THE hunt could soon be on for a real-life Specky Magee according to co-author of the popular series of children’s books, Felice Arena .
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Arena was in Albury yesterday as part of the Write Around the Murray Festival being held on the Border.
“We have been in talks now about a television series and a television-movie for Specky,” Arena said.
“So I envision travelling around the country looking for our own Specky Magee.”
Budding footballers at St Patrick’s Primary School and the Albury Library Museum re-enacted scenes from the books yesterday.
They showed off their skills by immersing themselves in the story.
“It was great because the kids forget that there is an author,” Arena said.
“There is a lot of interaction, and that is something they will remember.
“Hopefully they can take that and be inspired to pick up the books and read.”
A sense of nostalgia for home set the Specky Magee co-author on the path to becoming a writer of children’s books.
But it was a chance encounter with an old Kyabram school-mate, former Melbourne AFL footballer and Channel Nine Footy Show host Garry Lyon that was the catalyst for the book actually coming about in the first place.
“He’s great to work with,” Arena said.
“Everyone asks how much he actually writes. I call us co-captains.
“But you have seen what Garry is like and he likes to take more of a coach’s role.
“His writing is very different to mine.
“But he is in journalism and is very articulate and is great at character development.”
Arena also played the character of Marco Alessi in Australian soap Neighbours in 1992.
He also presented a number of television shows before turning his attention to writing children’s fiction.