Creative Writing Opportunities

This term we have been delighted to see students compose fabulous creative and analytical work; from punchy persuasive writing in Year 9 to haunting creative fiction in Year 7. Our teachers loved reading some the compelling biographical writing of Year 8 and were impressed by the ability of Year 10 students to write effective essay responses on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

We are always keen to encourage our students to submit their work into external competitions, and I know that many teachers have been sharing information with their classes about some of the upcoming opportunities. As we move towards the holidays, we wanted to share some of the links below as we know there are many keen writers who may want to work on pieces over their break. Many of these websites also have incredible resources for passionate poems and writers.

The What Matters Writing Competition is open to students in Years 5 – 12. This competition asks students to write personally on a topic which they are passionate about. Entries are due by Friday 5 May. More information can be found at the website here.

The Dorothea Mackellar Writing Competition is one of Australia’s most prestigious poetry awards for young people. This year’s theme is “A Winding Road.” The school has registered an account for this competition and your daughter will be able to check with her teacher about entering before the due date of Friday 30 June. Many Year 7 – 10 courses will explore poetry in Term 2, so this might complement your daughter’s studies nicely. More information can be found at the website here.

Red Room’s Poetry Forest Competition encourages students to compose poems which have a positive message on climate change. This competition is open until Friday 22 September. More information can be found here.

The Insight Writing Competition is open to students in Years 7 – 12. Students are invited to compose creative pieces of up to 1,400 words. The theme for this year is “Promise.” This competition is open until Friday 1 September. More information can be found here.

The English Department wishes everyone all the best for the Easter break – what a wonderful time to read a book and get back to writing for pleasure!

Jenny Bean
Head of English