English News 

Author - Will Kostakis Workshop 

During Book Week, the year nine cohort were lucky enough to engage in a presentation with author Will Kostakis. Throughout the hour, Will shared his knowledge and expertise in storytelling with us, walking us through how he entered into the world of creative writing as a young adult. Will related the story of how writing became such an integral part of his identity, recalling the many interesting encounters, interactions, and experiences that inspired many of his books – and led him into signing his very first book deal towards the end of high school. While he boasts a vibrant personal journey, (although not yet yacht rich!) Will also made sure to mention the obstacles he had to overcome that ultimately resulted in his growth as an author. 

Not only did he inspire us with his story, but he also helped us become better writers. During the mini workshops he conducted after the presentation, he asked for volunteers who wanted some feedback on their own stories. He broke the volunteer’s stories into sections, suggested better phrases, and let them know what was good and what could be improved. Developing a sense of location and time were crucial, and because of this workshop, we now understand how to incorporate these techniques in our stories. We also learnt that an introduction should be thrilling but concise, i.e., the main action of it should be as close to the beginning as possible. Overall, Mr Kostakis’s workshop was very informative, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. We’d like to thank Will, once again, for freeing up his valuable time and giving us this opportunity to learn.

Sarah Idroos & Vinayak Duggal

Year 9 

Author Alice Pung

Lecture

On August 26, critically acclaimed author Alice Pung visited the year 10 students for an informative online presentation centring on becoming an author and enduring personal challenges.

Alice Pung brought us into her world, sharing her personal experiences with racism, and illuminating the harsh immigration process. She imparted valuable lessons regarding how we shouldn't let our negative experiences keep us down, and shared personal tips on becoming a writer, including carrying a diary with you to take notes on the small details within your world. Alice noted inspiration can hit you from anywhere. Consequently, she provided us with extremely useful writing advice, suggesting we read widely for inspiration, and explaining how to overcome writer's block.

Additionally, Alice underlined the importance of expression in your writing, explaining to us how valuable a skill it is and coaching us on ways to develop it. Within the author talk, Alice shared harrowing tales on her encounters with racism and bullying throughout not only her youth, but her adult life as well, describing how she converted her troubles into a positive influence on her writing. 

Overall, Alice Pung’s presentation was engaging, insightful, and at times hilarious. We left the meeting with not only a greater insight into what it takes to become an author, but into the sociopolitcal landscape of our world at large.

Ria Kumar & Max Richards

Year 10