Writing during the time of COVID
Tauranga Girls' College year 10 students Saoirse Briggs and Ash Bryne are now both published authors!
Saoirse and Ash have had their stories published in Scary Tales a compilation of stories and poems from New Zealand secondary school students.
Ash's story is also part of the Tauranga Historic record for students voice during the time of COVID19.
Congratulations girls!
Saoirse and Ash have had their stories published in Scary Tales a compilation of stories and poems from New Zealand secondary school students.
Ash's story is also part of the Tauranga Historic record for students voice during the time of COVID19.
Congratulations girls!
Young NZ Writers Day Out Workshop and Book Launches
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rOn Saturday 23 June, we held our Annual Youth Day Out writing workshop and book launches. The workshop sessions included sessions on writing your way into a short story presented by award-winning author Lee Murray; all about conflict and character with award-winning author-screenwriter duo Jean Gilbert and William Dresden, and polishing your writing with award-winning editors Grace Bridges and Chad Dick. Additional writing support was provided by our convenors-facilitators for the day, Piper Mejia and Lewis Morgan. Over 40 students took time out from their weekend to attend the workshop and nearly 100 friends and family squeezed in to the library for the book launches. (Thank you to the Wright family Foundation, New Orbit Magazine, Bookrapt, Tauranga Writers, Tauranga Girls College, and SpecFicNZ for their kind support of the day’s activities.) As a special announcement, we unveiled our new Youth Laureate Award programme for novelists, which will open in July of this year. Here are some photos from the event.
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Feedback is so important - even for us
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Hi Jean and Chad,
Thank you so much for the session this morning, I thought it was brilliant and will definitely help me with both my girls - my youngest struggles writing and does a lot of the ‘don’ts’, now I know how to help her. Resources: I would love to have the “Websites for writers” information you mentioned Jean and Chad a soft copy of the ‘short version’ of the wave story will help me explain to Abbie how to cut the waffle and still tell her story. I do think my paper aeroplane feedback form should’ve won for creativity 🤣. Thank you to everyone involved with this event and the competition, it’s a huge commitment and much appreciated - you are providing a much needed opportunity for students to learn and practice writing skills. I’m looking forward to hearing about the students’ workshops from Ella. I believe the issues you highlighted with the students’ writing during the workshop are due to the curriculum. I’ve observed there’s very little time allowed for children to write creatively, particularly as they get older. Content is chunked up, so they may have a 4/5 week period in a whole academic year to produce a creative piece. Then they are onto the next skill set - studying a text, writing a speech, studying a play, designing an advertising campaign. Creative writing is a skill that needs to be practised with good quality feedback provided. I’m very grateful to have found the Young NZ Writers resources to help fill that gap. Kind Regards Liz Kerr 2019 |
Dear Organisers, Authors and Sponsors
We would like to thank you all, for the wonderful experience you offered our students with the Beyond Strange Short Story Writing Competition. The context was highly engaging and gave our students a 'real world' purpose for writing. They relished the chance to let their imaginations fly, and delve into the possibilities of horror, fantasy and science fiction. The 'Writers' Day Out' in Rotorua was received with much enthusiasm and our large group of students have repeatedly commented that this was one of the 'best learning days ever'. They appeared to be competing with each other to determine who undertook the most note-taking. (I think one Parent commented that their child had taken 8 pages of notes!) Our teaching staff who attended the day's professional development will present some of their new learning at a staff 'Writing Workshop'. To complete the experience we attended the Book Launch on Friday afternoon. I believe this gave students a true sense of authorship and that ultimate feeling of success - seeing their work published in a professionally illustrated and bound publication. It was fantastic to hear the first place-getter read his story aloud and we all felt a sense of pride as our Second place-getter and the Highly Commended students were called up to receive their certificates. We have celebrated the Beyond Strange Story Writing successes at Assembly, on our Facebook page and at staff meeting. The Beyond Strange Anthology has pride of place in our school library and teachers are reading the stories aloud during Library visits. Thank you again for the incredible efforts of your Volunteers (Real Authors), Sponsors and your Organisational team. The Young New Zealand Writers 'Competition and Day Out' has inspired our young writers. Warmest Regards Anne Grady Curriculum Coach Berkley Normal Middle School 2019 |
Timegate to Tomorrow contributor Aria Oliver gets a second chance at publication of her story When It comes to Plants. Read her essay and her story in latest issue of New Orbit magazine.
Wright Foundation Newsletter (March 2019)
Young NZ Writers Youth Laureate Award
We are honoured to reveal the cover of Young NZ Writers Youth Laureate Award winner Emma Uren’s book It’s a Small World, illustrated by David Schembri.
