which happens to include my childhood haunt in Parkdale, literally a few steps from my old home) have prepared this gorgeous reading and craft activity for their holiday program (so very clever because it shows kids how penguins’ feathers work in water). The video is unlisted but if you’re a member you’ll be able to access it.

If you’re in lockdown (and even if you’re not) I hope you’re also finding escapism and joy in books x

#libraries #librariesrock #librariestransform #librariesofinstagram #librarians #librarianlife #reading #kidlit #picturebooks #brazil #riodejaneiro #penguin #penguins #bookstagram #booklover #bookreading #childrensbooks #childrensbookillustration @ekbooksforkids @oh.susannah.illustration

Doing events via Zoom has brightened my lockdown immeasurably and been a great distraction. I blogged about all the fun bits! (Link in bio.) Massive thanks to all the organisers x

@scbwiact @scbwianz @actwriters @ngfeathers @mb_randi @coreytutt_deadlyscience @ekbooksforkids @midnightsunpublishing @deadlyscience_org #literature #literaryevents #thebreaking #elephants #thailand #bookstagram #writinglife #writerslife #writersofinstagram #authorlife #authorsofinstagram #editing #editinglife #brazil #riodejaneiro #wheretheheartis