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Testimonials from authors
Siboney Duff's manuscript appraisal was invaluable. It was Siboney who flagged my book as YA and it was her advice which I followed (to the letter) with regards to restructuring and character formation. The resulting book, The Minnow, won the Text Prize (2013) and will be on the shelves in May 2014. I can say, without reservation, that without Siboney's input, my book would not be where it is today. And if I sound like I'm her biggest fan, it's because it's true! Diana Sweeney, Winner of the 2013 Text Prize for her YA novel The Minnow Siboney Duff is a sensitive and intelligent reader. She has the rare ability to look at an MS holistically; to see issues with the bigger picture—story arc, character development, overall meaning, whilst simultaneously having a very good eye for detail. Her enthusiasm for writing and all it entails is catching, and over the years I’'ve worked with her she has provided me with much insight and encouragement. As a mentor, editor, or assessor, I cannot recommend her highly enough. Jessie Cole author of the novels Darkness on the Edge of Town and Deeper Water, and the memoir Staying What can I say but wow! I am very impressed with your work. The editing and comments are objective, insightful, corrective and also encouraging at the same time. You have definitely mastered how to handle authors well while still achieving the target of getting a better manuscript. Please accept my sincere gratitude, respect and appreciation of your work. David Oludotun Fasanya Siboney gave excellent structural and other feedback on my YA manuscript, Lexie and Cho. Her suggestions inspired and shaped the next draft. Thanks Siboney. Madeline Oliver |
Testimonials from schools
'It was really, really good, really helpful' - Joe 'She went through all the syllabus dot points and described exactly what the HSC Markers required' - Katie 'Really energetic- she made you excited about Creative Writing' - Taylor 'I liked how she broke down the Creative Response into easy to follow steps' - Adelia 'Definitely would recommend her for anyone doing the HSC' - Kristen 'She was inspiring and very creative- she came up with really imaginative ideas on the spot' - Olivia 'She related really well to us' - Isaac 'She was really interesting and unique and incredibly helpful' - Lachlan 'She forced us to think out of the box. Loved it!' - Caleb Senior students from Coffs Harbour Christian School Dear Siboney, Thanks so much for providing the wonderful workshop yesterday. My daughter was in attendance and found it extremely relevant and inspiring. The timing was great and the content both practical and thoughtful. She came home buzzing with ideas. It is wonderful that you could offer support of this kind and calibre to regional students, who are often denied the opportunities of their city counterparts. Mandy thanks, Mandy Burdon Siboney Duff is a dynamic, engaging presenter who has worked with staff, senior and junior students to give energy and rigour to the process of creative writing. She is always well organised, diligent and passionate about the work that she does. She is a delight to have around the place and I would thoroughly recommend her for anyone looking to improve writing for Year 7 to Extension 2. James Clarke - Head Teacher English, Mullumbimby High School |
