Young Authors Launch New Books at University of Sydney
16 Dec 2024
On Sunday 15 December, a group of nine young people from Western Sydney launched new books; their very own novellas or collections of poetry at the University of Sydney. This launch marked the culmination of their participation in one of Story Factory’s open programs; Year of the Novella and Year of Poetry.
Story Factory’s open programs support young people from under-resourced communities to strengthen their literacy and find their voice through creative writing and storytelling. With generous support from the University of Sydney, throughout 2024 Story Factory has run more than 50 open programs, working with over 500 students to build their confidence, creativity, and writing skills.
The students in Year of the Novella and Year of Poetry attended workshops once a week during school term, where they brainstormed, wrote, and edited, before submitting their manuscripts for professional publication.
“The University of Sydney is proud to support Story Factory and these talented young authors. Their experiences highlight the transformative power of storytelling, and we’re delighted to help amplify their voices in the Australian literary community.” Kirsten Andrews, Vice-President External Engagement, University of Sydney.
This event not only celebrated their achievement of publishing a novella or collection of poetry, but also created meaningful pathways for these young people to explore creative writing as a vibrant form of self expression, and launched their exciting, diverse, new voices into the Sydney literary landscape.
These remarkable young people have worked incredibly hard throughout the year, and it was a pleasure and a privilege to watch them launch their books and writing careers at the University of Sydney. Our Year of the Novella and Year of Poetry programs provide young people opportunities to really see themselves as authors, and help pave the way to exciting new futures, in their education and beyond. — Dr Catherine Keenan, Story Factory Executive Director.
Along with the University of Sydney, Story Factory was proud to celebrate these young people, and support their diverse journeys as insightful, emerging Australian authors.
“I always thought writing was just something I do for fun,” she says. “But when I was in the Year of the Novella workshops, I thought, ‘This is something I could be doing with my life.’ I look around the room at all the amazing storytellers — my teachers — and they’re doing this for a living. If they can do it, so can I — they’re my role models in this industry.” — Lizzy Cilla, 2024 Year of the Novella student.