Inspiring Future Authors at the Melbourne Writers Festival

On Thursday 7 May, students from Melton and Cobblebank embarked on an exciting literary excursion to the State Library for the Melbourne Writers Festival. It was a fantastic opportunity for our young writers to learn directly from some of the most talented and celebrated storytellers in the country!

Throughout the day, students participated in three engaging sessions led by award-winning and acclaimed authors. The presentations covered a diverse range of topics, including:

• The Creative Process: Understanding how professional authors plan and construct narratives.
• Idea Generation: Learning practical strategies to spark imagination and overcome writer's block.
• Technology & Representation: Exploring modern themes and the importance of diverse voices in literature.

Every session was carefully selected to align with the Victorian Curriculum, reinforcing the critical reading and writing skills students are developing in their classrooms.

A major highlight of the day occurred between sessions, when enthusiastic students queued up to meet their favourite authors. Many walked away with personally signed copies of books and shared inspiring conversations with the creators.

It was an enriching day that left our students buzzing with creative energy and new ideas for their own writing pieces. Thank you to all the staff and students who made this event such a success!

Student reflections

The writer's festival was a wonderful experience; we were able to hear from many authors about their work and what it took to write their books. We were also able to get books signed by the authors. They also said they are on the lookout for cool names and wrote some of ours down as they signed books. Adam, Year 10, Cobblebank Campus

The Writers Festival was a wonderful insight into the professional and creative aspects of writing; the variety of perspectives on the publishing and creative processes offered by different authors was both enjoyable and informative. The warmth and friendliness with which the speakers answered questions and shared their own stories helped dispel common fears surrounding professional editing and publishing. The topics addressed also made for interesting presentations for people who write for fun, as well as those who want to write for work, as they discussed a range of ways to approach writing, worldbuilding, and character development, in addition to the process of being published. I would recommend the event to anybody interested in writing - the variety of panels offers something for everyone. Chloe, Year 12, Melton Campus

The excursion to the Melbourne Writers Festival was interesting. We got to meet Amy Doak, Karen Comer, and Tigest Girma and learned about their writing process and what they did while writing their books. It was cool hearing about where they got their ideas from and how they created their characters' storylines. We also got to ask questions and learn more about what it's like being an author. Overall, the excursion was fun and interesting, and it helped us learn more about writing and creativity. Achraj, Year 10, Cobblebank Campus