Languages News

John Heffernan ‘Hotaka’ Workshops

On Friday March 10, our Year 10 and VCE Japanese classes attended an hour long incursion with author John Heffernan, an Australian author of over 60 novels.

He shared his thoughts and insights into the writing process of his novel 'Hotaka', one of the Through My Eyes – Natural Disaster Zones series of books.  'Hotaka' explores the conditions experienced during and after the devastation of the 2011 Tsunami in Japan through the eyes of a child, who is surrounded by those who have lost everything dear to them. The story also included a vigorous exploration of Japanese culture and history. The Japanese classes are very fortunate to have this novel available to them in the classroom.

In addition to sharing his thoughts and insights regarding the book, Mr Heffernan gave us an insight into his own trip to Japan, sharing what he saw of the aftermath of the natural disaster and the sense of community he felt within these affected areas, an important characteristic of Japanese society. Mr Heffernan was an engaging speaker and gave us a greater understanding of Japanese customs and culture, furthering our own learning outcomes in Japanese studies. 

Kimiko Rathbone

Year 11 student and 2017 Japanese Cultural Liaison Leader