The national free-to-enter novel writing competition for intermediate and secondary school students closed in late 2018 with 32 manuscripts of 10,000 to 30,000 words from students from all over the country received.
Each student received in-depth feedback on their manuscript, and while there was only supposed to be one Laureate for mentorship and publication, Young NZ Writers was so overwhelmed by the quality of the works submitted that it was decided to publish two.
Emma, a student at Diocesan School for Girls, was named as Laureate and Xiaole Zhan of Westlake Girls’ High School was named Young NZ Writers Editor’s Choice for her narrative poem, The Extinct.
Both books will be released at a book launch in Rotorua on May 31 at the conclusion of the Young NZ Writers’ Day Out – another Young NZ Writers initiative that involves a full day of writing workshops for 170 intermediate and secondary school students, facilitated by experienced writers, screenwriters, and poets.
The Youth Day Out has also been extended this year to include a one-day writing workshop for 30 Rotorua primary school students, and professional development for teachers.
To find out more about Young NZ Writers and the other competitions they run visit https://youngnzwriters.weebly.com/
Young NZ Writers Youth Laureate Award
We are honoured to reveal the cover of Young NZ Writers Youth Laureate Award winner Emma Uren’s book It’s a Small World, illustrated by David Schembri.
The national free-to-enter novel writing competition for intermediate and secondary school students closed in late 2018 with 32 manuscripts of 10,000 to 30,000 words from students from all over the country received.
Each student received in-depth feedback on their manuscript, and while there was only supposed to be one Laureate for mentorship and publication, Young NZ Writers was so overwhelmed by the quality of the works submitted that it was decided to publish two.
Emma, a student at Diocesan School for Girls, was named as Laureate and Xiaole Zhan of Westlake Girls’ High School was named Young NZ Writers Editor’s Choice for her narrative poem, The Extinct.
Both books will be released at a book launch in Rotorua on May 31 at the conclusion of the Young NZ Writers’ Day Out – another Young NZ Writers initiative that involves a full day of writing workshops for 170 intermediate and secondary school students, facilitated by experienced writers, screenwriters, and poets.
The Youth Day Out has also been extended this year to include a one-day writing workshop for 30 Rotorua primary school students, and professional development for teachers.
To find out more about Young NZ Writers and the other competitions they run visit https://youngnzwriters.weebly.com/
NOVEMBER 5, 2018
— NZ POETRY SOCIETYNZPS News!
The New Zealand Poetry Society are thrilled to announce that Emma Shi has joined us as Editorial Assistant. Emma will be helping Editor, Ivy Alvarez, with the production of our quarterly magazine, a fine line.
Ivy says “I’m both delighted and looking forward to working with Emma Shi and I predict we’ll be bringing some amazing editions of a fine lineto come.”
Emma Shi was the winner of the National Schools Poetry Award 2013 and the Poetry NZ Prize 2017. She was also included in Best New Zealand Poems 2017. Emma’s work has been published in literary journals such as Landfall and Starling. In 2017, she self-published her own chapbook titled Elsewhere.
— NZ POETRY SOCIETYNZPS News!
The New Zealand Poetry Society are thrilled to announce that Emma Shi has joined us as Editorial Assistant. Emma will be helping Editor, Ivy Alvarez, with the production of our quarterly magazine, a fine line.
Ivy says “I’m both delighted and looking forward to working with Emma Shi and I predict we’ll be bringing some amazing editions of a fine lineto come.”
Emma Shi was the winner of the National Schools Poetry Award 2013 and the Poetry NZ Prize 2017. She was also included in Best New Zealand Poems 2017. Emma’s work has been published in literary journals such as Landfall and Starling. In 2017, she self-published her own chapbook titled Elsewhere.
YNZW and the Wright Foundation
By Lee Murray – co-founder, Young NZ Writers
In October last year, Chloe Wright sent me an email. She’d seen an article in Tauranga newspaper The Weekend Sun promoting a one-day student writing workshop, and contacted the paper to learn more. Held at a local school, the workshop offered sessions on poetry, short story, graphic novels, and screenwriting, all facilitated by award-winning New Zealand writers.
“If we at the Wright Family Foundation can be instrumental in enabling young writers to further explore their talent through your workshop(s), we would be very interested in having a conversation,” Chloe wrote in her email.
I texted my colleague Piper Mejia immediately, and not because Chloe had kindly offered us funding, but because she had closed her email with the words: “We are passionate about literacy and the multiple benefits that arise from the creative mind being mentored.” It was as if she’d read our minds.
