Young people from Western Sydney become published authors
18 Dec 2024
On Sunday 15 December, a group of nine teenagers from Western Sydney became published authors as they launched their very own novellas or collections of poetry through Story Factory’s Year of the Novella and Year of Poetry programs.
These programs are two of our organisation’s most intensive workshops, with high-school students committing to writing an entire novella or collection of poetry over the course of a year. Along with their family and friends, these young people celebrated their achievements at a launch event at the University of Sydney.
These remarkable young people have worked incredibly hard, and we were delighted to celebrate their successes by launching their books into the Sydney literary landscape. Our Year of the Novella and Year of Poetry programs provide young people with the opportunity to really see themselves as authors, and find and use their voices for whatever they choose. — Dr Catherine Keenan AM, Story Factory Executive Director.
Students attended workshops once a week during school term, where they brainstormed, wrote, and reworked, before submitting their manuscripts for professional editing. In addition to writing support and guidance, the young writers were also provided with the opportunity to meet and learn from established authors including Benjamin Law, Debra Oswald, Will Kostakis, and Tiffany Tsao, who gave their time and expertise to support the students on their writing journeys.
Along with nine new participants from our very first Novella Kitchen — a two-day, bite-sized, book-writing bootcamp that gave students a taste of Story Factory’s Year of the Novella program — these 18 students glowed as they spoke about the difference these programs had made in their lives, and thanked their family and friends for supporting them on the journey to becoming 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.
This event not only celebrated the young people’s achievement of publishing a novella or collection of poetry, but also recognised their growth into confident young authors in their own right, and we here at Story Factory, couldn’t be prouder.