English News

Maxine Beneba Clarke Lecture

As a part of the curriculum for Year 12 Literature we are studying a collection of short stories entitled Foreign Soil by Australian author Maxine Beneba Clarke. To much of our surprise Clarke was invited to our school on Friday 31 May to present a two-hour lecture designed to aid us in the studying of her book. Often when we study a text, whether it be English or Literature, we find ourselves inferring deeper meaning, engaging in class-long disputes about whether the author intended ‘this’ or ‘that’ and generally a unique interpretation is a good thing. However, with the scope of our assessment task specifying that we had to implement aspects of Clarke’s style, this lecture was not only much-needed but hugely anticipated as we prepared for our SAC. Clarke’s lecture exceeded our expectations and provided us with the opportunity to ask any questions we may have had, directly to the author.

Academic benefits aside, all literature students involved, including students from St Francis Xavier College and Mount Scopus College, were in awe of Clarke’s light-heartedness especially when dealing with otherwise troubling issues. Clarke opened our eyes to the rising relevance of the socio-political issues discussed in her text, both a sad reality and an opportunity for change. Finally, taken from the first page of Clarke’s text, a quote from Chinua Achebe; “Let no one be fooled by the fact that we may write in English, for we intend to do unheard of things with it.”