A BROWN Hill man is realising his creative ambitions with the release of his first children\u2019s book titled The Seagull Who Soared.<\/p>\n
Dave O\u2019Neill said although he\u2019d been word-rhyming for years through his communications career and as a poet, the idea for his newly-published work was inspired by his first child, Stevie.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been writing poems since I was a kid and people always seemed to respond to them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had Stevie in 2020 and started reading her kid\u2019s books. I\u2019ve always loved storytelling and it\u2019s been part of my job as well in a way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought some of these are incredible and what a gift they are for kids. There were others where I thought I could have a go at this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Released through Shawline Publishing Group and with artwork from Sydney-based Illustrator Isabella Gagliano, The Seagull Who Soared launched at last month\u2019s Clunes Booktown Festival.<\/p>\n
In crafting the book, O\u2019Neill said his daughter\u2019s influence struck again during the family\u2019s annual holiday to Stingray Bay in Warrnambool.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and Stevie were chasing seagulls and I thought there\u2019s a story in this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe story is about a seagull in Torquay who dreams of adventures and takes off for them looking for Stingray Bay.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe stops at Bells Beach and Anglesea and Apollo Bay so I thought it\u2019s also a story that can teach kids about Victoria and the coast.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt its heart it\u2019s a story about following your dreams and not giving up. There\u2019s a little bit of an autobiographical element.<\/p>\n
\u201cStarting my career as an accountant and wanting to get in journalism seemed a mountain to climb. There was that natural doubt to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the book available at Ballarat\u2019s two Collins outlets as well as the Brown Hill post office and children\u2019s store Country and Vintage Babes, O\u2019Neill said he\u2019s felt validated by the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been unbelievable,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all about people with that loose connection. I\u2019ve had neighbours and old school friends buying something like 10 copies each.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill said he aims to continue his theme of Australian landmarks with his follow-up titled Santa Skis the Murray set to be released in November.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A BROWN Hill man is realising his creative ambitions with the release of his first children\u2019s book titled The Seagull Who Soared. Dave O\u2019Neill said although he\u2019d been word-rhyming for years through his communications career and as a poet, the idea for his newly-published work was inspired by his first child, Stevie. \u201cI\u2019ve been writing […]<\/p>\n