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“My latest book, Run, is set a bit north of Byron Shire, but it’s very sub-tropical,” she said. “I think the landscape here ends up in my work because it’s dramatic and shapes my life, so I let it shape the lives of my characters, too.”<\/p>\n
Run, set to be released on July 29, is an adventure story for readers aged nine and up. It follows Cas, a boy who runs away from a complicated family situation and becomes lost in the Australian bush. There, he encounters a mysterious family who are also on the run \u2014 though from what, they won’t say.<\/p>\n
Armstrong will be speaking about Run at the upcoming Byron Writers Festival at Bangalow Showground, where she is presenting a session as part of the children’s program on Sunday, August 10, alongside fellow authors Anita Heiss, Tony Armstrong, Zanni Louise and Kirli Saunders.<\/p>\n
“At a time when reading and literacy rates are falling in Australia, which can feel pretty disheartening, it’s uplifting to be surrounded by hundreds of people \u2014 including kids \u2014 who really value books and reading,” Armstrong said.<\/p>\n
“It’s so important that we do everything we can to encourage kids to read. When a kid meets an author, it excites them about their books; it sends them to their school library or the bookshop. And once a kid is excited about one book, with a little guidance, they will find their way to the next one.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AS a child growing up in Armidale, Sarah Armstrong didn’t have a television, so she turned to books instead. That early love of reading sparked a lifelong connection to storytelling. She went on to become a journalist and producer at the ABC, but always had a quiet, persistent feeling that she might have a novel […]<\/p>\n