Deadly Writing at Story Factory Parramatta

06 Aug 2024

To kick off their school week, thirty Year 9 students from Canley Vale High came to Story Factory Parramatta on Monday morning. The program: Deadly Writing!

In this one-off workshop, Storytellers Nita and Marcus—alongside volunteers Lubna, Liv, Dao, and James—guided the students through two hours of deeply personal poetry based on the work of a First Nations Australian writer, beginning with a seemingly simple question:

What do you do to show care for others, or what do others do to show care for you?

From making lemonade to handmade gifts, the young poets opened up to each other, first in smaller groups, and then in a cross-room brainstorm. Enter the inspiring poem of the workshop, ‘Mama’s Onions’, in which poet Jazz Money describes the care with which her mother taught her life lessons through everyday cooking. 

“You don’t have to dice it finely if you cook it slowly”… a true morsel of moral from Money’s piece, which then sparked new and old sayings from the students. Not judging books by their covers, not going gently into the night; the room became a container of wisdom from aunties to film characters. 

Despite initial doubts about their own ideas, every student in the class went on to either plan or compose the first draft of their own original poem about someone who shows them care, and, in so doing, teaches them something meaningful. 

With several students opting to extend and finish their poems outside of the workshop, Storytellers Nita and Marcus can’t wait to see the pieces published on the Story Factory website!