Who killed Edgar Allan Poe? This question was posed to members of the public by a group of our young writers during their recent poetry-themed murder mystery night. The group wrote the murder mystery during an eight-week after-school program inspired by the work of Edgar Allan Poe. The students chose Poe as their subject and ‘discovered’ the little known fact that he lived (and recently died!) in Parramatta.

“The interplay between poetry, gothic literature and the Parramatta community shows us the unique power that young people hold in reimagining literature in their own world”, said Philip Wilcox, our Special Projects Manager.

The students created original characters with compelling motives to kill Poe, and fleshed the story out with suspicious diary entries and poetic confessions containing fantastically morbid lines such as ‘the scalpel took a stroll through his liver’.

“We had so much fun because we were actually a part of the work, not just witnessing it”, said Tanya, Year 7.

On the night, our Parramatta Centre was transformed according to the students’ instructions: smoke machines, unsettling soundscapes, excerpts scrawled on the walls, and tables laid out with case files and cryptic riddles. “I really liked how each clue was set up as a proper exhibition. When we started they were just programs and paragraphs, but then it really came together”, Tanya added.

Guests pieced together clues while the students stood by ready to drop hints. While shy at first, the young writers grew in confidence with each new round of guests and delighted in watching them puzzle through their mystery.

While the students began with conflicting ideas, they were delighted with how it came together. Kaarthik, Year 10 said the program allowed young people to express their own ideas, while having the opportunity to listen to others.

The event was presented as part of Parramatta’s Lit!, a brand new festival celebrating the diversity of Parramatta’s literary scene, delivered during the Sydney Fringe Festival. We were thrilled to be a part of it.

The Ibis (a rendition of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)

By Kaarthik, Year 10

Once upon an evening wondrous, as I stared into those whites so lustrous,

None the more a blabber of beautiful words as leaves on bonsai -

While I merely nodded nearly napping, as her voice kept rapping

As of my eyes delightfully dancing, dancing for her deceiving lullaby.

“I can listen forever,” I whispered, “on the river her deceiving lullaby -

The ecstasy of these moments I cannot deny”.

O, I recall it was noon in the bright winter of June;

And each ibis drew wreaths with the grassy green dye.

Eagerly I longed for another visit; hoping I would never miss it

From my forgetful archives forget it - forget it with adrenaline on the high -

O how I would never want to forget it with adrenaline on the high -

Etched the ibises in my blue sky.