Keen to encourage a new generation of readers and writers, Piper and I founded Young NZ Writers in 2011 to provide writing and publishing opportunities for young people outside the school curriculum. We hoped to offer children skills and opportunities to express themselves through writing. Key activities have included two annual (free) writing competitions where every child receives feedback, producing anthologies of the most promising work, and holding book launches to celebrate the students’ achievements. An English teacher, Piper also established a group for young writers, often inviting author speakers. Seeing how inspired and motivated her students were by these experiences, we instigated our national youth workshops, and have since run five events in Tauranga, Wellington and Taupō. Throughout the year, we maintain a website for young writers, receiving 400 hits daily.
The Wright Family Foundation sponsorship will allow us to expand our programme, increasing students’ exposure to national and international writers, developing new workshop and publishing opportunities, celebrating student successes, and offering teacher development and ongoing student mentorship. We will also extend participation to Years 5-6 and provide scholarships to students in hardship.
The Wright Family Foundation’s support is a huge boost, and we look forward with renewed enthusiasm to growing a new generation of young writers.
In October last year, Chloe Wright sent me an email. She’d seen an article in Tauranga newspaper The Weekend Sun promoting a one-day student writing workshop, and contacted the paper to learn more. Held at a local school, the workshop offered sessions on poetry, short story, graphic novels, and screenwriting, all facilitated by award-winning New Zealand writers.
“If we at the Wright Family Foundation can be instrumental in enabling young writers to further explore their talent through your workshop(s), we would be very interested in having a conversation,” Chloe wrote in her email.
I texted my colleague Piper Mejia immediately, and not because Chloe had kindly offered us funding, but because she had closed her email with the words: “We are passionate about literacy and the multiple benefits that arise from the creative mind being mentored.” It was as if she’d read our minds.
Keen to encourage a new generation of readers and writers, Piper and I founded Young NZ Writers in 2011 to provide writing and publishing opportunities for young people outside the school curriculum. We hoped to offer children skills and opportunities to express themselves through writing. Key activities have included two annual (free) writing competitions where every child receives feedback, producing anthologies of the most promising work, and holding book launches to celebrate the students’ achievements. An English teacher, Piper also established a group for young writers, often inviting author speakers. Seeing how inspired and motivated her students were by these experiences, we instigated our national youth workshops, and have since run five events in Tauranga, Wellington and Taupō. Throughout the year, we maintain a website for young writers, receiving 400 hits daily.
The Wright Family Foundation sponsorship will allow us to expand our programme, increasing students’ exposure to national and international writers, developing new workshop and publishing opportunities, celebrating student successes, and offering teacher development and ongoing student mentorship. We will also extend participation to Years 5-6 and provide scholarships to students in hardship.
The Wright Family Foundation’s support is a huge boost, and we look forward with renewed enthusiasm to growing a new generation of young writers.
YNZW 2017 Convention in Taupo
With the support from Creative Taupo, SpecFicNZ and SFFANZ, Young NZ Writers' Day out was the most successful day of writing workshops yet.
With over 100 participants from Auckland to Christchurch, authors Lee Murray, Paul Mannering, Grace Bridges, Jean Gilbert, Jan Goldie, Chad Dick and Lewis Morgan took young writers through overcoming writers' block, world building and crafting characters. Senior participants left with an opportunity to get published, while all participants were left with the contact details of real NZ authors willing to be their on-going mentors.
With over 100 participants from Auckland to Christchurch, authors Lee Murray, Paul Mannering, Grace Bridges, Jean Gilbert, Jan Goldie, Chad Dick and Lewis Morgan took young writers through overcoming writers' block, world building and crafting characters. Senior participants left with an opportunity to get published, while all participants were left with the contact details of real NZ authors willing to be their on-going mentors.
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Beyond This - Success Story
(Article from Bay News 27/03/14)
Two intermediate school students from Tauranga have taken first place in a national writing competition asking for historical stories with a twist.
The Beyond this Story writing competition run by Tauranga Writers asked intermediate school students to contribute a piece of hyper-fiction, a narrative inspired by a real person or true event with a New Zealand connection.
Tauranga Writers president Piper Mejia says she’s thrilled the first place winners were locals, but it wasn’t for lack of some tough competition.
“We received over 400 entries from more than 65 schools around the country. We were thrilled with the response and even more excited by the standard of the writing. The stories we received were entertaining, poignant, informative and hugely diverse. They included stories of historic events like the Tangiwai disaster and the 1918 influenza epidemic, as well as more contemporary events such as the Christchurch earthquake,” says Mejia.
“Personalities revealed in the stories included sports heroes like Lovelock, adventurers Hillary and Norgay and political personalities such as activist Hamiora Pere, and suffragette, Kate Sheppard.”
