Yesterday, I spent an exhilarating morning at the local Catholic primary school, talking to and then working with a select bunch of talented young writers (ages 11-12), drawn from Sydney'e northern beaches area.

Old fogeys who mumble about falling standards and the younger generation have their heads up their whatnots. I met and read the work of one youngster who will be winning major prizes in 15 years.

I came home to find an email from a young graduate in mathematics who had a suggestion for my