I have always loved to read and for as long as I can remember books have been a constant companion.
One of my earliest childhood memories involves Mum picking me up from kinder after doing the grocery shopping, and discovering The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton during the car trip home -no child restraints back in those days, I rode in the back of the station wagon alongside the brown paper shopping bags! Mum had bought it to put away for a future birthday or Christmas, but once I’d entered that magical world of Silky the Fairy and MoonFace there was no way going back, and I worked my way progressively through the entire Enid Blyton catalogue from there.
Since then I’ve never been without a book or three on hand, although I have to say Stuart’s joy was unbounded when I bought my first ebook reader on a trip to Amsterdam in 2008 – he was a touch over having to lug cases filled with books on all of our travels. I don’t only love to read, I’m quite a fast reader so a 2 week trip away would involve at least 10 novels, plus the ones I bought while away, which made for quite a heavy load to cart around.
It’s a passion that I’m pleased our children have inherited, they are both prolific readers too and Sam in particular has books scattered from one end of the house to another so he always has one ready to dip into.
Reading opens your mind to a whole new world and expands your thinking. For me, reading has created a thirst for knowledge, a passion for travel, and a desire to experience new things. A world without books is unimaginable to me, but I know for many people it is their daily reality.
This is why I was so delighted that the Epic Good Foundation was able to play a role in the recent partnership between the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Hawthorn Football Club.
Our wonderful friend, author, and Manager of the Epic Good Foundation Anita Heiss is a long term ambassador and supporter of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and identified that there was potentially a great fit with the work the Hawthorn Indigenous Program is doing. Last week Jermaine Miller-Lewis and Liam Shiels presented early literacy sets to a group of 5 year old in the Tiwi Islands, and I think the expressions on the children’s faces here say it all.
I hope these books play a part in creating that same love of reading in those children as I’ve had the privilege of enjoying, and we’re looking forward to exploring additional ways that we can support this wonderful program. If you’re a reader too and you’d like to assist, I know all donations are very much appreciated, just click here.