While there were prizes and certificates for place getters, a total of 49 stories were published into a book.
Editor Lee Murray says publishing the work was an essential part of the competition.
“We established the Write Off Line series of anthologies in 2012 to provide a vehicle for teen writers to publish their work, and the equivalent Beyond This series of anthologies for intermediate school students is another step towards encouraging our future writing stars.”
Year 8 first place winner Nadia Snegirev has a personal connection to the story she wrote for the collection.
“I wrote about Jack Lovelock because I’d been reading New Zealand author Philippa Werry’s Enemy at the Gate. In that book, the main character’s hero is Jack Lovelock. When I asked my mum about it I found out my Grandad raced against him in the Olympics. He competed for England before moving to New Zealand. That’s what sparked the idea.”
Nadia built on the original story idea with an element of fantasy, by having her character run against the Greek Gods.
“I saw Jack Lovelock as just an ordinary boy from New Zealand competing against these amazing athletes and I thought what if they were even bigger than that?”
Year 7 first place winner Rebecca Roimata Bridgman says she entered the competition the day before it was due to close.
“My cousin is an English teacher who encouraged me to write and she said, ‘you can do this’. I looked on the internet and researched historic events that happened on the date of the 16 November, the end date of the competition, and found out about Hamiora Pere.”
Rebecca says she imagined herself as someone personally very close to her character, perhaps a lover, having to watch him being hanged.
“In stories there is always the bad and the good but even the bad guys have people they care about.”
While the organisers would have liked to have published every student, no one went away empty-handed. Every entrant received individual feedback and suggestions for improving their work.
To find out more about Tauranga Writers go to www.taurangawriters.org.nz Information for emerging writers and more competitions, visit http://youngnzwriters.weebly.com/
To purchase a copy of Beyond this Story:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-This-Story-Lee-Murray-ebook/dp/B00J4GZ7P4
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/420980
Two intermediate school students from Tauranga have taken first place in a national writing competition asking for historical stories with a twist.
The Beyond this Story writing competition run by Tauranga Writers asked intermediate school students to contribute a piece of hyper-fiction, a narrative inspired by a real person or true event with a New Zealand connection.
Tauranga Writers president Piper Mejia says she’s thrilled the first place winners were locals, but it wasn’t for lack of some tough competition.
“We received over 400 entries from more than 65 schools around the country. We were thrilled with the response and even more excited by the standard of the writing. The stories we received were entertaining, poignant, informative and hugely diverse. They included stories of historic events like the Tangiwai disaster and the 1918 influenza epidemic, as well as more contemporary events such as the Christchurch earthquake,” says Mejia.
“Personalities revealed in the stories included sports heroes like Lovelock, adventurers Hillary and Norgay and political personalities such as activist Hamiora Pere, and suffragette, Kate Sheppard.”
While there were prizes and certificates for place getters, a total of 49 stories were published into a book.
Editor Lee Murray says publishing the work was an essential part of the competition.
“We established the Write Off Line series of anthologies in 2012 to provide a vehicle for teen writers to publish their work, and the equivalent Beyond This series of anthologies for intermediate school students is another step towards encouraging our future writing stars.”
Year 8 first place winner Nadia Snegirev has a personal connection to the story she wrote for the collection.
“I wrote about Jack Lovelock because I’d been reading New Zealand author Philippa Werry’s Enemy at the Gate. In that book, the main character’s hero is Jack Lovelock. When I asked my mum about it I found out my Grandad raced against him in the Olympics. He competed for England before moving to New Zealand. That’s what sparked the idea.”
Nadia built on the original story idea with an element of fantasy, by having her character run against the Greek Gods.
“I saw Jack Lovelock as just an ordinary boy from New Zealand competing against these amazing athletes and I thought what if they were even bigger than that?”
Year 7 first place winner Rebecca Roimata Bridgman says she entered the competition the day before it was due to close.
“My cousin is an English teacher who encouraged me to write and she said, ‘you can do this’. I looked on the internet and researched historic events that happened on the date of the 16 November, the end date of the competition, and found out about Hamiora Pere.”
Rebecca says she imagined herself as someone personally very close to her character, perhaps a lover, having to watch him being hanged.
“In stories there is always the bad and the good but even the bad guys have people they care about.”
While the organisers would have liked to have published every student, no one went away empty-handed. Every entrant received individual feedback and suggestions for improving their work.
To find out more about Tauranga Writers go to www.taurangawriters.org.nz Information for emerging writers and more competitions, visit http://youngnzwriters.weebly.com/
To purchase a copy of Beyond this Story:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-This-Story-Lee-Murray-ebook/dp/B00J4GZ7P4
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/420980
